Health Coach Certificate Program
Our mission is to train the highest quality Health Behavior Coaches in the Northwest.
Facilitating healthy, sustainable behavior change that reflects clients’ values and goals is the main objective of a health behavior coach.
What is Health and Wellness Coaching?
Health and Wellness Coaches partner with clients seeking to enhance their well-being through self-directed, lasting changes that are aligned with their values. In the course of their work health and wellness coaches display unconditional positive regard for their clients and a belief in their capacity for change. Health coaches recognize that each client is an expert on his or her life, and ensure that all interactions are respectful and non-judgmental.
What are the qualities of students who will be successful as health behavior coaches?
Students who will be most successful as health coaches are those who are deeply interested in the interrelationship among all aspects of health (social, emotional, mental, spiritual and physical) and in the social and behavioral sciences. Successful health behavior coaches have excellent active listening skills, show care (empathize), are persistent (energy) and work with clients on realistic, mutually agreed upon goals. Health behavior coaches believe that people can change and bring optimism and hope to the change process. Knowledge about the complexity of the behavior change process is critical to success.
Where do health behavior coaches work?
Healthcare in America is in the midst of a paradigm shift from a system focused almost entirely on treatment to a system focused on both prevention and treatment. Governmental organizations, hospitals, primary care centers, insurance companies, non-profit organizations, university wellness centers and corporate employers increasingly are recognizing the value of prevention. Employment in this field will be driven by efforts to improve health outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs by teaching people about healthy habits and behaviors and utilization of available health care services.
How to become a Health Coach?
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Required Courses |
Credits |
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PUBH 420UG - Health Coach Training *offered fall The purpose of this course is to introduce students enrolled in the Health Behavior Coach Certificate program to the core competencies set forth by the National Consortium for Credentialing of Health & Wellness Coaches (NCCWC). Instruction includes an overview of behavior change science and research in the area of effective lifestyle change, as well as practice in the application of the NCCWC competencies. |
3 |
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PUBH 415UG - Role of Lifestyle in Chronic Disease Prevention *offered Spring As a Health Behavior Coach knowledge of chronic disease prevention is of utmost importance. In this course coaches will be educated in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention, including an understanding of risk factors for chronic disease, basic biometric measures, and current lifestyle recommendations for optimizing health. |
3 |
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PUBH 494UG - Health Coach Seminar *offered every semester Health Behavior Coach students enrolled in the seminar will have the opportunity to critically analyze their coach/client interactions and to receive feedback from faculty and peers regarding their coaching skills. Students' coaching skills will be enhanced and strengthened through assigned readings and skill building activities. |
4 |
PUBH 496UG – Practicum *offered every semester Health Behavior coach practicum students will gain practical experience with their health coaching skills. Coaches will be assigned clients and take them through a six-week health coaching program utilizing the core competencies and effective strategies for behavior change. |
2 |
Minimum Required Grade in all courses is a B- |
12 Total |
How to apply:
Applications are available onlineor can be picked-up at the Student Wellness Office in Curry Health Center Wellness office room 112A
Contact Us:
For more information visit us online at - http://health.umt.edu/publichealth/graduate/certificates/default.php or contact:
Kayli Julius - Health Coach Coordinator
Kayli.julius@umontana.edu (406) 243-6719
Annie Sondag, Professor - School of Public and Community Health Sciences Annie.sondag@umontana.edu (406) 243-521
Linda Green - Wellness Director - Curry Health Center
linda.green@umontana.edu (406) 243-2801