Frequently Asked Questions

Health Coach Institute (HCI) is an online training school dedicated to preparing the next generation of health and life coaches. Our certification programs combine evidence-based coaching skills, proven habit-change strategies, and tools to help graduates create meaningful careers helping others live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

The Health Coach Institute (HCI) is different because we go beyond teaching theory. We prepare you to confidently coach real clients, land paying work, and join a coaching community of support. Our students receive:

• Expert mentorship & live practice sessions so you graduate with hands-on experience, not just classroom knowledge.
• A supportive, global community that celebrates your wins and supports you through challenges long after graduation.
• Our exclusive Paying Client Guarantee: follow our process, and we guarantee you’ll land a paying client.
• Industry recognition: our Advanced Health Coach Certification is accredited by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), giving you eligibility to sit for the National Board exam, the gold standard in health coaching.
• Career security: our Advanced program also includes a Job Guarantee, meaning you’ll secure a qualifying role after board certification or receive your tuition back.

At HCI, you don’t just earn a certification; you gain the skills, confidence, and backing to build a meaningful career that makes a real impact.

Yes. Our Health Coach and Life Coach Certifications are International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited CCE programs. We are also an approved training provider with the Canadian Health Coach Alliance and the Federation of Holistic Therapists. In addition, our Advanced Health Coach Certification is NBHWC-accredited, meeting the rigorous standards of the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching. These accreditations ensure your training is recognized and respected worldwide.

Yes. Upon successful completion of your program, you will receive an official Health Coach Institute certification along with an exclusive digital badge you can showcase on LinkedIn, your website, and social media. This certificate and badge demonstrate your expertise, credibility, and membership in our vibrant student and alumni community, Heart Warriors.

Graduates of the Dual Certification receive two certificates, one for the Health Coach Certification and one for the Life Coach Certification, recognizing their dual expertise. Graduates of the Advanced Health Coach Certification receive an official certification and a letter verifying their academic eligibility to sit for the NBHWC board exam, the top credential in the health coaching field.

You can explore real student success stories and reviews on our website, as well as on trusted platforms like Trustpilot and across our social media communities. These firsthand experiences highlight how HCI training has transformed lives and careers.

The Heart Warriors Community is Health Coach Institute’s global network of students and graduates who share a passion for coaching and transformation. As a member, you’ll gain access to ongoing business guidance, coaching challenges, and career support designed to help you keep growing well beyond your program. This supportive community gives you a place to celebrate wins, overcome challenges, and stay inspired as you continue developing your coaching skills and confidence. More than just a network, the Heart Warriors Community is where connection, collaboration, and professional growth come together, helping you succeed long after graduation.

A Clarity Coach is a dedicated advisor, many of whom are experienced coaches or subject-matter experts, who will spend time with you one-on-one to help you clarify your goals and choose the program that best fits your vision. In your first call, your Clarity Coach will work with you to make sure you’re set up for success, providing personalized guidance, answering your questions about certification and career opportunities, and outlining the steps to begin your coaching journey. Their role is to support you with clarity, encouragement, and direction so you can move forward with confidence.

We offer specialized certifications programs that combine proven coaching tools, expert mentorship, and real-world practice to prepare you for a successful coaching career.

• Dual Certification
  The Dual Certification combines the Health Coach Certification and the Life Coach Certification into one program, providing you with a strong foundation in both health and personal transformation and giving you the versatility to coach clients in every area of life. This certification equips you with the tools to coach the whole person: mind, body, and life.
  
  Your Health Coach training will:
  Teach you how to build client-centered relationships rooted in trust and transformation. You’ll master proven tools like motivational interviewing and appreciative inquiry to help clients set achievable goals, sustain healthy habits, and improve overall well-being. By graduation, you won’t just know the theory, you’ll be confidently coaching real people with a whole-person approach that integrates nutrition, lifestyle, and mindset.
  
  Your Life Coach training will:
  Help you develop the skills to guide others through meaningful life transformations while also growing into the best version of yourself. You’ll learn how to build trust, apply psychology and behavior-change tools for breakthroughs, and coach across every area of life including career, relationships, money, that which is greater, and life transitions. With hands-on practice, peer support, and expert mentorship, you’ll graduate with the confidence to guide real people through lasting transformation. 

  HCI was the first school to offer a Dual Certification in Health and Life Coaching, a program that set the standard for training coaches to work with the whole person.

