The MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coach Training Certification track is an Approved Health and Wellness Coach Training & Education Program approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for the HWC Certifying Examination to become a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).
Index:
Section 1—What is Health and Wellness Coaching?
Section 2—Why National Certification is Essential
Section 3—Education and Training for Health and Wellness Coaches
Section 4—How to Become a MentorCoach Certified Health and Wellness Coach (Level One, Level Two and an Already a Certified Coach Alternate Path)
Section 5—NBHWC Approved PSA Providers | Coaching Hour Requirements | Practical Skills Requirements and Assessment (PSA)
Section 6—Our Four Extraordinary Health and Wellness Coaching Master Classes
Section 7—Resources
Section 8—MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coaching Faculty
Health and wellness coaches work with individuals and groups using evidence-based, client-focused approaches that empower clients to create and reach their own health and wellness goals. By guiding the behavior change process, these coaches help clients achieve self-directed goals and make behavioral changes that align with their personal vision for health and well-being.
There has been an increase in demand for credentialed health and wellness coaches, in part, as a result of emerging recognition of the value of preventive lifestyle changes in offsetting family history and genetic risk. We’ve also learned that “expert” advise is not enough to drive and maintain behavior change. Organizations are realizing the value of investing in the health and well-being of their employees.
When individuals, groups, or organizations seek health and wellness coaches, it’s crucial to have clear indicators of the coach’s competence. Establishing professional standards in health and wellness coaching is essential to ensure that anyone in this role can demonstrate verifiable competence. This is important to protect the public from inadequately trained coaches who might disseminate incorrect information. Additionally, ensuring that coaching in this sensitive area is conducted in a respectful, compassionate, and empowering manner is important. Health and wellness coaches should be well-equipped to assist clients with major issues such as health, physical activity/exercise, stress management, relationships, nutrition and diet, self-compassion/self-care, resilience, and the self-management of chronic conditions. Consequently, a clearly defined set of standards for education and training in this important field has been identified and are based on core competencies deemed vital to effective coaching.
NBHWC’s requirements are grounded in current evidence-based recommendations. Certified health and wellness coaches stand apart from coaches who have not received adequate coach training or assessment of their coaching skills and knowledge. By achieving such national certification, you will become part of a recognized network of professionals leading the industry in health and wellness coaching.
Health and Wellness coaching requires a unique set of knowledge and skills beyond that which is taught in traditional coaching programs. This includes ensuring a thorough understanding of evidence-based behavior change. MentorCoach’s health and wellness training faculty continue to stay up to date with national trends, changing requirements of the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). To learn all of the eligibility requirements to become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) you can find that information on the NBHWC website here.
The MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coach Training Certification is an approved Health and Wellness Coach Training & Education Program by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for the HWC Certifying Examination to become a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).
Following are the paths to becoming a MentorCoach Health & Wellness Certified Coach.
(1) LEVEL ONE: Associate Health and Wellness MentorCoach Training Coursework and Requirements
In the level one path you will become acquainted with the fundamental core skills of the coaching process and the role Positive Psychology plays in building a productive coaching relationship. You will have an opportunity to practice how to effectively use your coaching skills and see how health and wellness coaching can help to transform the lives of clients who are interested in health and wellness improvement and/or chronic care self-management.
Upon completion of the Level One Health and Wellness Coach training you will receive the designation of an Associate Health and Wellness MentorCoach (AHWMC). You will also have enough coach specific training hours to apply for an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) designation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) through their Portfolio Path.
Level One Coursework
| Foundations Course | 25 hours (While the Foundations course is a 31-hour course, only 25 hours count toward the Student Learning Hour requirement) |
| Safe Passage: The New Ethics and Risk Management |
10 hours |
| Living and Coaching the Good Life: It’s All About You | 12 hours |
| Mastering Wellness Coaching: Healthy Lifestyles | 14 hours |
| Living and Coaching the Good life: You and Your Clients | 12 hours |
| Mastering Wellness Coaching: Interventions | 14 hours |
| TOTAL HOURS: | 87 hours |
Level One Requirements
Tuition and Fees for all levels of Health and Wellness Certification are here.
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(2) LEVEL TWO: MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coach Coursework and Requirements
In the Level Two path students get the opportunity to deepen their coaching skills to become an extraordinarily impactful and confident coach learning and practicing with several sensitive and important coaching issues closely supervised by accomplished NBHWC certificated coaches who provide feedback in a positive and encouraging approach.
Upon completion of the Level Two Health and Wellness Coach training you will receive the designation of a MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coach (MCHWC).
Level Two Coursework
Level Two Requirements
Tuition and Fees for all levels of Health and Wellness Certification are here.
