Health Coach Certification Review for 2024: Wellcoaches

Health education professionals, including health coaches, earn an average of $62,860 per year, according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics. While it notes that many professionals in the field have at least a bachelor’s degree, certifications make up a significant portion of health coaching, which brings good news and bad news. There are many ways to acquire the necessary skills to succeed in health coaching, but the market remains largely unregulated.

Fortune sought to clear the air for some potential students by releasing a list of the best health coach certifications for 2024. One of the best programs, especially in the areas of mentoring and skills assessment, is Well coaches.

Founded in 2000, Wellcoaches has trained over 15,600 people in the field of health coaching. Head trainer of the organization Erica Jacksonsays her program emphasizes that coaching is a “way of life.”

“A coach is an expert, but not in delivering content. A coach is an expert in the psychology of behavior change and in developing deep relationships with their clients so that their clients can discover their motivation, their strengths and their own vision without any effort. we tell them what to do,” Jackson says. Luck.

If Wellcoaches interests you, Luck There are answers to some questions you may have.

Wellcoaches Program Overview

Wellcoaches’ core program, the Certified Health and Wellness Coach, is one of the most popular in the field. It consists of several modules:

• 1: Basic Trainer Training ($1,785)
• 2: Deepening knowledge and practice ($215)
• 3: 1-1 Mentoring and Skills Assessment ($845)
• 4: Lifestyle and Medical Coach Certification ($275-$435)

Students receive a certificate from Wellcoaches upon completion of the first three modules, although all four modules must be completed if they are to qualify for the official National Council for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHVK) board certification trainer.

Although some modules are self-paced, students are required to attend live classes.

“We’re really strict and force people to attend live classes,” Jackson says. “It’s not a skill set that can be learned just by reading or watching—you have to get in there.”

The course can take anywhere from six to 18 months in total, but Jackson notes that those students who take the time and really try to understand the course material end up making the most progress.

Lesson 8 of 18 from the first Wellcoaches module

To join the program, individuals must have at least an associate’s degree or 4,000 hours of work experience. Over 90% of Wellcoaches students have at least a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Well coaches

Certified Health and Wellness Coach

Price	US$2845–3305
Duration of the program	Varies; 8 months approximately.
Format	Synchronous and asynchronous
Bachelor’s degree required?	No

Wellcoaches curriculum and instructors

Wellcoaches is one of the leaders in health coach training. Organization manual, A Guide to Coaching Psychology, is a guiding educational resource not only for Wellcoaches programs, but also for other organizations offering health coach certifications, as well as for university classrooms. Actually, Master’s Degree at the University of North Texas in Wellness Science and Coaching integrates Wellcoaches modules one through four directly into its program.

Jackson says overall the curriculum is constantly updated with new and relevant ideas. In addition, a third edition of the manual is in development.

Preparatory materials for each live lesson can also be downloaded, allowing students to learn on the go.

All Wellcoaches faculty are certified by the NBHWC, and many have advanced degrees and years of experience in health coaching. In addition, Wellcoaches utilizes a team of medical and research specialists. advisors lead curriculum development.

Second edition of the Manual of Coaching Psychology for use in the Wellcoaches Certification Program.

Finally, Wellcoaches is also significantly updating labor exchange so that students can find opportunities, especially those who wish to become Wellcoaches certified.

Wellcoaches Transparency

The Wellcoaches team is accessible and encourages people to choose a health coach certification program—if they go that route—that best suits their own goals. If there are questions that are not answered on the website, Wellcoaches provides its employees with accessible email and phone numbers. (Fortune received responses to inquiries the same day.)

For future students, the organization from time to time conducts information sessions where people can ask questions directly. One-on-one meetings are also possible.

Wellcoaches’ core audience has changed over the years. Jackson explains that while in the early years the programs primarily enrolled fitness professionals, there is now an increase in the number of doctors and nurses. Overall, students range in age—from their 20s to their 90s—and vary greatly in their career goals, whether that be starting their own practice, working in a corporate office, or working in a clinical practice.

At the end of each live lesson, the program requires students to complete a feedback questionnaire to allow students to reflect on their learning and allow Wellcoaches to improve their teaching.

Wellcoaches student experience and results

Katie Dunford is a graduate of the Wellcoaches program (both core and advanced training) and the founder of her own practice, TrueCoaching4U. She was impressed with Wellcoaches because of its customer service, affordability, and rigorous training program.

She initially enrolled in another health coach certification at another organization, paying two to three times more, and learned little about actual coaching.

“The Wellcoaches coaches have taught me real tools that I can add to my coaching toolbox—like motivational interviewing, appreciative inquiry, nonviolent communication, internal family systems—I use many of them all day, every day,” Dunford says.

Wellcoaches teachers, Dunford says, were also instrumental in making the experience life-changing: not only were they knowledgeable in the field, but they also made learning fun.

The one piece of advice she wishes she had known before getting into the health coach education industry is to start by watching List of NBHWC Approved Training Programswhich she says is an easy way to ensure it’s trustworthy and potentially worth the investment.

For Iris Fernandez ValdezAttending Wellcoaches was a major career change. After studying computer science at Brown University, she decided to pursue a career in health coaching and later found Abitter Way, an organization at the intersection of justice and coaching.

“They wrote the Bible about health and wellness coaches that everyone uses to prepare for the exam. So I thought, let’s go to the source,” Valdez says.

After participating in the core and advanced training programs, Wellcoaches was a transformative experience and led to profound personal growth, she said. According to Valdez, one of the most important skills they learned was to listen—both to listen to others and to listen to themselves.

“Wellcoaches has really always been genuine about what it means to be a coach and to retain one,” explains Valdez.

Is it worth getting Wellcoaches Health Coach Certification?

For anyone interested in incorporating the practice of a health coach into their life – whether as part of an existing career or as part of a new journey into the world of health and wellness, Wellcoaches is a very safe choice. Not only is it on the more affordable side in terms of cost, but the program has figured out how to balance flexible and fun learning well.

Classes are conducted in real time, allowing students to make human connections with their instructors, peers, and content, as well as ask questions on the spot. Students also have self-study materials, and Wellcoaches leaders have proven their willingness to work with students and be transparent.

Wellcoaches is also very well known and respected in the health coaching industry. There is a lot to be said for the fact that the founder of Wellcoaches, Margaret Moore, is also a co-founder of NBHWC; Moreover, their rigorous textbook curriculum is used not only by Wellcoaches itself, but also by other certificate programs and college classrooms.

Check everything Luck’With ratings of educational programsand find out more about specific career paths.