• Advanced Health Coach Certification (NBHWC-approved)
  Designed for those ready to take their coaching career further, this advanced program helps you stand out to employers and clients. You’ll gain mastery in advanced motivational interviewing, deepen your expertise in behavior-change science, and learn HCI’s signature Empowered Well-Being System built on the 8 Dimensions of Wellness. With live practice labs, coaching zones, and mentorship from board-certified instructors, you’ll graduate with real-world confidence and be eligible to sit for the National Board exam; the gold standard in health coaching.

• Advanced Dual Certification
  The Advanced Dual Certification combines the Life Coach Certification with our NBHWC-approved Advanced Health Coach Certification, pairing life coaching expertise with advanced health coaching skills and board exam eligibility. This pathway positions you as a highly qualified coach in both personal and professional settings.
  

• Master Your Stress
  The Master Your Stress program equips you with proven strategies to reduce stress, build resilience, and improve overall well-being. You’ll begin by applying the tools to your own life, because in this program, you are your first client. From there, you’ll learn how to guide others through the same process, gaining practical, hands-on experience with tools that address one of today’s most common challenges. Master Your Stress can be taken on its own or alongside another certification, giving you an additional area of expertise to expand your impact as a coach.

• Dual Certification timeline
  The Dual Certification combines the Health Coach Certification and the Life Coach Certification, with each program running 12 weeks long, 100% online, and designed with flexible scheduling so you can balance training alongside work, family, and personal commitments.
• Advanced Dual Certification timeline
  The Advanced Dual Certification combines the Advanced Health Coach Certification (NBHWC-approved) and the Life Coach Certification, with each program running 12 weeks long, 100% online, with flexible scheduling. The Advanced Health Coach portion also includes required live sessions and coaching labs to give you hands-on practice and prepare you for the National Board exam.
• Advanced Health Coach Certification (NBHWC-approved): 12 weeks online, with required live sessions and coaching labs that give you hands-on experience and prepare you for the National Board exam.
  
• Master Your Stress: 6 weeks online, a shorter, self-paced program that quickly equips you with in-demand skills to expand your coaching toolkit.

The Dual Certification is the perfect starting point if you want to build a strong foundation in both health coaching and life coaching. You’ll learn how to create client-centered relationships, apply proven tools like motivational interviewing and appreciative inquiry, and integrate nutrition, lifestyle, and mindset strategies to support whole-person well-being. At the same time, you’ll develop life coaching skills to help clients clarify goals, navigate relationships, and create meaningful life transformations. By the end of the program, you’ll have the skills and confidence to coach real clients and make an impact right away, whether you’re expanding support for existing clients or stepping into a coaching role for the first time.

The Advanced Dual Certification is designed for those who want to go further, combining life coaching expertise with our NBHWC-approved Advanced Health Coach Certification. You’ll deepen your knowledge in behavior-change science and master HCI’s signature Empowered Well-Being System built on the 8 Dimensions of Wellness. The program includes required live sessions, interactive coaching labs, and personalized mentorship from board-certified instructors, ensuring you graduate with advanced, hands-on experience. Because it is an NBHWC-approved program, you’ll also be eligible to sit for the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching exam, the gold standard in the profession.

At Health Coach Institute (HCI), we’re so confident in the training you’ll receive in the Dual Certification, which combines the Health Coach Certification and the Life Coach Certification, that we back it with our Paying Client Guarantee. If you complete the program and follow our proven process, we guarantee you’ll land your first paying client. If not, we’ll continue working with you until you do. This promise ensures that you don’t just graduate with coaching skills, you graduate ready to put them into action and start building your coaching practice. Learn more about the Paying Client Guarantee here.

The Advanced Health Coach Certification (NBHWC-approved) and the Advanced Dual Certification include our exclusive Job Guarantee. This means that once you complete the program, earn your certification, and sit for the NBHWC board exam, we guarantee you’ll secure a qualifying role in the field. If you don’t, we’ll refund your tuition. The Job Guarantee reflects our confidence in the advanced training, mentorship, and live practice you’ll receive, and it provides peace of mind as you step into a coaching career with recognized credentials. Learn more about the Job Guarantee here.

Our programs are led by a team of experienced master coaches, NBHWC board-certified instructors, and industry experts in coaching, psychology, nutrition, and wellness. Students and graduates also have access to optional live coaching zones, where they can observe or participate in real coaching sessions. These hands-on opportunities are designed to build confidence and prepare you for real-world client work.

Some of our faculty include:

Alyssa Poggioli – Executive Coach and National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach specializing in leadership development, emotional intelligence, and communication. Alyssa is also co-author of The Successful Mind: Tools to Living a Purposeful, Productive, and Happy Life.

