What Is Health Coaching?

Health Coaching

Health Coaching is designed to holistically meet the needs of clients. Health coaches practice from a holistic perspective that views the client as intrinsically healthy, whole, wise, and the ultimate expert in their own healing journey. 

Although health coaches do not diagnose or treat illness, they can assist those with health conditions to enhance their health and change their lifestyle patterns. This assistance includes necessary connection to resources, and the assembly of an optimal, interprofessional healthcare team. The ability to perform this function requires that a health coach have a comfortable working knowledge in conventional and integrative healthcare. Ideally, health coaches primarily work in prevention but are also trained to work with individuals managing chronic disease.

Education Program Standards and Individual Health Coach Board Certification 

The University of Minnesota is a national leader in defining the scope of practice, developing educational competencies and standards of practice, and helping to lead the implementation and acceptance of a national certification process and exam in Health and Wellness coaching. This professional work is being done by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), the organization for which Dr. Karen Lawson (previous Director of the program) has served on executive leadership since its inception in 2010.

Through the NBHWC, the University of Minnesota’s Health Coaching programs received Program Approval in 2017. Our graduates achieve the highest level of knowledge and skills necessary to successfully complete the national board certification examination, which began in 2017. University of Minnesota students are qualified to complete the national board certification exam after successful completion of the Certificate in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices: Health Coaching track or the equivalent coursework (14 required credits) or as a Master of Arts student. 

Students must have satisfactorily completed all courses within the Certificate Track or M.A. program to be eligible to apply for the Board Examination.