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(3) ALTERNATE CERTIFICATION PATH IF YOU ARE ALREADY A CERTIFIED COACH
The third and shortest route to MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coaching Certification is for professionals who are already certified coaches. If you have been designated a Certified MentorCoach (CMC) or if you are an ICF Certified Coach (ACC, PCC, or MCC), you have already demonstrated that you have coaching skills at or above the level of an ICF Certified Coach. In this case, you can become a MentorCoach Health and Wellness Coach (MCHWC) by completing all of the following:
(1) Complete the four Health & Wellness coaching classes listed below:
(2) Complete the NBHWC Practical Skills Assessment.
The PSA requirement can begin with an approved MentorCoach PSA provider when you have completed 3 of the 4 Health & Wellness courses. Detailed information about the PSA requirement can be found below. The PSA requirement must be fulfilled by an approved MentorCoach Health & Wellness Faculty member.
(3) Passing an open book multiple-choice exam.
(4) For the MentorCoach MCHWC certification, student must demonstrate that they have completed at least 40 hours coaching Health & Wellness clients and/or clients whose lives have been impacted by someone with a Health & Wellness issue.
Tuition and Fees for all levels of Health and Wellness Certification are here.
Approved MentorCoach Practical Skills Assessment (PSA) Providers
Eva Schmidt, FNP-BC, NBC-HWC, CMC, CEC, PCC, coacheva@3springscoaching.com
Patricia (Pat) Hinton Walker, PhD, RN, FAAN, MCC, phintonwalker@gmail.com
Lesli Smith, CMC, NBC-HWC, PCC, leslismithcoaching@gmail.com
NBHWC Client Coaching Requirements Following the Completion of the PSA Requirement
A total of 50 hours are required. The following is a guide for the client coaching hours.
Practical Skills Assessment & Requirements – Outline
1. Practical Skills Development
a. Students must demonstrate three (3) complete, separate practice coaching sessions.
i. Each practice coaching session must be a minimum of 20 minutes in duration.
ii. A “complete” practice coaching session is defined in the competencies, outlined in Content Area 1 of the Health & Wellness Coach Certifying Examination Content Outline.
iii. Practice coaching sessions may be presented by the student to a faculty member in a live or recorded format.
iv. Each session must be observed or reviewed by a faculty member in order to be counted as a part of the program’s instructional hours.
2. Practical Skills Feedback
a. Each of the three (3) complete, separate practice coaching sessions must be followed by faculty-led developmental feedback provided verbally in real-time.
i. Each feedback session must be a minimum of 20-minutes in duration per student, per practice coaching session, and counts as a part of the program’s synchronous instructional hours in Content Areas 1, 2 & 4.
ii. Feedback sessions should occur in between practice coaching sessions and must, at a minimum, occur prior to the student’s next practice coaching session.
b. Feedback sessions should be guided by the program’s practical skills rubric utilized to evaluate a student’s competency in practical skills.
3. Final Practical Skills Assessment/Evaluation
a. The program will administer at least one (1) final Practical Skills Assessment (PSA). The following details must be included on/within the PSA:
i. The program’s PSA must minimally assess all areas of the NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines.
ii. The program’s PSA must be detailed in rubric format.
iii. The program’s PSA must detail observable behaviors; satisfactory and unsatisfactory categories must be minimally included.
iv. The program’s PSA must detail pass/fail criteria and clearly indicate the result from the PSA administration (pass or fail)
b. The administration of the Practical Skills Assessment (PSA) must be at least one of the required three (3) complete, separate practice coaching sessions and must be assessed by faculty for competency in practical skills.
i. The assessment must reflect a final assessment of a student’s practical skills.
ii. Students must demonstrate satisfactory observable behaviors in all areas of the NBHWC Practical Skills Guidelines in order to receive a passing grade.
iii. The assessment must require a passing grade for successful completion of the program.
iv. The pass date on the final PSA is the first date that can appear on the NBHWC Coaching Log for exam eligibility
We offer four extraordinary Health and Wellness Coaching Master Classes, totaling 52 hours of training. All four must be successfully completed to become a certified Health and Wellness coach through MentorCoach. A description of each required course is given below.
The classes described below have no prerequisite, so you can begin with any of them and can even take two simultaneously. You can begin either in Spring or Fall with any of these classes. Theoretically you can complete all four in a single year.
Living and Coaching the Good Life: It is All About You (12 hours)
This class has been developed specifically for coaches to learn and live the principles of wellness by creating and using a personalized wellness plan. You will be exploring and deepening your understanding of your own needs, values and goals through use of exercises in awareness, visioning and goal-setting. Together we will embrace the psychology of possibility as we delve into the necessity of fun, connectedness, meaning, and contribution. This class explores the integrative holistic models of wellness coaching, definitions and wellness principles designed for lasting lifestyle change.
