Professional health coach training is a vital step for aspiring health and wellness coaches, and for those wanting to add health coaching to an existing health-related practice, like physical therapy or nutritional consulting.
Comprehensive health coach training also helps you build in-demand skills that can help you add more value to your business and give you a competitive edge. Keep reading to learn 5 ways to get the most out of your training.
1. Take Your Time Choosing the Best Health Coach Training
A tough yet crucial part is choosing the right health coach training program. There are several factors to consider as you sample the many training options in front of you.
Consider the Accreditation of the Training Institute
Check the coaching institute offers National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) certified programs. NBHWC is the gold standard of health and wellness coach training. NBHWC has certified more than 5000 health coaches since its founding in 2016.
Choosing an NBHWC certified program is the best way to ensure you’ll gain first-rate training and skills. NBHWC certified programs undergo a rigorous vetting process. You’ll enter the industry knowing your certification gives you the upper hand.
Check the Profile of Instructors
Instructors are the backbone of any health and wellness coach training. Visit the website of your institute and go through the faculty section. A credible health training institute should be transparent about its team, as learning under an experienced team is a sure way to increase your success as a wellness coach. For example, check out Catalyst Coaching Institute’s seasoned and passionate team of wellness coach faculty.
Social Proof
First-hand experiences from past graduates can tell you more about a program. Do a background check to see whether grads agree about a program’s credibility.
Reading testimonials is a great starting point. Students who pursued an NBHWC program can give you a better picture of what to expect. You can also try connecting with some of the practicing grads to uncover more.
Look for proof of results when reading testimonials. Sincere graduates are likely to share genuine transformation stories. Take with a grain of salt any testimonial that doesn’t seem personal or tied to real-world experiences.
Support and Resources
Continuous support is essential in a comprehensive wellness coach training program. This support is even more critical when you’re learning online.
Look for a health and wellness training program designed for your success. You should pay attention to factors like mentorship, practice coaching sessions, continuing education options, educational resources, and wellness coaching retreats. Other resources that may ease learning include a coaching toolkit, video channels, special reports, podcasts, and blogs.
Learning Convenience
Flexibility is an essential consideration when choosing a health and wellness coach training program. You want options that fit your schedule, as well as your comfort level with in person vs. online learning. A program that flexes with your needs, as well as larger trends (like restrictions on group gatherings due to global pandemics), is always a good option.
2. Complete an NBHWC Certified Course
A critical part of becoming a successful health and wellness coach is to get NBHWC certified. NBHWC certification shows that you have the skills to practice as a coach.
There are tons of health coaches out there, including some uncertified ones. If you want to stand out in the industry, you have to prove your skills. An NBHWC certification helps you win client trust by demonstrating your commitment to professionalism.
NBHWC requires students to find an approved health and wellness program. This is the first step you should complete to qualify to sit for exams. So, if a training program has the NBHWC Seal of Approval, that’s a good qualifier.
An approved program must fulfill minimum standards in content, study hours, and faculty. Visit NBHWC to look at some of the top training programs meeting these conditions. Our Master Certified Wellness Coach program is on this list.
How Our (CWC) Health and Wellness Coach Training Programs Prepare You for National Certification
NBHWC certification comes with some heavy demands. Apart from the rule to complete training, you also need proof of practice and experience.
Before you sit for exams, you need to submit a log of 50 coaching sessions. A good health coach training should contain coaching sessions to prepare you to coach clients. Coaching sessions will help you master your coach training and prepare you for your career.
NBHWC lists several criteria that make for a good coaching session. Each coaching session should be at least 20 minutes. It should also have 75% of sessions devoted to coaching facilitation. Additionally, coaching sessions should be with genuine clients and not with friends or classmates.
NBHWC further adds that a group session counts as a single session. We designed our wellness coach training with your success in mind. We meet the rigorous NBHWC training standards and dedicate ourselves to providing you with optimal learning support.
