I’m a Pharmacist – Do I Need a Health Coach Certification?
I get this question A LOT! So I wanted to dive into the two schools of thought. Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of this blog.
#1. You’re a pharmacist. You have credentials…and a doctorate degree. You’ve got the knowledge to coach others through your Motivational Interviewing skills and your EXTENSIVE knowledge of health. Your next step is to create your coaching business.
#2. Yes, you have credentials…but you’d like to get more in depth training around nutrition, health coaching, behavior/lifestyle change and so on.
There are so many programs and certifications out there! I personally opted for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and completed their 1-year certification to become a Certified Health Coach back in 2012-13.
What I loved about Integrative Nutrition:
- The program was structured and dove into various nutrition concepts, dietary theory, and other concepts not covered in pharmacy school.
- I learned a lot about coaching methods to gain confidence to actually have my first client.
- You can go at your own pace, the classes are online, and the tests are not difficult at all. You’ve been through pharmacy school…trust me, these are not hard!
- At the time I took the course, they had a free 6 month ‘how to build your business’ add-on for those who had already invested in the year-long program.
- You got paired up with an accountability partner and connected to people in your area through Facebook groups, which I really enjoyed.
Overall, I think it was beneficial for me because I needed to fill in the gaps of knowledge and gain the confidence to establish a business and attract my first clients.
By the way, if you’re curious about seeing a Curriculum Guide or sampling an IIN Class you can click the links below.
Curriculum guide – https://geti.in/3Nc5Rz0
Sample an IIN Class – https://geti.in/2Le4Jzq
What I realized quickly after graduating IIN was that, while I had these tools and some business strategy, I was getting in my own way a lot with self-sabotage (procrastination, playing small, not wanting to be seen in my business, feeling like an imposter).
And…for the first 5-6 years of my business, I was pretty stubborn.
I spent most of my time perfecting back-end things like my website, my tri-fold flyers, and packages.
I would attract the random new client from a referral source or a friend of a friend from High School.
But the income and impact I made was so inconsistent…and it wasn’t enough to quit my pharmacy job.
And I refused to hire a coach and get help. {Mistake #1}
Little did I realize HOW MUCH my past was dictating my current reality…
My deep unworthiness wounds and triggers around money kept me playing small, thinking I could just ‘do it all myself and figure it out.’
The unconscious shame around being ‘too sensitive’ permeated my entire life and I had trouble owning my power and worth.
The old stories of being a victim – bullying from kids when I was young, being verbally/emotionally abused– kept me in lower states of fear, guilt, and shame.
So it was really hard to shine my light, to own my gifts, and step into my power.
It wasn’t until I went through the deep transformation work with various coaches of feeling into and releasing….
The dense, low-vibrational traumas in my emotional body….
The shame around being ‘too sensitive’…
The victim mentality and blaming my parents for how unworkable my life was…
It wasn’t until I hired a transformation coach, stopped avoiding myself and dove deep into subconscious reprogramming, un-anchoring myself from old traumas…that I really saw traction in my business.
This is how I help my clients now because I suffered for so long trying to do it all myself.
Now I have programs for pharmacists who want to scale their side hustle to full time work…doing what they love!
If you’re interested in learning more about how I can help you scale your side hustle to full time here are some ways I can help…
*Join our free Monetize Your Magic Pharmacist Group
*Reach out to me! I’d love to connect with you to see what your vision is and how I can support you in scaling your profitable business!
Dr. Christina Fontana, PharmD, CHC, CHt
Disclaimer:
This article seeks to educate and empower the reader and does not substitute or count as specific business advice. Please see full disclaimer on the Homepage of www.enlightenedwellnessPA.com
Dr. Christina is a referral partner with The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.