The Principles of Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine is a wellness-based approach. The conventional healthcare system has grown so dependent on prescribing away every symptom, that we have forgotten how to restore health: by looking at the big picture and addressing and resolving the root cause of illness, not just the symptoms. 

Food as Medicine 

The Functional Medicine approach uses the conventional approach to healthcare as a starting point, and builds onto it—transforming patient health by understanding and addressing all the things that influence it, including genes, environment, diet, and lifestyle. 

Functional Medicine is a patient-centered rather than disease-centered practice. It focuses on the body as a whole ecosystem, with the main goal of addressing the root cause of symptoms, such as inflammation, energy levels, weight loss, gastrointestinal distress, skin issues, and brain fog, using “food as medicine.”  

The Six Branches of Functional Medicine Health Coaching

As a health coaching student at the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, you will learn the 6 Branches of our Health Coaching Certification Program: The Principles of Functional Medicine, the Principles of Functional Nutrition, Positive Psychology, Mind-Body Medicine, the Art & Science of Coaching, and the FMCA Career Navigator. We are the only program designed in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), which means you will graduate with the ability to “speak the language of Functional Medicine” with IFM practitioners.  

What are the Principles of Functional Medicine?

There are three important components to Functional Medicine: therapeutic partnerships, the systems biology view of medicine, and identifying the root cause. 

1. The therapeutic partnership is a collaborative team, and your role as a health coach is to allow for continuity of care to support the client moving forward. 
2. The systems biology approach differentiates Functional Medicine from conventional medicine, as it looks to address body systems and physiology through a harmonious integration. 
3. Identifying the root cause of disease examines how diet, nutrition, and lifestyle factors contribute to problems, and are also connected to solutions.

As a student at FMCA, you will learn from leading Functional Medicine experts, including senior IFM faculty such as Kristi Hughes, ND, FMCHC. You will learn how to gather and organize client history to support these components using the IFM toolkit, which includes The Functional Medicine Timeline, Matrix and Wellness Wheel. As a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC), you will know how to gather a client’s history, such as their antecedents, triggers, and mediators. You will also know how to examine the modifiable lifestyle factors and mental, emotional, spiritual (M-E-S) core of the Matrix, and explore what may help your clients break patterns and move forward.

Functional Medicine Health Coaches know there’s more to a healthy lifestyle than fad diets and unsustainable exercise regimens. There’s a gap between what clients know they need to do to be healthy, and the intrinsic motivation they need to actually make and sustain those changes. Functional Medicine Health Coaches are experts in bridging that gap, to create sustainable, accessible change for their clients.

Learn More About Becoming a Functional Health Coach – Download Your Free Info Packet