Becoming a professional health coach involves a series of steps to follow, and it starts with getting certified by a reputable company. In this Health Coach Institute review, you’ll discover why this specific online program positions you for unparalleled success. Let’s see how!
What Is the Health Coach Institute?
The Health Coach Institute (HCI) is an online company that offers a unique, dual health/life coach certification program called Become a Health Coach (BCH), which includes contributions from several celebrities and renowned medical professionals.
Boasting 10,000 graduates from more than 70 countries and a stellar A+ Better Business Bureau rating, HCI has gotten positive write-ups in noteworthy media, such as Forbes, Mind-Body-Green, and Fitness.
The HCI program is accredited as an Approved Training Provider by the following institutions:
- The International Coaching Federation in the United States. (The only independent credentialing and globally recognized program exclusively for coach practitioners.)
- The Canadian Health Coach Alliance
- The Federation of Holistic Therapists in the UK
- The International Institute of Complementary Therapists in Australia and New Zealand
HCI also pioneered a system called the Functional Nutrition/Habit Change model, which contains a unique combination of the following topics:
- Behavioral science – The science of human behavior
- Neuroscience – The scientific study of the nervous system
- Positive psychology – The scientific study of positive human action
- Appreciative inquiry – Unconditional questions designed to positively reframe a perceived problem
- Neuro-linguistic programming – A means of changing someone’s thoughts and behaviors to achieve targeted outcomes
- Motivational interviewing – A technique to help motivate clients to make positive choices.
HCI supports the scientific principle that up to 95 percent of behavior is caused by habit and that old, unhealthy habits can be replaced with new, healthy ones. They stress that nutrition shifts targeting underlying conditions are healthier and more effective than superficially treating symptoms with medicine or surgery. In other words, they focus on prevention.
HCI also has an informative blog that serves as a rich source of information on a whole range of topics, such as:
- A Day in the Life of a Health Coach
- Five Things That Kill Motivation and How to Stop Them
- Fear of Certainty and Dancing with Anxiety
- Plus more
They also offer many instructive videos, including:
- Here’s How to Eat When You Work from Home
- How Much Money Do Health Coaches Make?
- Am I Too Fat to be a Health Coach?
- Plus more
Who Is the Health Coach Institute For?
The Health Coach Institute is for anyone seeking a coaching program that addresses how the mind and body must work in tandem for optimal health. You should want to dig deeply into what’s responsible for clients’ symptoms, so you can create individualized solutions that genuinely help.
HCI is also ideal for students wanting hands-on coaching practice, rather than theoretical concepts, so you’ll be more prepared to assist actual clients after graduation. Its self-pace is great for candidates who need to weave the program among other responsibilities and activities, such as parenting and hobbies.
The training is also perfect for someone who not only wants a thorough coaching education but knowledge about how to run a successful business. Also, it will be of interest to someone who not only wants to help others experience growth but to experience it themselves, in the process.
What Does the Health Coach Institute Offer?
The Health Coach Institute offers a one-of-a-kind program, the dual health coach/life coach certification…
Dual Health Coach/Life Coach Certification
HCI’s core course, Become a Health Coach, covers four pillars of a coaching business, which we outline below:
Pillar One: Functional Nutrition for Health Coaches
In Pillar One, courses and handouts cover the basics of nutrition science and healthy eating, namely how food interacts with the body to fend off disease and build health. It also includes condition-specific protocols for advanced disorders, such as diabetes, heart disease, and weight loss.
Some of the study materials include:
- How to understand dietary theory at a glance
- A simple done-for-you detox program
- How to read food labels
- Meal timing
Pillar Two: Habit Change Coaching Method
Pillar Two explains why the Habit Change Coaching Method is integral to creating positive lifestyle changes and why it’s the most important skill for successful health and life coaches.
Study materials include more than 10 scripts to help you describe your program to potential clients, along with information about creating a signature coaching program, a done-for-you detox program, and client email invitation templates.
