As global awareness turns toward the importance of preventing the root cause of disease, functional health experts are more important than ever. That's why I was thrilled to take mindbodygreen's coaching program, which focuses on cultivating inclusive, science-informed knowledge, tools, and education to support sustainable health.

Becoming an mbg coach has been life-transforming for me. With its 360-degree approach to health, functional nutrition, and behavioral facilitation, mbg's coaching curriculum has equipped me with the tools to advance my health training and offer a full spectrum of support to others along their unique wellness journey.

I've rounded up four essential coaching skills I learned from mbg's coaching program, which are vital for helping clients (and yourself) thrive:

Learning how to express and exchange information efficiently is a nonnegotiable ability in anyone's wellness tool kit—and mbg's Health Coaching Certification helps hone these skills. From developing powerful nonverbal communication strategies to practicing active listening, being an effective communicator is pivotal for creating and maintaining a successful coach-client relationship. 

When you tune in, listen, and pay attention to those you serve without judgment, you will pave the way for greater empathy and trust-based interactions that foster a positive coaching atmosphere. 

Following an individualized, anti-biased approach to health and nutrition empowers patients and health coaches alike. mbg's one-of-a-kind curriculum emphasizes cultural humility and implicit bias within the wellness realm, which will help educate you on these multidimensional concepts. It will also equip you with the tools to better serve clients on an individual level, by teaching you to seek the underlying causes of disease based on each person's unique biochemical, genetic, and lifestyle backgrounds.

Interconnectedness is a vital element of functional medicine, one of mbg's health coaching pillars. Seeing the body as an integrated, dynamic ecosystem through a science-backed lens enables you, the coach, to focus on improving function rather than treating symptoms. A well-informed coach will take a more profound, macro look at how external and internal factors contribute to an individual's behaviors and health.

Coming up with ideas, questions, strategies, and solutions that support individuals throughout their health journey is an essential coaching skill. And what better way to foster this ability but to remain curious, adaptable, and open-minded yourself! 

Amid the infinite, fascinating universe of health education, insights, and research, mbg's coaching program harnesses and distills this precious wisdom in practical, actionable ways. It helps bolster your existing health and functional nutrition education, gives you a fantastic foundation of knowledge, and prepares you to continually assimilate cutting-edge nutrition findings in the future.