My Transformation as an IIN-Certified Health Coach

I didn’t expect it – but becoming a certified health coach by the Institute of Integrated Nutrition (IIN) came with a profound personal transformation.

I’ve been educated, coached, and perhaps most meaningfully – expanded my arsenal of healing tools to help my clients and built up my coaching skills which has improved my relationships, and allowed me to befriend some of the most delightful people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.

An Expanded Approach to Holistic Health

In 9 years of researching nutrition and the gamut of healing methods due to Lyme Disease, I thought I knew a lot going in. And I did --- but the IIN Health Coaching Training Program opened new worlds to me.

What I learned about creating health on the emotional and mental levels blew my mind. I’d never heard about somatic coaching until I saw Amanda Blake, PhD, get to the root cause of her client’s writer’s block by tapping into her client’s moment-to-moment physical sensations. I tried her method on myself to better understand my own bad habits and had some breakthroughs on my own!

IIN’s multi-dimensional approach to health brought into focus new areas within even holistic approaches to health —including finances and creativity — that I haven’t seen elsewhere. Yet these areas enable the full spectrum of health. After all, our zip code is a better predictor of our health than our genetic code, and we constantly have to find creative solutions to the obstacles that get in the way of healthy habits.

There is plenty of room for a health coaching student to run with just one – or several – of these often-overlooked areas for coaching.

And one final shoutout to IIN’s liberating concept of “crowding out” bad foods with good ones. 100% compliance is rarely required unless in very specific circumstances; expecting perfection is setting clients up to fail, get discouraged, and get in the way of lasting, positive change.

Gaining Practice and Confidence as a Health Coach

IIN’s program is rich with a diverse, world-class team of coaches, medical doctors, naturopathic doctors and more, revealing how they approach the healing and transformation they offer.

A subset of these highly talented and successful coaches also teach IIN’s Coaching Circles, where as a student you get to put your new coaching skills into practice in a low-stakes environment. I got fantastic feedback from my coaches, that they took great care in delivering in such a way that not only was I not defensive, but eager to integrate. As I improved each time, I gained confidence having graduated with actual coaching experience under my belt.

Another benefit here is that IIN alumni are welcome to participate in coaching circles even after graduation for a nominal fee.

Does IIN Prepare You to Set Up Your Health Coaching Business?

Yes! Starting with beautifully designed Health History handouts that you may use in your own practice to land clients, IIN takes you through all the steps from client prospecting, to signing a client, through re-engagement after completing the program they initially signed up for. You also learn how to anticipate objections to enrollment and how to work through those so that you can help the people you know would benefit from your coaching.

IIN also provide valuable information and discounts on critical components on your business like website service providers for health coaches, HIPAA compliance, the need for liability insurance and providers to consider, information on setting up your LLC or sole proprietorship, as well as resources to help you decide which business structure is right for you.  

Additionally, IIN provides handouts on a range of topics including how to eat the rainbow, the most common therapeutic diets, a guide to functional labs, the wheel of emotions, how to detox, how to create SMART goals, a multidimensional health questionnaire and more. These handouts are beautifully designed so that you can give them to your clients as part of your practice.

Can You Build Your Network in an All-Virtual Environment?

Another resounding yes! And one I wasn’t expecting when I signed up. Thanks to the live webinars, the IIN Facebook community, the Coaching Circles and the Integration Labs, I now have a fantastic network of IIN alumni and coaches around the world that I get to connect with in meaningful ways as we support each other’s growth and practices.

I had the pleasure of meeting two fellow IIN students in person at a retreat in Costa Rica last December. The three of us bonded instantly and are some of the most lovely people I’ve ever met. Meeting two such open-hearted women that have the same goals I do for our health, and who are seeking to make a positive difference in the world in the crucial area of everyone’s health helped solidify that I was on the right track and had found my people.

***

*Disclaimer: The information shared in this post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for specific medical guidance and treatment.**