Holistic Health Coach Guide

Holistic Health 101

What is a Holistic Health Coach?

Holistic Health Coaches use an integrative approach to diet and lifestyle changes in order to improve their clients’ health. A Holistic Health Coach moves one step beyond simple health coaching by recognizing that there is more to overall health than just diet and exercise. A Holistic Health Coach evaluates their clients’ physical, social, psychological, and spiritual well-being to come up with lasting plans to change behaviors and boost their clients’ overall health. A Holistic Health Coach has the unique ability to promote:

• Positive psychology, by using your clients’ strengths (not weaknesses) to encourage behavior change
• Habit reversal and change to promote healthy eating, physical fitness, getting plenty of sleep, and more
• Motivation to achieve your clients’ needs and goals based on their individual experiences (e.g., “I am going to change my lifestyle so I can keep up with my grandchildren.”)

Health coaches have the power to improve client health outcomes, and one review of health coaching found that it proved effective for individuals battling obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

A Booming Industry

The Global Wellness Institute—a research firm that focuses on areas such as healthy eating, fitness, and anti-aging efforts—reports that while the pharmaceutical industry is a $1 trillion business worldwide, the wellness industry is more than triple that with a $3.7 trillion market.

On an average doctor’s office visit, a patient spends only about 10- 12 minutes actually speaking to their doctor. A patient often leaves the doctor’s office with information, but information doesn’t translate into behavior changes. Doctors and nurses are trained in delivering an expert model of care, but not necessarily in explaining and encouraging long-lasting behavioral changes in order to lower stress or increase daily sleep. Beyond that, it’s predicted that, by the year 2025, there will be a shortage of 52,000 primary care physicians. With so few doctors available, physicians must be focused on lab results, proper diagnoses, and treatment plans—not on empowering their patients to adopt healthy, preventative habits.

Holistic Health 101 Holistic Health Coach Guide 8

Additionally, more and more people are looking at their health not as the absence of disease, but as the ability to live the most vibrant life possible. The rise in interest in local food, plant-based diets, yoga, alternative medicine, fitness, and meditation is representative of a changing tide toward holistic, healthy living. It also means the trillion-dollar health and wellness industry is expected to see a growth of 17 percent in the next five years, because individuals and corporations alike have begun assessing and recognizing the work-life imbalance in today’s world. Holistic Health 101 “Most consumers are more interested in staying out of the doctor’s office than they are about scheduling their next physical.” Nielsen, a global measurement and data analytics company Holistic Health Coach Guide 9 Holistic Health Coaches have the ability to empower their clients to make serious behavior changes in order to alter their health outcomes. According to the CDC, preventing chronic disease can be achieved by: Unfortunately, only about 6.3 percent of Americans engage in all five of these behaviors, which is why chronic disease is plaguing us all. This is why the role of a health coach is so crucial. Helping clients change their physical, spiritual, psychological, and social habits is difficult, but with the right training, tools, and experience, things can turn around.

Holistic Health Coaches have the ability to empower their clients to make serious behavior changes in order to alter their health outcomes. According to the CDC, preventing chronic disease can be achieved by:

• Not smoking
• Participating in regular physical activity
• Consuming little to no alcohol
• Maintaining a normal body weight
• Obtaining sufficient sleep every day
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet

Unfortunately, only about 6.3 percent of Americans engage in all five of these behaviors, which is why chronic disease is plaguing us all. This is why the role of a health coach is so crucial. Helping clients change their physical, spiritual, psychological, and social habits is difficult, but with the right training, tools, and experience, things can turn around.

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Is Holistic Health Coaching Right for Me?

You’re passionate about health and wellness, and you love spending time one-on-one with clients, helping them see how they can make lasting, meaningful behavioral changes to enhance their lives. How do you know health coaching is right for you? If these benefits of being a Holistic Health Coach excite you, then you’re in the right place: Is Holistic Health Coaching Right for Me?

