Integrative Health and Wellbeing coaching, an emerging method of partnering with patients to achieve their overall goals, is practiced from a holistic perspective that views each person as intrinsically whole and the ultimate expert in his or her healing journey. Health coaching is being offered in a wide range of venues including hospitals, clinics, community health and fitness facilities, corporations, educational institutions, and private practices. The Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing is a pioneer in the field of health coaching, working to advance education, research and care model innovation.
The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) is delighted to announce that the University of Minnesota's Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing has qualified to become an Approved Program per the NBHWC’s standards. As a result, health and wellness coaches who have met NBHWC's requirements and completed the Center's Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching Program will qualify to sit for the national exam. The NBHWC is in a time of deep collaboration with health and wellness coach training programs that are working diligently towards creating a national standard which will help further professionalize and advance the field of health and wellness coaching.
Degrees, Certificates and Courses
Master of Arts Degree in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching
A 30-credit degree program, all coursework is offered in a blended format—a combination of on-line curriculum with in-person intensives
Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices
Innovative, interdisciplinary 12-credit graduate certificate enables students to acquire advanced knowledge and skills to enhance their professional careers, their own lives as well as the lives of their patients.
Health Coaching Track Courses
Our 14-credit graduate certificate in health coaching requires specific coursework.
Research
Health coaching helps people make behavior changes to improve their health and wellbeing, and is gaining national attention for its patient-centered and empowering approach. It is designed to help an individual identify their goals or desires, recognize where they are in a change process, identify their strengths and assets, and determine what resources and support are needed to achieve optimal wellbeing.
The Center has worked with a national health plan to assess the effectiveness of their health coaching program. Through this collaboration and work with other plans and service providers, the Center is advancing research on the impact of health coaching as an intervention.