Mastering Wellness Coaching Interventions (14 hours)
This class is designed to put the Health and Wellness coach’s skill-set into action by helping you coach your clients towards their goals of improved lifestyle choices; sleeping difficulties, poor diet, overweight/obesity, inactivity, increased stress, energy depletion, or tobacco use, addressing each issue. We’ll also discuss issues unique to different developmental stages including: teens, pre-post pregnancy, menopause and aging. And, we’ll explore evidence-based coaching models for change that have particular use with clients seeking to make and manage sustainable lifestyle changes.
Living and Coaching the Good Life: You and Your Clients (12 hours)
In this class, we will be exploring the science of mindfulness, self-compassion, habits, exercise and sleep, as well as how to go deeper with clients using complementary mind/body strategies. Mind-body medicine is about positively influencing the mind to improve health and promote wellbeing. The health and vitality of the mind (your thoughts, beliefs and feelings) is extraordinarily important to the health and healing of the body. Without addressing the mind and the physiology of the body, it’s hard to get lifestyle and behavioral changes to stick.
Mastering Wellness Coaching: Healthy Lifestyles (14 hours)
This class provides you with the heart and soul of wellness coaching and is incredibly important. A vast majority of people—your clients— die prematurely and unnecessarily because they didn’t crack their lifestyle code. This class will crack that code and help student make and sustain healthy changes. In this class we will look at everything we know about what a healthy lifestyle requires and how to help people have a fighting chance to bring it about.
MentorCoach Resources:
The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
Eva Schmidt, FNP-BC, NBC-HWC, CMC, PCC
MentorCoach Health & Wellness Program Director and Instructor
Eva Schmidt is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, and nationally certified Health and Wellness Coach. As founder of 3 Springs Coaching, she combines her nearly two decades of experience in health care as a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, with her experience as a board-certified coach to bring a unique perspective to the concept of wellness. She is a Certified MentorCoach® (CMC) and a Certified Executive Coach (CEC). And she is also certified by the International Coach Federation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC).
She incorporates evidence-based coaching skills as a primary care provider. She has helped many patients successfully reduce chronic disease risk or to reverse their symptoms. As the former co-owner of a large family practice, she became passionate about including health coaching to reduce risk and greatly mitigate the burden of chronic disease.
Eva is the former owner/partner of a large family practice in Eugene, Oregon where she currently resides with her husband. She recently served as the Clinical Director and medical provider for one of the largest employer-based healthcare companies in the country. Prior to her nursing career, she spent several years in the banking and mortgage industry overseeing multimillion-dollar business loan portfolios, also serving as Operations Manager for the construction lending division of a large East Coast bank.
In her free time, she enjoys writing, gardening, and enjoying the beauty and many outdoor offerings of the Pacific Northwest. Eva’s website is 3springscoaching.com.
Lesli Smith, CMC, NBC-HWC, PCC
MentorCoach Health & Wellness Program Instructor
After two decades working to help professionals reach their goals, Lesli Smith now coaches full-time as a Certified MentorCoach, a senior international Coach Trainer for MentorCoach, an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and as a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).
Lesli also holds Certifications in Mediation for Conflict Resolution and in Nonprofit Management, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace.
She is the founder of Lesli Smith Coaching a highly respected coaching practice in the heart of Silicon Valley and throughout the US, working with emerging leaders, executives, career transition clients, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.
“I have always had a passion for helping people “think bigger” no matter where they are in their life and work. It is so satisfying to help people achieve their goals because it not only affects their lives, but the lives of everyone around them, be it their family or the teams they oversee.”
Before joining the MentorCoach faculty Lesli worked across multiple sectors in Nonprofits and Corporations in leadership positions. With over 10 years’ experience coaching individuals and leading workshops on career transitions, Lesli has had the honor to help support over 500 clients on their paths to careers that align with their strengths.
She is also proud to have co-developed and launched a multidisciplinary online wellness program in 2020 just as the pandemic was hitting, allowing members of the program to find strength within the community and support during one of the hardest times for wellness in the last century.
Lesli has also had the honor to serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth and sees that as one of the most important roles she has had to date.
When Lesli is not coaching her private clients or teaching, she can be found training for her next marathon and running or hiking the many beautiful parks and trails that California has to offer. Lesli’s website is Lesli Smith Coaching
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Note: MentorCoach reserves the right to modify the requirements for certification or tuition at any time.
