Curriculum Overview of the FMCA Health Coach Certification™ Program
The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) represents the gold standard in health coaching education and certification. Our innovative, interactive online curriculum fully prepares you with the training, experience, tools, and expertise to become a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC) in 12 months.
Curriculum Modules
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1: Foundational Coaching Skills
Explore the transformative power of Functional Medicine Health Coaching. Get an introduction to the core concepts in Functional Medicine and Positive Psychology. Build a strong foundation as you learn and practice using effective coaching methods.
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2: Principles of Functional Medicine Health Coaching
Deepen your understanding of the coach approach, including practicing how to build rapport, engage in motivational interviewing, and other essential coaching techniques. By strengthening and honing your coaching skills, you will be the most effective coach possible for your future clients.
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3: Guiding Clients Toward Change
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coaches are behavior change specialists! Discover how to facilitate meaningful change for your clients. Gain an in-depth understanding of the principles of functional nutrition, The Institute for Functional Medicine Food Plans, and how to apply positive psychology to guide your clients toward change.
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4: Digestion and Immunity
Learn about digestion and immune health, the stress and relaxation responses, and how to personalize mind-body practices. Gain a thorough understanding of The IFM Elimination Diet, and how to successfully coach clients through it.
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5: Hormone Balance and Communication
Learn Functional Medicine’s root cause approach to hormonal and cardiometabolic dysfunction, and the role of diet and lifestyle habits in maintaining or restoring optimal functioning of these systems. As you explore the multi-faceted aspects of human communication, you will deepen your understanding of behavior change and be able to effectively guide clients toward achieving their goals.
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6: Energy and Resiliency
Uncover the basics of energy and how to preserve mitochondrial health from a Functional Medicine perspective. Learn how to effectively coach your clients on functional nutrition, sleep, exercise, and movement in order to optimize energy production.
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7: Integrating Environmental Health
Discover how to integrate environmental health into Functional Medicine Health Coaching. Learn detoxification fundamentals, and how to support detoxification through functional nutrition and lifestyle choices. Take a deep dive into the psychology of eating to understand the psychosocial influences on food choices and eating patterns. Continue to hone your skills in behavior change.
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8: Coaching Chronic Conditions
Build your knowledge of the chronic disease pathways from a Functional Medicine lens, including the role of systemic inflammation. Learn how functional nutrition and lifestyle changes promote healing and lower inflammation. Continue to discover and practice using positive psychology and mind-body medicine techniques for resiliency.
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9: Mental Health and Emotional Wellness
Gain an understanding of the Functional Medicine way of viewing the etiology of mood disorders and discover a systems-based approach to mental health. Learn how the coach approach differs from psychotherapy and how positive psychology and mind-body medicine principles can be employed in coaching to maintain emotional wellness.
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10: Group Coaching and Remote Monitoring
Tap into the power of the group process, both for you as the facilitator and for participants. Learn how to structure and lead group coaching visits, and how to partner with practitioners to run group medical appointments. Explore the growing use of remote health monitoring, and how coaches can make remote health monitoring more effective.
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11: Coaching Opportunities and Challenges
Prepare for the challenges you may face as a coach and gain confidence that you can effectively address obstacles. Explore the impact of biases and stereotypes, and how to coach for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Learn how to navigate moral and ethical predicaments, and appreciate the importance of cultivating your personal self-care plan.
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12: Your Coaching Future
It’s time to bring together all the knowledge and skills that prepared you to become a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach. You will synthesize the principles of Functional Medicine, Functional Nutrition, Positive Psychology, Mind-Body Medicine, the FMCA Career Navigator™, and the Art and Science of Coaching. Reflect on how you’ve grown personally and professionally in your transformative year of learning, and prepare to step into your future as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach.
Learn cutting-edge research and techniques from our industry’s most influential experts. Learn to connect meaningfully with clients, collaborate with practitioners, and transform lives as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach.
Your Learning Environment
Online Learning
Coursework is designed specifically for adult online learning; FMCA received the United States Distance Learning Association’s Excellence in Teaching/Training Award 2020.
Time Commitment
The time commitment for the FMCA Health Coach Certification Program is an estimated 8-12 hours per week.
Interactive Training
Practice and hone your skills with a community of coaches in Live Training Sessions (LTS), guided by your Course Facilitator.
Office Hours with The Founders
Get expert guidance and mentorship in virtual office hours with Dr. Sandra Scheinbaum, Founder and CEO and Elyse Wagner, Co-Founder and Chief Wellness Officer.
Course Facilitators
Get personalized support from your Course Facilitator as you develop and strengthen your coaching skills. All of our Course Facilitators are also FMCA-trained coaches. We’re here to answer your questions!
Talk to our knowledgeable Admissions Team of alumni about becoming a Functional Medicine Health Coach! We’re here to answer your questions, talk things through, offer resources, and help troubleshoot challenges. Our A-Team is here for you!
Core Curriculum Concepts
- Fundamental coaching competencies, including legal, professional and ethical standards as set forth by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
- Positive psychology principles and coaching tools to engage clients and inspire them to initiate and sustain lifestyle changes
- Concepts and tools of Functional Medicine, Functional Nutrition and the other modifiable lifestyle factors
- Mind-body techniques and other self-regulation strategies
- Protocols for working with medical care teams
- Strategies for establishing a career as a health coach
All training, materials, and videos are in English,
with a few select client handouts also provided in Spanish.
Contact us for more information.
There is something calling you to find a new approach to health and wellness.
START A TRANSFORMATION as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach. QUESTIONS? Schedule a call.