Why I Became a NBHWC Board Certified Health + Wellness Coach

NBC-HWC stands for National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. It’s a huge honor to have these letters after my name. The exam is administered by the Medical Examiners Board (NBME) and it was not an easy achievement.

In 2017 I began my health and wellness journey at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to better understand and demystify my health and wellness. I learned that the root cause of many health problems and diseases cannot be pinpointed to one thing. I discovered that health and wellness is unique to each person, and there is no one size fits all approach. I learned about Bio-individuality from the founder of IIN, Jonathan Rosenthal.

Jonathan explains,“bio-individuality; as no one way of eating for everyone, yet medicine and science are constantly in search of the magic bullet – the one perfect way of eating that will solve all of humanity’s problems related to diet. Each person is a unique individual with highly individualized nutritional requirements. In bio-individuality, we recognize each body will differ in their nutritional needs as a result of their external and internal factors like the foods we eat, our emotional thoughts, lifestyle patterns, and our surrounding physical environment”.

This was life-changing to me, in conjunction with the concept that our thoughts and emotions affect our health. Negative and repressed emotions can zap mental energy, negatively affect the body, and lead to chronic stress and health problems. Having a positive mindset and unconditional non- judgemental support from a health coach is crucial for healthy change.

After receiving my Certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (CINHC) , two- 200-hour RYT (Yoga teacher) certifications, I also became certified in Hormone Health and plant-based cooking. But, I was not finished. These days, the title of “Health Coach” has come to mean many different things. I wanted to set myself apart from other health coaches and gain credibility in the medical field.

Why Health Coaching?

Health coaching is an effective way of engaging people to take a more active role in managing their health. By motivating behavior change effectively through a supportive partnership between the patient/client and health professional, rather than the traditional approach of education being directed ‘at’ the patient/client. Empowering people using the health coaching model increases their knowledge, confidence, and skills, and enables them to make healthy lifestyle choices, and reduces risk of future episodes of ill health.

Why the NBHWC? 

The NBC-HWC elevates the health coaching profession and gives peace of mind to those who are looking to hire a health coach. I began preparing for the exam in December 2019. After approximately 1200+ hours of studying, 500 flashcards, 5 textbooks, two study groups and two accountability groups, I was ready to sit for the exam. I was tested on behavioral psychology, positive psychology, coaching theories, motivational interviewing, ethics, health, nutrition and chronic diseases; its causes, symptoms, and how to help people have the skills and knowledge to take control of their well-being by making smart healthcare and wellness choices. I

am now an expert in behavior change and helping people with weight loss, autoimmune disease, hormonal imbalance, genetic predisposing factors, diabetes, heart disease, gut imbalance, and help them create the health and life they deserve.

The National Board Certification for Health & Wellness Coaching provides a minimum standard and measure of foundational competencies: the knowledge, tasks, and skills essential to the practice of health and wellness coaching. The NBHWC has set a standard that provides a certain level of qualification to distinguish between coaches that have the kind of background and training needed to partner most effectively with the medical community. There are currently 4000 Health Coaches certified by NBHWC in the U.S. I’m excited to have joined their ranks.

Nothing I’ve done in my professional life has been so rewarding as assisting people as they navigate the kinds of health and behavioral changes needed to feel better, reduce medications, and increase energy.  The reason behind the lack of success with lifestyle interventions is simple – behavior change is hard. There is however a tool that makes behavior change easier – “Health Coaching”. Growing evidence of Health Coaches and their ability to help people successfully make behavior change leads to significant improvements in weight management, physical activity, physical and mental health status.

If you’ve contemplated working with a Health Coach and are seeking long-lasting changes, I would love the opportunity to partner with you as you, improve your health and well-being, optimize your lifestyle, and facilitate behavior changes that will provide you with lifelong benefits. 

Everyone possesses the ability to change. Changes in health and wellness can appear challenging, I will offer you the best support while you create the healthiest version of you.