Some of the topics covered in Pillar Two include the following:
- The two steps you must take before you coach your client (if you skip these, your clients won’t experience transformation)
- The number one Habit Change Coaching Method skill of successful nutrition and health coaches
- How to establish rapport
- How to coach effectively in the face of objections and worries
Pillar Three: Personal Growth (The Life Coach Certificate)
The Life Coach Certificate will prepare you for a career as a health coach, life coach or a combination of both. With this certification, you can work with a wider range of clients and help them on a much more meaningful level.
Pillar Three provides information about:
- How to have an “opening the relationship” conversation with potential clients
- Developing a 90-day coaching program for your clients
- How to coach your clients about money
- How to ask for what you want and acquire it
Pillar Four: Proven Marketing and Simple Business Systems
Pillar Four teaches you how to grow a successful business, covering topics such as getting and scheduling clients, pricing your programs, and making money.
Handouts for Pillar Four include marketing materials, done-for-you scripts, and website copy, such as:
- How to get clients from networking and referrals
- How to price your programs
- Sample real-life coaches’ weekly calendars
- How to create videos that attract clients
Pillar four also offers a detailed, four-step system for landing clients:
- Learn how to create a coaching program that’s proven to get results – Many courses teach you how to provide one-off coaching sessions. The Health Coach Institute, however, teaches you how to offer coaching programs over time to get consistent results. You’ll learn how to put together 90-day coaching programs with one session per week to prevent clients from getting overwhelmed.
- Learn how to name your coaching program and describe its benefits – HCI shows you how to describe your coaching program to clients clearly and confidently. They also provide you with done-for-you titles and marketing language for six of the most promising health coaching niches.
- Turn your first practice client into a paying client – HCI provides you with a word-by-word script for your first conversation with a practice client, which is especially helpful if you’re nervous, introverted or self-conscious.
- Find other clients – HCI reveals the top five places to find clients. They also provide in-depth templates, scripts, checklists, done-for-you materials and handouts to guide you step-by-step through finding and interacting with prospective clients.
Now, besides the dual health coach/life coach certification, the Health Coach Institute also offers a graduate-level program called the Holistic MBA (Mastering the Business and Art of Health Coaching)…
The Holistic MBA
This program is a good fit if you’ve earned a degree, certification or license elsewhere and are now eager to create a real-life coaching career. The Holistic MBA focuses on building a strong, viable business foundation while bolstering your confidence and coaching skills. After completion, you’ll attain the Transformational Coaching Method Mastery Certification.
The Mastery Certification program consists of three modules:
Module One: Your Business Compass
This module includes:
- Lesson 1: How To Make Your First – Or Next $10K – As a Coach
- Lesson 2: How to Make Your First – Or Next $10K – As a Coach, Part 2
- Lesson 3: How to Create Your Unique Signature System
- Lesson 4: The Complete Getting Clients Checklist
- Lesson 5: The #1 Must-Have Skill to Attract Clients Consistently
- Lesson 6: The Fastest Path to the Cash: How to Get Clients Using a Simple, No-Cost, Low-Tech Email Strategy
- Lesson 7: How to Get Clients from Networking and Referral Partners
- Lesson 8: How to Get Clients from Talks and Workshops
- Lesson 9: How to Create and Run Group Programs
- Lesson 10: How to Get Clients Online
- Lesson 11: How to Build Your Email List
- Lesson 12: Module 1 Master Checklist
Module Two: The Advanced Transformational Coaching Method
This module includes:
- Lesson 1: The Foundational Paradigms of the Transformational Coaching Method
- Lesson 2: Uncovering Your Client’s Deepest Desire
- Lesson 3: The Key Coaching Technique That Sets the Stage for Transformation
- Lesson 4: The Power of Asking the Right Questions
- Lesson 5: Ecology: Masterful Coaching’s “Secret Sauce”