• Flexibility: As a Holistic Health Coach, you can work for yourself or at a medical office, wellness center, spa, gym, training center, university, and beyond. Many corporations are also hiring health coaches as part of wellness programs that provide incentives for employees who make healthy choices and changes. You can work one-on-one with clients on your own time or full-time as part of a care team with other health professionals to help treat chronic disease.
• Easy Entry: You could spend years going to school to become a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant—or you could get your Holistic Health Coach certification and bring your passion and expertise to clients more quickly. If you aren’t science savvy or don’t have the tens of thousands of dollars needed for a four-year degree, health coaching is a great way to put your passion into practice.

• Change-Maker: Teaching clients how to implement lasting behavior change through evidence-based methods is extremely rewarding—for you, your clients, and their families. As a Holistic Health Coach, you have the skills, talents, and passion to battle the epidemic of chronic disease one person at a time on a personal level.

There are many paths that could lead you to a Holistic Health Coach certification. If your corporate job is no longer fulfilling and you want to make a career change, a Holistic Health Coach certification could be just the thing you’re looking for.

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A BACKGROUND IN HEALTHCARE OR FITNESS?

Although experience in health and wellness is a plus, great Holistic Health Coaches come from diverse career backgrounds and life experiences.

If you’re a physician, nurse, yoga instructor, personal trainer, or chef, training as a Holistic Health Coach certification can help you round out and complement your experience and skills. Additionally, if you’re a health coach who wants to take a deeper dive beyond just diet and exercise to help others understand that their health is dependent on a holistic approach to nutrition and meal planning, supportive relationships, meaningful work, work-life balance, spirituality, and more, then you’re a Holistic Health Coach in the making. As a Holistic Health Coach, you can expect to:

• Coach and educate clients about how to achieve and sustain healthy habits as part of a daily routine that includes eating healthy, exercising, managing stress, getting plenty of sleep, maintaining healthy relationships, and more.
• Empower your clients to achieve optimal and lasting health by addressing any imbalances caused by improper nutrition, a stressful lifestyle, poor sleep quality, a lack of exercise, and more.
• Educate clients on how to identify and change any sources of ill health.
• Create strategies for identifying healthy environments and start a support program to help clients in reaching their personal wellness objectives.
• Recognize when it is necessary to refer clients to their primary care physicians for treatments and/or diagnoses.

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Your Career in
Holistic Health

As a Holistic Health Coach, there are endless career paths—and the options continue to increase. Thanks to technology, Holistic Health Coaches are able to offer their services any time, day or night, from the comfort of home. This flexibility means more opportunities for clients who aren’t local, which means a greater reach for your business. Using the phone, email, social media, video conferencing, or countless other means of communication, you can create a robust, rewarding career as a Holistic Health Coach. Some of the spaces you could find yourself in as a health coach include:

It’s not uncommon for a Holistic Health Coach to charge $100-$150 per session or as much as $200-$500 an hour. In fact, according to Glassdoor.com, health and wellness coaches can earn upwards of $87,000 per year doing what they love. It’s important to note that your salary can vary according to any number of factors, including:

Here are some other ideas for how you can use your Health Coach certification:

• Create a holistic nutrition and health blog.
• Create a YouTube channel and/or a podcast about nutrition and coaching.
• Create nutrition and wellness programs in your community.
• Create your own online wellness products and programs.
• Start a Facebook group or page about holistic nutrition and health.
• Develop a healthy meal planning program.
• Be a resource for sourcing local, organic foods.
• Offer holistic nutrition and wellness seminars to special groups.
• Lecture or speak on holistic wellness and behavior change.
• Author books on creating a healthy lifestyle and holistic nutrition recipes.
• Host a wellness retreat.
• Start a meal preparation and delivery business.
• Create and run a community kitchen and/or garden.
• Be a guest on local programming, such as radio, news, or TV.
• Work as an in-store nutritionist.
• Start a restaurant or personal chef business.

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How to Kick-Start
Your Career

If you’re ready to dive in and get started, here are some simple steps you can take to become a Holistic Health Coach:

Step 1: Research

The first step to become a health coach is to do your homework and find a program that will provide the skills and knowledge to achieve your specific career goals. Some considerations:

• Does the course offer online study?
• Are all materials online, or are there hard-copy options too?
• Is the test online, or do you need to go to a testing site?
• What kind of supplemental materials does the course offer?
• Will there be career support during and after the course?

