It is well known that the global health crisis is being caused not by acute illnesses, but by chronic disease such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Sixty percent of all global deaths are caused by chronic illness, and many more people are suffering with chronic morbidity from chronic pain conditions, chronic fatigue, and the secondary effects on digestion, energy, attention, sleep, and comfort caused by the diseases that are eventually leading to death.
There are going to be a lot of changes here at The Integrative Pelvic Health Institute coming over the next few months. We are very clear that the women’s health and wellness professionals of today and of the future need to be educated at the highest possible level in integrative healing tools and evidence-based coaching skills in order to meet the challenge of chronic illness that you see every day in your clinics. And, to be quite honest with you, this fight is personal for me as the founder of this institute.
Just six years ago I was so fatigued, and experiencing such severe anxiety and insomnia that I had to stop working and even stop doing most of the daily care for my young daughter. It was simply an awful time in my life. My illness was not something that could be cured by a medication or a surgery, it required a radical shift in my whole lifestyle… my nutrition, my work life, employing mindfulness, changing my physical movement routine, regular body work sessions, being coached by some brave and challenging coaches, and so much more. And, now that I am deep in this leading edge field of lifestyle medicine, I see it’s need to be even greater. I am 41 years old, and have at least 6 personal friends who are either battling cancer or who have recently lost the fight. I work with women from all over the world in my practice and among our students who struggle daily with pain, chronic headaches, fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and loss of the zest for life.
Think about it, how many people in your practice and in your life are struggling to get through the day, not living up to their potential, and not enjoying this amazing gift of life?
On the flip side, now that I have been immersed among leaders of this global revolution of lifestyle medicine, I have seen vibrantly healthy 70 year olds tearing it up on the dance floor. I have seen passionate and energetic 40 year olds participating in sports and having so much fun celebrating life with their spouses and children. And, I have seen children glowing from just a few days of playing outside and eating delicious, nourishing food.
Women are leading this revolution. We are learning to embrace our own passions and desires, and we are learning to cook in order to bring healing nourishment into our homes. We are taking our spouses outside for nature hikes, and showing our sons and daughters how to indulge in essential rainy day naps. And, so many women are working as healers: as health coaches, fitness professionals, and physiotherapists, as nutritionists and nurses, and as bodyworkers and herbalists. You are on the front lines making big shifts in old school hospital institutions and you are starting small, innnovative model practices. You are doing research to better understand the effects of yoga and vitamin D, and the “tend and befriend” model of stress resilience.
You are the future of medicine. You are the future of radiant health.
We are here to support you.
So, what is happening around here?
1. The profession of health coaching, beginning on July 1, 2015, will have national standards (for the United States) set for health coach program accreditation by the National Consortium for Credentialing Health & Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC.) This is a strong, thoughtful consortium made up of some of the most powerful forces in American healthcare. We intend to have our women’s health coach program fully accredited. What does that mean for you? Upon graduation from a fully accredited program, you will be eligible to take the national board exam and be officially certified as a health coach. This is important because the groups supporting this movement include some of the largest teaching and academic hospitals, and they are soon going to be looking to hire those with this credential to be health coaches on their professional teams. And, this is the first step towards licensure.
Our institute will be the first and only institute offering fully accredited health coach education that specializes in women’s health in the world.
If you are already in our WHNC program, we will have a transition path for you to meet the certification eligibility requirements.
2. Our institute will be making a slight brand shift. We are becoming The Integrative Women’s Health Institute. In addition to offering a fully accredited health coaching program, we’ll be adding CEU approved courses for physical therapists, nutritionists, health coaches, body workers, fitness professionals, and other allied health and wellness professionals on a wide variety of specialized topics including fertility and preconception, postpartum recovery, female cancers, osteoporosis, menopause, female athlete wellness, endometriosis, and more.
What you need to know now is simply that our commitment to offering the best possible education to health and wellness professionals who specialize in women’s health is stronger than ever. We are among the leading edge institutions who are aware of the evolution and revolution in healthcare and our goal is to support every women’s health and wellness professional.
We are here to support your highest desired level of professional achievement. And, more importantly, to mentor you to align your professional practice, and your personal life with your biggest dreams and most vibrant, healthy version of YOU!
Share with us in the comments below… what is your biggest dream? What skills, tools, and mentoring do you need to support your dreams?
The future of women’s healthcare is now. The future of women’s healthcare is at The Integrative Women’s Health Institute. We’re honored to be here for you… giving you the highest quality education, mentoring your professional growth, and supporting your vibrant achievement of your biggest dreams.
#BeTheInspiration
Warmly,