news
New Cohort of Functional Medicine Health Coaches
For Immediate Release
Nov 30, 2016
As Functional Medicine continues to grow, one of the major issues with scaling the practice is the availability of Functional Medicine-trained health coaches. These professionals can help empower patients to improve their own health by taking on much of the goal setting and tracking required for successful lifestyle change. Lacking this support, patients are often less likely to follow through on lifestyle recommendations.
The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) program began training health coaches in 2015. The growth of the third cohort of health coach trainees illustrates the enormous demand for this service: enrollment more than doubled from the first cohort, with 235 students currently in the program. These prospective coaches are from 41 states as well as 16 different countries. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, including corporate America, nursing, massage therapy, sports medicine, and many others.
IFM is proud to collaborate with FMCA for this first-in-class health coaching certification program that significantly integrates Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition into the curriculum. Health coaches who are well educated in Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition have a vital role to play in Functional Medicine practices worldwide. We are gratified to see the interest and growth in this program and extend our congratulations to our colleagues at FMCA for their outstanding efforts.
IFM collaborated with the FMCA to develop a curriculum infused with Functional Medicine principles. The FMCA curriculum emphasizes positive psychology, functional nutrition, and lifestyle change. The entirely-online coaching program includes a six-month practicum, where students work at a clinical or community site practicing the skills they learned in the first six months. The program is accredited by the National Consortium for Credentialing Health and Wellness Coaches.
The FMCA has also now opened a virtual Functional Medicine Coaching Center. Using Skype and phone calls, student health coaches can work with patients around the world. If you are interested in this low-cost service, visit FMCA’s Coaching Center.