- Lesson 6: Playing with Perspective: The Subtle Ninja Coaching Trick That Changes Everything
- Lesson 7: Reframes: How the Meanings We Make Determine How We Feel
- Lesson 8: Rewiring Your Brain for Behavior Change
- Lesson 9: Resolving Inner Conflict with “Parts Work”
- Lesson 10: Facilitating Alignment So Your Client Can Have What They Want Without Compromise
Module Three: Transformational Coaching Method Mastery
This module includes:
- Lesson 1: The Foundational Paradigms of Mastery
- Lesson 2: Unpack the Core of Any Client Experience to Discover the True Driving Force
- Lesson 3: Information Gathering Using the Arc of Session
- Lesson 4: Understanding Beliefs Imprints and Experiences and How to Unpack Them
- Lesson 5: The Development of “The Map” and Instructions for Living
- Lesson 6: The Heart of Self-Sabotage and What Keeps Your Client From Having Their Desires
- Lesson 7: Upgrading Beliefs for True and Lasting Habit Change
- Lesson 8: How to Return Love Where It Has Previously Been Deleted or Distorted
- Lesson 9: The Unspoken Family Rules of Love and Belonging
- Lesson 10: The Subconscious Reasons We Hold Ourselves Back
The lessons are supplied in whatever format you study best: video, MP3 or PDF. (The Life Coach portion is provided in audio, only.) They’re broken down into 15-minute segments, enabling you to retain what you learn. You’ll also participate in weekly skills labs so you can practice as both coach and client.
To provide you with the best education possible, HCI has partnered with acclaimed wellness professionals, including:
- Celebrity health coach, JJ Virgin
- Heart health specialist, Dr. Steven Masley
- Diabetes specialist, Dr. Brian Mowll
- Menopause and hormone expert, Dr. Anna Cabeca
Besides the dual health coach/life coach certification and Holistic MBA program, the Health Coach Institute also offers a rich assortment of additional resources to further your education…
Additional Resources
- Four one-on-one coaching calls with an HCI Mastery Coach, as well as a small, group Masterminds meeting twice a month. Every other week, you’ll link up with a group of three classmates to discuss actions you’ve taken in your business. You’ll connect with the same group of people for each session.
- Once a month, you’ll have access to HCI’s founders, Stacey Morgenstern and Carey Peters, enabling you to go directly to the source to have your questions answered.
- When you graduate from HCI’s Become a Health Coach program, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of its dynamic, three-day, business-building, HCI Live events. These immersive gatherings take place twice a year in the United States, where you’ll learn advanced coaching skills and discover how to grow your business and network with coaches from all over the globe.
And if that doesn’t entice you, the event kicks off with a party. Mix, mingle, strut down a catwalk and even have a dance-off with the CEO! (The price of flights, ground transportation, meals, and hotel aren’t covered, but attendees do get a lodging discount. Event seating costs $97.)
What Are the Requirements to Enroll?
The Health Coach Institute’s only enrollment requirement is that you have a passion for helping others live their healthiest lives. That’s all! 🙂
How Long Does It Take to Complete the Program?
The Health Coach Institute’s self-paced program is structured to be completed in six months. The curriculum is portioned into short, easily digestible segments for the most effective learning experience. If you watch all the videos, attend the Q & A calls, and participate in the weekly Skills Lab, you’ll log five to six hours of work per week.
After graduation, you’ll be given a certificate of completion and a seal for your website to display your credentials.
What Do Graduates of the Program Have to Say?
Graduates hold high praise for the Health Coach Institute. Most find the program carefully thought out, understandable, and designed to effectively set them up for success right out the gate. They also appreciate HCI’s unique blend of nutrition education, habit change, personal development, and business training.
Graduates value the self-paced nature of the course, allowing them to fit the program around parenting, work or other activities. They also like being able to work with practice clients as it helps them better adapt to real-life coaching situations.