Priscilla Benavides – Spiritual Life and Health Coach with over 15 years of experience. A mentor at HCI, she guides aspiring coaches and clients through transformation using holistic tools including mindfulness, breathwork, and mind-body practices. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, Priscilla brings a global and multicultural perspective to cultivating resilience, self-leadership, and authentic presence.

Brooke Jeffries – Lead Instructor and Program Director of the Advanced Health Coach Certification and Master Your Stress. A Certified Nutritionist and National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach. Brooke advises the NBHWC Program Approval Commission and serves on university academic advisory boards to advance professional coaching standards.

No prior health expertise or coaching background is required. Our programs are designed for those starting out in the coaching field, career-changers, and professionals who want to expand their expertise with coaching skills.

All required course materials and assessments are included in your tuition. There are no hidden fees charged by the Health Coach Institute.

Yes. In addition to on-demand coursework, programs such as the Dual Certification, Advanced Dual Certification, Advanced Health Coach Certification, and Master Your Stress include live virtual sessions like interactive Q&A calls, Coaching Zones, and practice labs. The exact mix of live experiences varies by program, but all are designed to give you hands-on practice with peers, mentorship from instructors, and the confidence that comes from coaching in real time.

Tuition varies by program. Please visit our website or speak with a Clarity Coach for detailed information on pricing and available payment options.

Yes. Flexible payment options are available to make enrollment accessible.

Yes. We offer a refund policy for students who meet specific eligibility criteria. Details are provided in your enrollment agreement.

The Health Coach Certification is the perfect starting point if you’re entering the field of health and wellness coaching. You’ll be equipped to guide clients in improving their nutrition, habits, and overall lifestyle by applying evidence-based coaching tools like motivational interviewing and appreciative inquiry. Graduates with a Health Coach Certification often start their own health coaching practice, collaborate with healthcare professionals, or work in wellness centers, community organizations, and corporate wellness programs. With HCI’s Paying Client Guarantee, you’ll also have the support to land your first paying client and begin building a sustainable health coach career.

A Life Coach Certification prepares you to guide clients through personal and professional transformations in areas such as career, relationships, money, mindset, and overall fulfillment. Graduates with a life coach certification to build private coaching practices, specialize in niches such as relationships or career transitions, or integrate life coaching skills into existing professions like HR and leadership roles, fitness, or education. With HCI’s Paying Client Guarantee, you’ll graduate with both the confidence and the backing to secure your first paying client and successfully launch your life coaching career.

The Advanced Health Coach Certification prepares you to coach at the highest professional level. Because the program is NBHWC-approved, you’ll be eligible to sit for the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching exam, earning a credential that opens employment doors in hospitals, clinics, corporate wellness, digital health, fitness organizations, and other wellness-related settings. You’ll also gain extensive real-world experience through live coaching labs, feedback on your coaching, and individual mentorship from board-certified instructors. With HCI’s Job Guarantee, you’ll also have peace of mind knowing your investment is backed by career security.

With Master Your Stress, you’ll gain practical, science-based tools you can immediately apply to your own life, your workplace, or your work with clients. Many students use the Master Your Stress program as an accessible entry point to explore coaching, while practicing health coaches, life coaches, trainers, and other wellness professionals take the course to expand their skills in stress management and resilience.

• Certified health coaches and life coaches work in a variety of settings, including private practice, healthcare systems, corporate wellness, fitness centers, nonprofit organizations, and digital coaching platforms. Many graduates also choose to build online coaching businesses, offering one-on-one or group coaching programs, giving them the flexibility and freedom to create careers that fit their lifestyle.

• Therapy and counseling focus on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. Coaching, in contrast, is future-focused. Coaches help clients set goals, stay accountable, and create sustainable lifestyle changes or personal transformations. While coaches do not diagnose or treat medical or psychological disorders, they empower clients to take practical steps toward healthier, more fulfilling lives through personalized support, mindset shifts, and habit change strategies.

A Health Coach helps clients bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. They provide support in areas like nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep, and daily routines. Acting as guides and accountability partners, health coaches empower clients to build healthy, sustainable habits that improve overall well-being.

A Life Coach partners with clients to clarify goals, overcome obstacles, and unlock potential in any area of life. This may include career changes, relationships, confidence, mindset, finances, or life purpose. Life coaches help clients gain clarity, break through limiting beliefs, and create strategies to achieve meaningful success and fulfillment.

Coaching is for anyone who wants support, accountability, and a clear path toward positive changes. People often work with Health Coaches to improve nutrition, fitness, stress resilience, or overall wellness habits. Others turn to Life Coaches to make progress in areas like career, relationships, personal growth, or life direction. In both cases, health coaching and life coaching are action-oriented and focused on creating sustainable, lasting results.