Nickerson Institute Review – Become a Certified Health Coach

Last updated on February 24, 2024

In our review series of the best life coaching certifications, we have already covered many life coach training programs. Still, if you want to niche in health coaching, the training options can be somewhat different. 

The Nickerson Institute of Integrative Health Training is often mentioned as one of the top choices in this field, so we’ve decided to do a complete review of the program. If you’re interested in what Nickerson Institute is, what kind of training they offer, whether they’re costly, and what graduates are sharing in Nickerson Institute reviews, keep reading. 

About Nickerson Institute Coaching

Nickerson Institute of Integrative Health Training was founded by Dr. Wendy Nickerson, a clinical psychologist with an impressive background as an integrative health coach, university professor, and course developer. The institute has been providing innovative health and wellness approaches to aspiring coaches and health experts since 2007.

The curriculum was developed by experienced and accredited professionals in the field of mental and holistic health. The institute’s course instructors and guest presenters have authored books, presented at global conferences, and dedicated their lives to providing tools and knowledge for improved health. 

The Nickerson Institute Coaching Philosophy

The institute’s philosophy revolves around the idea that “coaching is a transformational conversation that helps clients to expand their awareness, gain clarity, and take action towards their goals and dreams.” The emphasis is on the importance of personalized coaching and tailoring the approach to the unique needs of each client. 

Nickerson Institute values a holistic approach to coaching that considers various aspects of a person’s life, including their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. Since they find that continual professional development is important for coaches, they offer a range of training and certification programs to help coaches improve their skills and stay up-to-date with the latest coaching techniques and practices.

Nickerson Institute Coaching and Accreditation

Accredited by several reputable accrediting bodies, Nickerson Institute’s certification can give you international recognition. Their program is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP), The Health Coach Alliance, and the Canadian Association for Integrative Nutrition.

However, they aren’t ICF accredited, so if you want accreditation by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a leading organization in the coaching industry, you’ll need to look to other ICF-accredited programs, like our favorite, Coach Training Alliance.

Pros and Cons of a Nickerson Institute Coaching Certification

How can you know whether Nickerson Institute’s curriculum and approach suit you? We’ll help you make that assessment by dissecting their training programs, costs, and reviews from graduates. Let’s dive in. 

3 Types of Health Coach Certifications

Nickerson Institute has personalized their choice of programs so that every health-coach-to-be can pick a curriculum that’s tailored to their coaching goals.  They offer three different coaching programs:

• Integrative Health Coach Training
• Personal Integrative Health Training
• Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training

The Integrative Health Coach Training is a coaching program that leads you to designation as a Registered Health Coach (RHC). It is based on the holistic bio-psycho-social-spiritual model, and it combines strategies and techniques from various fields, including mindfulness, neuroscience, cognitive behavior, health psychology, positive psychology, energy psychology, and behavioral nutrition. The program is designed for coaches who want to help clients with mental, emotional, and physical healing. 

The Personal Integrative Health Training also specializes in mental health and wellness, but this program is focused on your own healing. This is not a program for receiving the professional coaching designation, but for personal development. 

Lastly, the Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training is for coaches who want to work with companies and help them establish harmonious and productive workplace cultures. It also applies the holistic mental health approach but at both the individual and organizational levels. The certification will earn you the title of Certified Health Coach and make you eligible to be a Registered Health Coach.

Courses for Professional Development

Besides training programs that will get you certified as a Health Coach, Nickerson Institute also offers a number of courses for further professional development. These courses cover specific topics that can help you diversify your knowledge and skill set. 

The list of courses includes:

• Highly Sensitive Person Certification Training 
• Cooperative Communication at Work 
• Conscious Healing
• A Down To Earth Guide To Ascension
• Optimum Brain Health: Improve Sleep, Memory, Focus, and Cognition

Hybrid Model: Self-Paced Learning + Live Sessions (Virtual)

Nickerson Institute’s certification programs (Integrative Health Coach Training and Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training) include both a self-study form of learning and live sessions. This creates the perfect balance of independent learning and having direct communication with the instructor and peers. 

The self-paced portion of the curriculum features video lectures, assignments, and self-study. The interactive aspect refers to live bi-weekly meetings where you’ll network with your colleagues, receive support from instructors, and experience practice coaching sessions. 

What’s amazing is that the support doesn’t end after the completion of the course. Graduates can attend the ongoing live monthly meetings and receive mentorship from the founder, Dr. Nickerson herself, for a year, which is incredibly valuable to new coaches.

Note: If you prefer a completely self-paced learning model, we suggest that you check out Transformation Academy.

How Long is the Nickerson Institute Program?

The programs and the courses are all self-paced, so there is no time limitation. However, the Integrative Health Coach Training and Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training need to be completed within a year of enrollment. For the certification programs, you should be prepared to spend around 200 hours of your time. 

How Much Does Nickerson Institute Coaching Training Cost?

As you might expect, the cost varies depending on the program or course. So, let’s break it down:

• Integrative Health Coach Training – $3,799
• Personal Integrative Health Training – $1,250
• Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training – $3,799
• Highly Sensitive Person Certification Training Course – $498
• Cooperative Communication at Work – $279
• Conscious Healing – $397
• A Down To Earth Guide To Ascension – $148
• Optimum Brain Health  – $249

Installment plans are available, but only for the certification programs (Integrative Health Coach Training and Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training).

Nickerson Institute Coaching Reviews

Reviews from graduates can reveal a lot about the strong and weak points of coaching programs. We’ve selected a number of reviews to help you learn more about the Nickerson Institute.

Reviews From Graduates

Their website features some incredible praise. Here is what some of the graduates shared about their experience with the Integrative Health Coach Training (IHC):

The Personal Integrative Health Training is also well-reviewed, and graduates rave about how the program enhanced their confidence and contributed to their coaching proficiency:

The list of Corporate Integrative Health Coach Training graduates includes a psychologist and a best-selling author, among many others. Here are their impressions:

Is Nickerson Institute Coaching the Life Coach Training Program For You?

There’s no doubt that Nickerson Institute can be a great choice for health coaches. What stands out the most is the holistic and evidence-based model, interactive approach, and invaluable ongoing support. If you want to know more about the program, you can request a free information kit.

If you’re still not sure health coaching is right for you, get your feet wet with this Health Coaching Conversations course from Coursera.

And if you wish to explore other options outside health coaching, you can check out our list of the best life coaching certifications and review our top picks, Transformation Academy and Coach Training Alliance.

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