Step 2: Get Certified

Once you’ve chosen a program, you’ll study when you want, at your own pace, in your own space. Follow the suggested schedule to study just 7-10 hours a week and you’ll be certified within 12 months. Or complete the program sooner if you’re truly motivated to get your career going.

Step 3: Gain Experience

Getting certified is just one part of the path toward a successful career as a Holistic Health Coach. You should consider obtaining some practical experience, whether through practice sessions with colleagues, friends, or family members or by shadowing another professional in the workplace. These real-life experiences will help to build your confidence, skills, and resume.

Step 4: Get Hired

Whether you work for yourself and coach clients around the world or decide to pursue a career as a corporate health coach, getting hired in today’s fast-paced health and wellness industry is a full-time job in itself. Keep your resume up to date, and use health industry career resources and job boards to find the right gig for you.

Step 5: Stay Certified

Long after you’ve become certified and landed the perfect job helping others see how powerful behavior change can be, you must keep your certifications current. Additionally, it might be worth exploring complementary certifications, such as fitness or nutrition, to round out your health coach chops.

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Get to Know the
Curriculum

Now that you’re ready to launch a Holistic Health Coach career, explore our Holistic Health Coach certification program course overview.

Curriculum Overview

Module 1: Health and Wellness

Module 2: Health and Lifestyle Coaching Skills

Module 3: Holistic Nutrition Science

Module 4: Nutrition Consultant Skill Development

Module 5: Holistic Health Research Presentations

Module 1: Health and Wellness

The Health and Wellness Module explores the many facets of personal health and self-responsibility, while focusing on the basic principles of physical, mental, and spiritual health. It provides students with the tools they need to make informed health decisions that promote lifelong wellness for themselves, their families, and their clients. The lessons encourage readers to be responsible for their own health-related behaviors and outline how to improve overall health through nutrition, fitness, stress management, and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.

Part 1 Achieving Wellness

• The Definition of Health
• Mind-Body Communications Maintain Wellness
• Managing Stress: Restoring Mind-Body Harmony
• Mental Health

Part 2 Eating and Exercising Toward a Healthy Lifestyle

• Choosing a Nutritious Diet
• Managing a Healthy Weight
• Movement and Physical Activity for Health

Part 3 Understanding and Preventing Disease

• Reducing Infections and Building Immunity: Knowledge Encourages Prevention
• Cancer: Understanding Risks and Means of Prevention
• Cardiovascular Diseases: Understanding Risks and Measures of Prevention
• Heredity and Disease

Part 4 Explaining Drug Use and Abuse

• Drug Use and Abuse
• Eliminating Tobacco Use
• Using Alcohol Responsibly

Part 5 Making Healthy Choices

• Making Decisions About Healthcare
• Exploring Alternative Medicines
• Accidents and Injuries

Part 6 Overcoming Obstacles

• Understanding Aging and Dying
• Working Toward a Healthy Environment

Module 2: Health and Lifestyle Coaching

The Health and Lifestyle Coaching Module will show you how to have realistic coaching conversations with your clients and how to address issues such as the timing and types of questions to ask, how to provide feedback effectively, and how to facilitate robust action planning. You will learn how to engage in well-designed communication strategies to motivate, guide, inform, and support clients’ processes toward personal change with a holistic approach.

