Knowledge vs. skills. Theory vs. practice. Talking the talk vs. walking the walk. Not every coach training program teaches both—and you need both to be a great coach. A coach may know all the answers, but if they can’t get through to their clients, they’re missing the opportunity to make an impact. They’re preaching nutrition […]
Putting the Pieces Together to Ignite Behavior Change | Student Spotlight: Ashley Howell
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coaches are transforming the healthcare landscape. They’re bringing together diverse approaches to wellness and making them actionable and accessible through positive psychology coaching. This translation—taking health and wellness concepts and implementing them via action plans for sustainable behavior change—is why a Health Coach is a critical part of any practice’s collaborative […]
When Conventional Healthcare Lets You Down | Student Spotlight: Julie Kenney
The Functional Medicine movement continues to grow. And as The Institute for Functional Medicine trains more and more practitioners in this groundbreaking model, we at The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy will continue to train Health Coaches to partner with them. Across the spectrum—practitioners, coaches, patients—so many people find their way to Functional Medicine when the […]
Dr. Sandra Scheinbaum Previews Our Upcoming Men’s Health Course
If you’ve been through FMCA’s Functional Medicine Health Coach training program, you know how jam-packed the curriculum is. Our program is designed so that students build a strong foundation in Functional Medicine, functional nutrition, positive psychology, mind-body medicine, and the art of coaching. It’s paced so that the workload is manageable for students who already […]
Setting Comparisons Aside to Find the Root of Your Well Being | Student Spotlight: Heather Aardema
A defining feature of the Functional Medicine approach is the recognition of individuals as unique, and of each person’s health and wellness needs as unique, too. But it’s easy to find yourself making comparisons to others (and applying judgments about who’s “doing better” at being healthy). Overcoming this drive to compare and instead embracing our […]
FMCA Discount on Healthie: Manage Your Practice and Engage with Clients Remotely
FMCA is always looking for new ways to support our thriving alumni community as they leave the “classroom” and embark on their own careers as Health Coaches. With that in mind, we are excited to announce our relationship with Healthie, a practice management and telehealth platform designed especially for nutrition professionals. FMCA alumni can now […]
Following Your Heart to the Next Step | Student Spotlight: Andrea Kaapke
A question we hear all the time: “I’m not a doctor or a nurse. Can I still be a Health Coach?” The answer is YES! and our Student Spotlight this month is the perfect example of a coach with a non-traditional background. With over 20 years’ experience in accounting, recent FMCA graduate Andrea Kaapke found […]
How Humor Can Foster Change and Strengthen the Client-Coach Connection | Lynn Johnson, PhD
Far from it, says Dr. Lynn Johnson, Ph.D., who’s seen his fair share of the pain that accompanies change over the course of his coaching career. As health coaches, “you’re asking people to make some big changes,” he says. “The two main interventions, diet and exercise—neither is easy to change. Anything you can do to alleviate the pain makes it better.” And one of his favorite—and most powerful—ways to make it better: make ‘em laugh.
School & Community News
“The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life,” by FMCA faculty member Terry Wahls, M.D. will be published on April 4. “This book has been a long-running passion project of mine, and I believe it will help many reclaim their health the same way the foods within helped me,” says Wahls. The book takes you through the […]
Functional Medicine Coaching Academy | Student Spotlight: Linda Hicks
In 2008, Linda Hicks suffered a mini stroke, a transient ischemic attack (TIA). She immediately called her doctor – who told her not to even bother coming into the clinic, but to call back if it happened again. Almost a third of people who experience TIA have a stroke within a year, according to […]