Becoming a health coach can be a satisfying and rewarding career choice in a fast-growing field, but where do you start?
Even if you have a background in health, the first step is getting an education that can help you turn your insights and knowledge into action plans for your clients. Keep these factors in mind when comparing health coach certification courses, so you can see which program might be right for you:
Platform
One major consideration when deciding on a holistic health coach certification is whether materials are available online or in-person only. Many people find an online option to be ideal because it allows greater schedule flexibility and the option of studying and testing from any location. If you are working full-time or have family commitments, online choices can help you fit education into a busy schedule.
Course Content
In some ways, “health coaching” is an umbrella term, which means that courses can vary significantly in terms of what they include. Before you commit to a certain course, look through an outline of what you’ll learn to make sure it matches what you had in mind. If the outline makes you eager to learn more about each topic, then you’ve probably found a good fit. But if you feel lackluster about many of the elements in the course outline, you may want to look elsewhere.
Course Features
People learn in different ways and a robust health coach certification course should address that by offering a variety of materials that can keep you engaged. For example, you might have access to videos, as well as printed textbooks, so you can cover the material in the way that works for you. Also, consider what kind of interaction you want to have with instructors, fellow students, and career resources. Some students aren’t interested in these connections, while others value them highly.
Certification Options
AFPA offers 100% online delivery with an online learning platform and digital course material, along with online final examination. We also offer a print textbook option.
Testimonials
Sometimes, your best insights come from people who’ve been through a course before and are now working in the field with their certification. Not every course will offer access to testimonials or student reviews—and if they don’t, that might be a red flag. For those that do, be sure to read the reviews to see if there are graduates who match your situation. For example, if you have a full-time job and you’re wondering if an online course can fit into your schedule, look for testimonials from others who juggled work with study demands.
In general, take your time to carefully look through a health coach certification course’s materials and get a feel for what’s offered, whether it is affordable, what kind of resources it offers, and how the material fits your interests. If you feel excited to get started after spending some time looking through the course offerings, that’s a sign that you’ve found the program that could work best for you.
To learn more about AFPA’s Master Level Nutritionist Program Guide, visit our programs site.
Get a health coach certification from AFPA and take the first step toward a rewarding career in health coaching.