Part 1 Introducing Wellness Coaching

• Modern Health Issues
• Process of Change
• Wellness Coaching

Part 2 Background and Core Ingredients of Coaching

• Evolution of Coaching
• Models of Helping Others
• Core Ingredients of Effective Coaching
• Core Ingredients of Wellness Coaching

Part 3 Paths of Change

• Transtheoretical Model
• Change Strategies
• Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, and Relapse Prevention
• Applying Strategies in Coaching

Part 4 Coaching Models

• Examine Different Models of Coaching
• Desired Outcomes
• Desired Plans

Part 5 Setting the Foundation for Effective Coaching

• Establishing the Coaching-Client Guidelines and Agreement
• Differentiating Values, Virtues, Morals, and Ethics
• Coaching Agreements
• Critical Elements of Agreements

Part 6 Co-Creating the Coaching Relationship

• How to Establish Trust and Respect
• The Working Alliance Between
• The Coaching Presence

Part 7 The Power of Listening

• Understanding Body Language
• Active, Passive Listening
• Levels of Listening

Part 8 The Power of Questioning

• Types of Questioning
• Problematic Questioning
• Steps of Questioning
• Positives and Negatives of Questioning
• Powerful Questioning

Part 9 Direct Communication

• Feedback
• Challenge
• Self-Disclosure
• Immediacy
• Direct Input

Part 10 Awareness and Action

• Increasing Client Awareness
• Client Focusing
• Client Reflection
• Designing Action
• The Competency Development Model

Part 11 Goal-Focused Coaching

• The Centrality of Coaching
• Goal Complexity
• The Coach’s Role
• Case Studies

Part 12 Tools for Your Coaching Career

• Sample Coaching Forms and Agreements
• ICF Code of Ethics
• Complete kit of assessment tools to help establish a strong framework for successful coaching
• Welcome packet, coaching readiness index, introductory session form, and between-sessions questionnaire to benefit both the professional and client in laying the groundwork
• Other supplemental resources—such as a social and emotional intelligence assessment and a goal-setting form— support the journey

Module 3: Holistic Nutrition Science

The Holistic Nutrition Science Module covers basic anatomy and physiology, describing each major system of the body and how they interrelate. Also presented are the models of health and disease, both traditional and holistic. You will discover which whole foods, herbs, and spices have been scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease. You will also learn what to eat in order to help treat the top 15 causes of death, foods we should consume every day, and those that we need to avoid.

Part 1 How the Body Works and Self-Care

• The Skin—Between, Within, and Without
• The Skeletal System
• The Muscular System and Fascia
• The Cardiovascular System—Transport
• Immunity
• The Lungs
• The Digestive System—Eating and Food Processing
• The Liver—A General with a Thousand Functions
• The Kidneys and Bladder—Cleaning the Blood
• Hormones (The Endocrine System)—Communication and Control
• The Reproductive System
• The Senses—Experiencing the World
• Detoxification, Elimination, and Fasting

Part 2 Nutrition for Disease Prevention

• Holistic Nutrition for Heart Disease
• Holistic Nutrition for Lung Diseases
• Holistic Nutrition for Brain Diseases
• Holistic Nutrition for Digestive Cancers
• Holistic Nutrition for Infections
• Holistic Nutrition for Diabetes
• Holistic Nutrition for High Blood Pressure
• Holistic Nutrition for Liver Diseases
• Holistic Nutrition for Blood Cancers
• Holistic Nutrition for Kidney Disease
• Holistic Nutrition for Breast Cancer
• Holistic Nutrition for Suicidal Depression
• Holistic Nutrition for Prostate Cancer
• Holistic Nutrition for Parkinson’s Disease
• Holistic Nutrition for Iatrogenic Causes
• Foods to Eat Every Day to Fight Disease

Part 3 Holistic Nutrition, Medicine, and Society

• The Modern Healthcare System
• Modern Medicine Downfall
• The Whole Truth About Medicine
• Treating the Symptom and Not the Cause
• Prevention vs. Prescription
• Nutrition as Prevention
• Genetics vs. Nutrition
• Understanding the Medical System
• Food Industry Exploitation and Control
• Research and Profit
• Media Influence on Society and Nutrition

Part 4 Foods, Diets, and Meal Planning for Health and Longevity

• Defining the Optimum Diet
• The Science Behind the WFPB Way of Eating
• Calorie Rich, Nutrient Poor: Obesity, Chronic Disease
• Reverse-Engineering Longevity: Food and Culture in the Blue Zones
• Let Food Be Thy Medicine
• Demystifying Diabetes
• Discussion of Pros and Cons of Various Diets: Low-Carb, Paleo, and so on
• Navigating Everyday Food Choices
• The Psychology and Physiology of Food and Pleasure
• Proven Strategies for Successful Transitions to Healthier Diets
• Transform Your Health
• Whole Foods Recipes
• How to Customize the Whole Foods Diet for Particular Preferences and Needs
• Shopping Lists, Culinary Tips, and Other Practical Tools to Support Healthy Eating at Home or When Traveling

