Lifestyle, Health, and the NHS: The Rise of Functional Medicine in the UK

The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA), approved by the UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA), is growing globally, and we are starting to see more students come from the United Kingdom! While there are many ways our students find us, what really resonates with us is their “why” or their purpose, and how their journey led them to FMCA. Many of our students and alumni have found us through their own personal health journeys. Meet some of our U.K. students and hear their stories:

Carolyn Nicholas, FMCHC

FMCA Class of March 2019
Working with Naturopathic Doctor (ND) Christian Bates

“I actually came across FMCA via a post or email from Mark Hyman, MD in early 2017. At that time, I decided to do my Naturopathic Chef course in London to learn about the foods and finally joined the March 2019 FMCA class as really wanted to gain the coaching experience I thought was much needed in order to really make a difference in a client’s life. Functional Medicine plays a big part in my life, so why not share that with everyone else? In a world of a ‘pill for an ill’, looking at the cause and not the symptom is just a no-brainer. Making small changes in the five pillars or foundation of your lifestyle in turn makes huge strides in your overall health. Being that person who meets a client where they’re at and helps to facilitate that kind of change, is the reason why I became a health coach. And not just any health coach, a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach. Looking back, FMCA has been the best year of my life!”

Ros Connolly, FMCHC

FMCA Class of February 2018
Working with Dr. Indra Barathan MBBS, DRCOG, DFFP, MRCGP, IFM using a collaborative approach

“I work as part of Dr. Indra’s Specialist Functional Medicine Practice. The team consists of 3 IFM trained GPs, 1 – Nutritional Therapist, and 2 – Health Coaches of which I am one. We work together to give the patient the best all-round care Functional Medicine has to offer. We hold clinical meetings every week to discuss our patient’s needs, and to coordinate their treatment. I am very much enjoying being part of the team!

I wanted to become a Health Coach after my own health journey. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in February of 2016. I initially followed the conventional medication route and was put on medications, which had horrible side effects. I did not want to continue taking medication for the rest of my life so set about researching. I consulted with a Nutritional Therapist who advised some dietary changes and I immediately noticed positive changes and after further research, I discovered Functional Medicine. This really was life-changing for me and allowed me to reduce and then come off the medication. It really has changed my life. I wanted to spread the word about Functional Medicine to raise awareness and to help others to change their lives for the better too and partnering with people on their journey to wellness seemed like the obvious choice for me. I chose the FMCA because of its affiliation with the IFM and because of the course content which allows Health Coaches to be educated and work in collaboration with Functional Medicine doctors to effect the greatest positive change possible for the patient.”

 Fiona Beard, FMCHC

FMCA Class of August 2017
Working with Dr. Indra Barathan MBBS, DRCOG, DFFP, MRCGP, IFM using a collaborative approach

“Like many of us I had a previous chronic health issue, and was left in chronic pain, with no options as to how I could improve my health. If I had had the support of a health coach it would not have taken me nearly 20 years to find a way forward and return to good health. I knew I wanted to help others with chronic health issues and specialise in chronic pain management. I chose Functional Medicine because it’s about getting to the root cause of a person’s health issues by connecting the various symptoms. Although my health problems started with 2 weeks of a sore back as the years went by I experienced other health problems. This resulted in me seeing various specialists, none of whom spoke to one another. The holistic approach, working through a person’s life history of health, and being able to have clinical, nutritional and health coach support through Functional Medicine was for me the way forward.  It was important to do an accredited health coaching course that was international and affiliated to the Institute of Functional Medicine, which is why I chose FMCA. Also, right from the beginning there was a real family supportive network (which I still feel). Now that I am also working with multifunctional Functional Medicine practices, it was also beneficial to be familiar with all the same forms and processes.”

Maria Goncalves, FMCHC

FMCA Class of February 2017
One of the first Functional Medicine Health Coaches to be hired by the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS)

“For fifteen years, I have undertaken Research and Teaching activities in the field of Food Science and Technology. In 2016 I decided to change my career and collaborate through my work more directly, using nutrition and lifestyle to reduce the sadness statistics I was facing during my researches. In 2017 I started a master in human nutrition and I thought that a health coaching course could be very helpful to learn coaching abilities and motivate people to improve their lifestyles. At this time I was reading a lot about Functional Medicine and its philosophy and approach resonate with me. I researched different health coaching courses and when I found the FMCA I was sure that it was the right one for me. I finished the course in February 2018, and I was very lucky with my lovely cohort and facilitator, Mahnaz Malik. We were a very nice team. I am very happy with my new career, working to help and motivate people to nourish body, mind and emotions.

Woodley Centre Surgery has been delivering multi-disciplinary team-based Group Consultations for the last 18 months in Paediatric Asthma, Diabetes, Pre-Diabetes, Chronic Pain and PCN-Wide in Fibromyalgia. Last year, for two different opportunities, I was invited by Dr Rupa Joshi, a GP from Woodley Surgery Centre, Woodley, Berkshire, UK to participate as a guest speaker in the multi-disciplinary team-based Group Consultations. It was a very good experience for all of us, practitioners and patients. The chronic pain group and the diabetes group received the guidance given on lifestyle very well. Patients used the tools to improve their conditions. In another opportunity, I was invited by Dr Joshi, who is also an expert speaker in Group Consultations, and has run 6 full day workshops for NHS England South West, to teach with her at one of these sessions. This month, I was officially invited to be part of the multi-disciplinary team of the NHS Wokingham North Primary Care Network, an association of five local surgeries, to collaborate in the virtual group sessions, lifestyle educational sessions and also 1:1 consultation with patients, always focusing on nutrition and lifestyle as a way to prevent and treat physical and mental illnesses. It is a part-time job that is only just starting, and I am already very happy with the first round of feedback from patients and the team. I find working with practitioners such as Dr. Joshi and her team who have a complimentary view of the importance of nutrition and lifestyle to public health care motivating. I am sure this is a success for all of us, the patients, health coaches, the NHS and society in general.”

We find these stories inspiring! Are you ready to start your journey to becoming a Functional Medicine Health Coach? Learn more here.

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Interest in Lifestyle Medicine is Exploding in England 🇬🇧
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