Graduates find the business and marketing courses so informative and comprehensive that some even land paying clients shortly after graduation.
HCI not only helps graduates transform clients’ lives but their own lives, as well, which they greatly value.
In fact, graduates’ only complaint relates to the HCI Live conference. While they love the event itself, they wish HCI covered some of the expenses, such as hotel or ground transportation.
How Much Does the Health Coach Institute Cost?
Tuition for the six-month dual life/health coach program is $7,176 (monthly payments start at $299/month). But it only costs $5,450 if you pay in full.
HCI also offers seasonal promotions and discounts, as well as multiple payment plan options to make BHC affordable for most any budget.
Get $500 off your enrollment by completing this 30-second form!
Pros
- The Health Coach Institute’s prestigious accreditations make the program reputable and trustworthy. They also provide very responsive peer and staff support.
- We appreciate HCI’s unique dual health coach/life coach certification and its combination of functional medicine and habit change.
- Not only does HCI do an excellent job of providing you with a thorough education, but it also positions you for business success.
Cons
- While HCI’s practice sessions are a good concept, you’ll be role-playing with another student, instead of a qualified teacher who can monitor and guide your practice.
- Some of HCI’s training videos are a bit amateurish and merely consist of reading along with what the presenter is saying. Others have poor quality PowerPoint presentations.
- We wish some expenses for the HCI Live conference were covered.
Interested in checking out other health coaching certification programs? Read our dedicated guide here.
Conclusion
In this Health Coach Institute review, we give HCI high marks for its innovative dual health coach/life coach certification and its pairing of functional nutrition with habit change. The program not only teaches you about coaching but also shows you how to get your business up and running right after graduation.
For these reasons and more, HCI is our top choice for health coaching certification programs.
ENROLL IN THE HEALTH COACH INSTITUTE NOW AND GET $500 OFF! DISCOVER HOW >>
Do you have any questions or concerns about the Health Coach Institute Certification Program? Leave your comments below!
Sources
I am really interested in becoming a life/health coach and have been on the brink of signing up several times for courses. This looks reasonably priced for the amount of content you get and has worldwide recognition as a qualification. I think the only thing that has been holding me back is the thought of how I would get clients, but this course seems to cover that as well. Thank you for this thorough review, I will definitely be looking into this.
Thank you!
A very interesting article. As A Holistic Therapist and Life coach I can endorse all that you have discussed and recommended here. The mind-body connection is something a lot of people need to hear more about. It is the essence of healing and can help avoid the use of medicines and surgery.
Glad you found it helpful Liam.
Interesting read. I am a diabetic and a heart patient and have delved into looking for cures and answers for these ailments. Along the way, I learned a thing or two to help out various individuals with similar problems. Learned about intermittent fasting for diabetic control and diet/vitamin/exercise regiment to harness or rather reverse artery blockages. The question I have here is : 1. Can we really make money as a health coach? 2. The certification provided – is it recognized by doctors and is it recognized worldwide 3. Are there success stories to share?
Hi Bosco, yes, you absolutely can make a living as a health coach. We dedicated a whole article on the topic, which you can access here.
HCI is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF), the only globally recognized, independent credentialing program for coach practitioners. You can learn more here.
As far as success stories, HCI has plenty, which you can read about here.
Hope that answers your questions!
It sounds like pretty thorough training. I’m looking into training like this but the cost is a little prohibitive. They do at least offer some payment plans. Do they offer any guarantee? I’d love to get this kind of training. I run a health-related website so it would complement that very well. Thank you for this review.
Hi Paula, as an HCI student, you’ll be paired up with “Success Coaches” to help you build a thriving health coaching business each step of the way. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for this information. After reviewing a few programs, I am excited to enroll in HCI!! I do believe they have increased their prices though…when I went to their website it states $4,450.00 if paid in full. I’m sure it is worth the investment though!
Thank you Nicole! Best of luck to you 🙂