Part 5 Holistic Herbal Remedies for Health and Longevity

• Herbal Nutrition
• Stress and Energy
• Relaxation, Mood, and Sleep
• Digestion and Elimination
• Detoxification: Cleanup Time
• The Immune System
• The Respiratory System
• Blood Sugar
• The Cardiovascular System
• Memory and Cognition
• Managing Pain
• The Thyroid
• Reproductive Vitality
• Aging Gracefully
• Children and Animals: Herbal Medicine for the Whole Family
• Harvesting, Buying, Storing, and Using Herbs
• DIY Herbal Remedies

Module 4: Nutrition Consultant Skill Development

The Nutrition Counseling Skills Module provides you with a step-by-step guide to the fundamental skills of counseling strategies and protocol, complemented by action-based worksheets and practical case studies. Included are practical examples and first-person accounts of case studies that show how to execute various approaches, counseling strategies, and common nutritional assessments in a variety of settings. The worksheets and questionnaires teach students to document and assess counseling sessions. In addition, forms and checklists are provided for beginning practitioners.

Part 1 Preparing to Meet Your Client

• Frameworks for Understanding and Attaining Behavior Change
• Communication Essentials

Part 2 Meeting Your Client: The Counseling Interview

• Developing a Nutritional Care Plan: Putting It All Together
• Promoting Change to Facilitate Self-Management
• Making Behavior Change Last

Part 3 Communication with Diverse Population Groups

• Group Facilitation and Counseling

Part 4 Keys to Successful Nutrition Education Interventions

• Education Strategies, Mass Media, and Evaluation
• Four-Week Guided Nutrition Counseling Program
• Step-By-Step Guide for Working with Clients
• Client Intake Forms

Module 5: Holistic Health Research Presentations

In the Holistic Health Research Presentations Module, you will learn the most current research to date, including practical advice on how best to feed ourselves and our families to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic diseases. Note: Content listings for each presentation have been abbreviated.

Presentation 1

• LDL Cholesterol and Heart Disease
• Animal Protein and Stress Hormones
• Donating Blood to Prevent Heart Disease
• Turmeric and Inflammatory Pseudotumo
• Breast Cancer Risk and Soy
• Treating Endometriosis with Seaweed
• Treating PCOS with Diet
• Strengthen the Mind-Body Connection
• Do Vitamin C Supplements Prevent Colds?
• Supplement Industry and Carnitine/TMAO

Presentation 2

• Benefits of Ginger for Menstrual Cramps
• Green Tea for Boosting Immune Function
• Dangers of Supplement Deregulation
• Benefits of Rosemary for Brain Function
• Sodium and Autoimmune Disease
• Chia Seeds or Flax Seeds
• Wakame Seaweed and Immune Function
• Block Breast Cancer’s Estrogen Enzymes
• Avocados, Red Wine, and Inflammation
• Treating Bacterial Vaginosis with Vitamin C
• Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio and Stroke Risk
• Gut Flora Uses Eggs to Accelerate Cancer

Presentation 3

• Best Supplements for Prostate Cancer
• Lead in Drinking Water
• Best Foods for Lead Poisoning
• Microbiome: We Are What They Eat
• Best Aromatherapy Herb for Alzheimer’s
• Natural Treatment for Acne
• Controversy Over the Trans Fat Ban
• Food Industry Wants Public Confused
• Best Supplement for Fibromyalgia
• Fermented or Unfermented Soy Foods

Presentation 4

• Antioxidant Effects of Acai vs. Apples
• Acai vs. Blueberries for Artery Function
• Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, and Wine
• Effects of Too Much Arsenic in the Diet
• How to Cook Rice to Reduce Arsenic
• Pros of Brown Rice vs. Cons of Arsenic
• Coconut Oil and Boost in HDL Cholesterol
• Coconuts and Coconut Oil MCTs
• Advanced Prostate Cancer and Diet
• Is Nutritional Yeast Healthy for Everyone?