Regardless of your program or level, you’ll access hands-on coaching sessions to set you up for NBHWC certification success. Our MCWC program integrates a combination of synchronous and asynchronous training to build your skills. In addition, you have the opportunity to listen to an unlimited number of practice coaching sessions that include hearing feedback from mentor coaches!
All the best health coach training programs come with resources to encourage self-learning–though not all these resources are created equal. To see an example of a carefully curated toolkit of coaching resources, check out our library of videos, blogs, special reports, and other educational materials.
3. Master Health and Wellness Coaching Skills
Making the most of health coaching isn’t just a matter of getting the best training. First, it’s essential to pay attention to the 4 C’s of health and wellness coaching. You’re building a career, so you’ll need to be a well-rounded coach capable of providing insights on a number of levels.
Success in health and wellness coaching also requires some business acumen, as well as basic marketing and soft skills to help you build a coaching clientele.
As a health coach, the ability to establish relationships with people is critical. Health coaching is a hands-on job where you need to build rapport and trust with your clients. You need to show clients that you care and inspire them to imagine a more fulfilling life.
Empathy is a core part of your communication skills. As coaches, we have to be non-judgmental and get into our clients’ shoes. You need to be present in the client’s space to identify their challenges.
With the health and wellness field so diverse, and so rapidly changing, it’s crucial to have a learning mindset. Try to stay ahead of the latest trends, news, and information in the industry. Life-long learning is key to helping your clients and to thriving as a health coach.
To build strong health coaching skills, you need to be passionate and love your job. Becoming a lover of health and wellness topics will help you enjoy helping and inspiring others. Passion for health is also essential when you’re preparing for national certification.
Practice is another key to mastering most health and wellness coaching skills. You need to put in hours of actual work with clients to hone your skills, master coaching techniques, and boost your profile. You become a master health coach by practicing and seeking feedback from seasoned coaches.
4. Prepare to Pass NBHWC Exams
To qualify for the NBHWC Certifying Examination, you must:
- Submit a certificate of completion from an approved health and wellness training program
- Submit a log of fifty 20-minute health and wellness coaching sessions
- Have an associate’s degree or higher, or 4,000 hours of work experience in any field (a degree isn’t mandatory if you’ve completed training and experience hours)
What’s the National Certification HWC exam and how do you pass?
First, commit yourself to completing your training modules and devouring loads of coaching resources. Our health and wellness programs have everything you need to pass your exams.
Preparation is the key to passing your exams and absorbing the knowledge passed by your tutors. Give yourself enough time to revise and master everything you’ve learned.
Also, take practice tests, revise past materials, and build a good relationship with your mentors. Your faculty is there to support and guide you in the right direction. They can help you find clients you can coach to bolster your sessions.
Look for opportunities to conduct more coaching sessions. Practice helps perfect your skills. It’s also a great way to boost your health and wellness skills.
Good news─the NBHWC allows learners to include paid and pro-bono coaching sessions in their log. So every practice session goes a long way toward preparing you for certification and exams.
5. Build Up Your Experience
Experience is the overriding factor in building a successful health coaching career. The best health coach training is priceless. But you also need to supplement it with years of job experience. Studies show that 62% of graduates completed one internship before getting employed.
A health and wellness coaching training is a step closer to a world of endless opportunities. Experience gives you a shot at more options. Whether you want to get employed within an organization or become your own boss, accumulating more work hours can set you apart.
If you’re struggling to find work exposure, consider volunteer health coaching. Get invaluable experience, build networks, and spruce up your resume with proof of a work ethic. Many organizations will invite their volunteer coaches to workshops to sharpen skills.
In many volunteering coaching sessions, you’re likely to work with pro-bono clients. But if you give each opportunity your best, these clients can be your stepping stone to a great career. Some pro-bono clients may even become paying clients or give you referrals.
Get Started With Health and Wellness Coach Training
Health and wellness coaching is a growth industry with tremendous upside. Today, health and wellness coaching is a $7 billion service market, and it continues to show a strong outlook in the light of rising chronic health conditions.
Are you ready to start your health coach training? Register today for our NBHWC-approved wellness program to take one step closer to the career of your dreams.
