I’ve chatted before on my Instagram about my journey to become a holistic health coach, and I often receive questions from followers, friends and clients about my experience with IIN, how I started my own business, and so on. To cover all of these topics efficiently, I’m sharing my answers to these questions in one simple resource!
For those who might not know, I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in August of 2020 and have since expanded my blog and business, Goodness With G, to include one-on-one Holistic Health Coaching programs. You can read more about my program offerings and see if we might be a good fit to work together HERE!
Below I’m sharing my own experience and answering the most frequently asked questions about IIN and more. If you end up wanting to look into the program more deeply, CLICK HERE or send me a message at [email protected] – I’d be happy to connect you with an admissions counselor .
My journey into health coaching
It took me about 6 months at my corporate job out of school to realize that I was headed down the path of least fulfillment. I’ve always had a deep passion for health, nutrition and holistic healing methods, but I just wasn’t sure exactly how to best parlay those loves into a sustainable business. I finally reached a breaking point emotionally in my life-sucking job and knew a change was necessary.
I decided to head back to school to pursue my Masters in Business Administration to gain a bit more experience and take time to figure out my next step. During this time, I likewise finally took the leap into CorePower Yoga Sculpt teacher training (read more about that journey here) and launched my health and wellness blog, both of which I’d talked about forever but never had the confidence to actually commit.
It wasn’t long after starting Goodness With G that I knew this was something I wanted to pour my entire heart and soul into. Yet I knew there was an essential missing piece in my business in order to truly take it full-time. I realized how much I enjoyed making a positive impact on others’ lives and wanted to take what I was already spending the majority of my time on with the blog to the next level.
I soon noticed various other bloggers that I followed were sharing about their own health coaching programs and their experience at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Curious, I began researching IIN online and reached out to these girls for their feedback and advice for someone in my shoes looking to take the next step.
I finally decided to enroll in IIN’s accelerated 6-month program and enjoyed every single moment of it. I graduated as a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach in August of 2020 and immediately began taking on one-on-one clients.
To dive even more deeply into my journey from the corporate world to IIN, check out both of these podcast episodes (we cover SO many great topics and details – I highly recommend listening ):
I now split my time between coaching, blogging and teaching, and I find these together make an incredible, well-balanced work life for me, but there are many ways to put your certification from IIN to use (more on this in a moment)!
What even is a health coach?
Let’s back up for a second. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach is, well, what even is a health coach in the first place?
As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I serve as a supportive mentor to help my clients feel their best through food and lifestyle changes and personalized, one-on-one encouragement.
I take a holistic approach towards living one’s most vibrant life by offering guidance and accountability in various facets of clients’ health, both on and off the plate.
Unlike a nutritionist or registered dietitian who focusses primarily on diet and food to maximize one’s wellbeing, a health coach sees this as only one of many factors that make up one’s overall wellness. We likewise consider your career, physical activity, spirituality, home cooking, joy and so on as parts of the overall picture.
In my completely personalized sessions, we’ll dive into various ways to build lasting healthy habits that instill confidence and set you up for longterm success.
Why IIN?
Luckily, the field of health coaching has gained momentum and recognition over the past several years, and there are now a variety of schools offering programs through which to gain a health coaching certification.
I often get asked why I chose the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and I have to admit it was a bit of a no brainer. IIN has been the world’s largest nutrition and health coaching school for nearly 30 years, with over 100,000 students and graduates in 155 countries.
When I began researching their program, I was drawn in by their holistic outlook on wellness, and my conversations with one of their admissions counselors allowed me to better understand how the program might best fit into my life and schedule.
IIN takes a holistic, no-one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and wellness, which was in-line with my own personal outlook on health, thus the program seemed like a natural fit from the get-go.
The curriculum
IIN offers two, all-online program options for students – a 12-month program and an accelerated 6-month program. In both programs, you’ll explore more than 100 dietary theories including plant-based eating, Ayurveda, raw foods and more.
While nutrition and diet information is an essential part of the program, you’ll likewise dive into the coaching and behavior change skills needed to both help you grow and develop as a coach as well as be able to guide clients towards reaching their own health goals.
For more details, be sure to check out the IIN Curriculum Guide. Plus, you can check out a FREE sample class here to get a real taste for the program and what to expect!
From student to teacher – how to apply your Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching certification
One of the biggest takeaways I want to emphasize to those looking to take the leap into a health coaching program is that a certification from IIN is a launch pad for SO many opportunities!
I personally knew that I wanted to be my own boss and take on one-on-one clients, but you by no means needs to quit your current job or become a full-time coach in order to put this certification to use.
Health coaches are trained to be an integral part of the greater healthcare team and can work alongside doctors, physicians, and other wellness professionals either through referrals or as a hired member of an office or wellness center.
The program itself provides you with TONS of resources in order to be able to begin taking on clients successfully, but many IIN grads go on to launch wellness products/businesses, integrate coaching into yoga/fitness instructing and pursue a variety of other entrepreneurial ventures.
I’ve found coaching to be the perfect addition to blogging, and the two prove to feed into and serve the other well. I know that my programs, niche and target market will evolve over time as I personally continue to grow into a more experienced coach. It’s a constant evolution, and we all have to start somewhere.
The sky is truly the limit, and IIN provides the legitimacy and confidence I myself needed in order to continue growing my own business. And it’s only the beginning!
If you still have any questions about anything health coaching related, never hesitate to reach out, and if you’d like me to refer you to IIN in order to receive special offers and tuition discounts, just shoot me an email at [email protected].
I can’t wait to see where this journey takes you as well!
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