Presentation 5

• How to Avoid Lectin Poisoning
• Are Lectins in Food Good or Bad for You?
• Fighting Autism Brain Inflammation
• Best Foods for Autism
• Is CAPB in SLS-Free Toothpaste Better?
• Cell Phone Brain Tumor Risk
• Different Oils for Eczema Treatment
• The Best Diet for Fibroids
• Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics
• Best Food for High Cholesterol
• Lycopene Supplement vs. Prostate Cancer

Presentation 6

• Autism and Casein from Cow’s Milk
• Pros and Cons of Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diets for Autism
• Best Foods to Avoid for Eczema
• Exclusion Diets for Eczema
• Are Avocados Good for Your Cholesterol?
• Researching the Health Effects of Marijuana
• The Rise in Blood Lead Levels in Pregnancy and Menopause
• Soy Phytoestrogens for Menopause Hot Flashes
• Best Food to Counter Stress-Induced Immune Suppression
• The Effects of Radiation Leaking from Microwave Ovens

Presentation 7

• Coconut Oil and Abdominal Fat
• Mammogram Recommendations: Why the Conflicting Guidelines?
• The Role of Pesticides and Pollution in Autism
• Are Avocados Fattening?
• The Role of Dairy and Gluten in Canker Sores
• Breast Cancer and the Five-Year Survival Rate Myth
• The Pros and Cons of Mammogram

Presentation 8

• Does Cocoa Powder Cause Acne?
• Is Aloe Effective for Blood Pressure, Inflammatory Bowel, Wound Healing, and Burns?
• Apple Peels Put to the Test for Chronic Joint Pain
• Can Alcohol Cause Cancer?
• The Best Source of Resveratrol
• Is It Better to Drink Little Alcohol Than None at All?
• How to Prevent Alzheimer’s with Diet
• The Risks of Shark Cartilage Supplements
• Should Women with Fibroids Avoid Soy?
• Do Natural and DIY Tea Tree Oil Cleaning Products Disinfect as Well as Bleach?
• Coconut Water for Athletic Performance vs. Sports Drinks
• Are Sports Drinks Safe and Effective?
• How to Access Research Articles for Free
• Sci-Hub Opens Up a World of Knowledge

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Launch Your Career with AFPA

AFPA’s Holistic Health Coach certification program is the only educational program of its kind that provides a comprehensive training course in health coaching and holistic nutrition, as well as board certification for holistic health practitioners. Getting certified with AFPA will provide you with the instruction, tools, and knowledge to facilitate behavior change that will lead your clients—and you!—to a natural, happier, healthier lifestyle. Our program emphasizes vital healthy living practices, including:

Through a holistic approach to diet, relationships, mental health, stress, disease prevention, physical fitness, and spirituality, you’ll have the skills and ability to help your clients find the right foods and lifestyle to help them feel their best—for good.

The Benefits of AFPA

Study at Your Own Pace

Our Holistic Health Coach program is a self-paced, self-study program that you can complete from the comfort of your home in 12 months or less.

Become Board Certified

Successful graduates who meet the additional eligibility requirements of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) may become Board Certified Holistic Health Coaches.  Additionally, AFPA is a recognized organizational member of the Association of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO).

The Price Is Right

One of the best things about an AFPA certification is that our program won’t break the bank. If you’re on the fence about whether you truly want to pursue a career as a Holistic Health Coach, our curriculum is very affordable. With payment plans that fit your budget, the AFPA Holistic Health Coach certification costs less than the tens of thousands you would spend on a four-year degree program. You can put your passion into practice faster, too.

Holistic Health Coaching is a fast-growing, booming business. With a certification from AFPA, you’ll not only be a part of the solution to the current healthcare crisis, but you’ll also be engaging in an exciting career move and doing something you love.

Download a PDF version of this guide by filling out this form.

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