For the women who are curious about the program, maybe feel or hear the voice that’s like, ‘That’s not for me,’ or ‘I’m not like them,’ I would encourage those women to just take the leap. You don’t have to be like, ‘ I’m gonna squat 350 lbs today ’. You could literally touch a barbell and hate it. Run a mile and hate it. And leave this course completely transformed. It’s about so much more.
Kristina Hoyer
The first time I’d ever been to anything like this, where we all felt this kinship as veterans. And that there are other people who are in my position of transitioning, not knowing my focus, what’s my purpose. I wasn’t alone.
Rick Van Rickley
When you hear that you’re attending a certified personal training course, you show up, and you assume, or at least I did, that everything you do and learn from that point on, is going to be related specifically to certified personal training. The experience at UHP is so much grander than just certified personal training. Self-reflect and self-work. You have time to sit, reflect, think, and work through things, talk through things. It's much more of a holistic experience.
Jonathan Hagerman
I've always had a really strong passion for fitness and health, and when I got out, I felt kind of lost in terms of what I wanted to do with my life and what my purpose was going to be after the military. And when I found UHP, it honestly felt like an answer to my prayers. And it also provided the development and the purpose building that I was looking for.
Halle Haas
I’ve learned an abundance of things that I’m able to take with me for the future—about being a veteran in general, and with my fitness career.
Beth White
All I knew was that this course, this place, has just raging reviews—people who are coming and having a massive transformation. Even if you come to a CPT course and are not planning on personal training, you’ve now done a ton of self-reflection and a ton of growth, where you feel more connected to who you are and your purpose.
Kristina Hoyer
Integrative Health Coach
IHC is fully funded, either through the student’s GI Bill® or by our network of private scholarship providers.
Program benefits
- Fastest Path to NBHWC Certification
- Tailored for Veterans
- Science-Based, Holistic Curriculum
- Hands-On, Skills-Driven Training
Our leadership

IHC is fully funded through the student’s GI Bill® or by UHP’s network of private scholarship providers, allowing qualified students to earn their certification at no cost. UHP also accepts VA VR&E (Chapter 31) benefits and other education benefits for veterans and active duty service members seeking GI Bill® health coach certification.
Program Benefits
- Fastest Path to NBHWC Board Certification
- Tailored for Veterans and Service Members
- Science-Based, Holistic Health Curriculum
- Hands-On, Skills-Driven Training
Experience the fastest way to complete an NBHWC-approved health and wellness coaching program with our immersive 19-day, 100% in-person training on our 800-acre campus in Northwest Arkansas, the only approved health training program of its kind in the world.
Designed for active duty, National Guard members, selected reserve, and veterans transitioning into a fulfilling career in holistic health, integrative care, and wellness programs. This training program provides a clear pathway for those using GI Bill® benefits or financial aid to pursue a nationally board-certified health and wellness career.
Gain hands-on experience in behavior change, motivational interviewing skills, and health coaching techniques grounded in neuroscience, psychology, and integrative health practices. Learn how health coaches play a crucial role in facilitating behavior change, supporting clients, and improving overall health outcomes across diverse communities.
Learn through classroom instruction, experiential workshops, and group coaching sessions guided by board-certified health and wellness instructors. Develop real-world coaching skills in motivational interviewing, communication, and behavior change through immersive practice and mentorship.
Our Leadership
Our lead instructors are experienced, board-approved health and wellness coaching professionals with extensive applied experience. They teach in a way that emphasizes practical application, mentorship, and personal growth, helping students successfully complete all required courses and eligibility requirements for the NBHWC board certification exam.

What is IHC and NBHWC?
The Integrative Health Coach (IHC) program at UHP is an immersive, NBHWC-approved education program designed to prepare students for the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) certification exam. This wellness coaching program teaches students to guide clients toward improved well-being through holistic approaches that connect mind, body, and lifestyle.
The NBHWC, or National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching, sets the national standard for health coaching excellence. Completing an NBHWC-approved program ensures students meet the education and practice requirements to apply for the national certification exam and pursue careers across health care, corporate wellness, or community-based wellness programs. UHP’s IHC course is the fastest 100% in-person, board-approved training program in the world.
Students who successfully complete the course receive a UHP Integrative Health Coach Certificate and become eligible to apply for the NBHWC board certification exam, recognized by the National Board for Health.
What Does a Health Coach Do?
Health coaches play a key role in helping clients achieve optimal well-being. They support clients in setting goals, developing healthy habits, and facilitating sustainable behavior change through motivational interviewing and integrative care strategies.
Health and wellness coaching emphasizes that the client is the expert on their own life. Coaches create a safe space for growth, guiding clients to uncover their strengths and align actions with their values.
Whether working with community members, health professionals, medical examiners, physical therapists, or personal trainers, health coaches serve as trusted partners who help clients make meaningful progress toward better health and quality of life.
What Does the Course Cover?
Understand the coaching process and how to guide clients from intention to action. Learn the distinctions between therapy and coaching, focusing not on the past “why” but on the future “what” and “how” of change.
The Principles of Integrative Health Coaching
Understand the coaching process and how to guide clients from intention to action. Learn the distinctions between therapy and coaching, focusing not on the past “why” but on the future “what” and “how” of change.
Client-Centered Communication
Develop motivational interviewing skills using UHP’s trademarked “Pause Notice Choose” method. Practice reflective listening, inquiry, and client-centered dialogue to support meaningful transformation.
The IHC Process Model
Learn how to facilitate behavior change and apply evidence-based frameworks to real-world coaching sessions.

Overcoming Internal Barriers
Discover techniques for helping clients identify and navigate emotional, social, and behavioral obstacles to success.
Coaching Theory, Ethics, and Practice
Master the ethics, models, and scientific principles behind effective health coaching. This module emphasizes integrity, professional standards, and practical application and aligns with foundational frameworks from the International Coaching Federation.
Social Determinants of Health
Examine the broader environmental and societal factors that influence client health, from access to nutrition to community support and chronic disease prevention.
The Neuroscience of Change
Explore how the brain shapes habits and how tiny, consistent actions lead to lasting results in wellness coaching practice.
Sample Daily Schedule

Core Coaching Skills You’ll Master
Coaching Presence and Confident Communication
Learn how to create a grounded, empathetic coaching space and communicate with purpose, clarity, and active listening.
Motivational Interviewing and Client-Centered Dialogue
Develop the motivational interviewing skills used by top certified health and wellness coaches to inspire meaningful, client-driven change.
Visioning, Values, and Strengths-Based Strategies
Guide clients to uncover their deepest motivations and align daily actions with their personal values for long-term success.
Goal-Setting, Planning, and Accountability
Master proven frameworks for setting realistic goals, creating achievable plans, and maintaining consistent accountability.
Behavior Change and the Neuroscience of Habit Formation
Understand how the brain builds (and breaks) habits, equipping you to help clients rewire patterns for lasting transformation and improved well being.
Ethics, Session Structure, and Certification Preparation
Gain mastery in ethical decision-making, session flow, and professional readiness for the national certification exam and NBHWC board certification exam.
Integrative Health Concepts, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Design
Explore how movement, nutrition, and mindfulness intersect in holistic health and wellness coaching practice to improve overall health and life balance.
Group Coaching Facilitation and Peer Feedback
Learn to lead group coaching sessions with confidence, applying facilitation skills that build trust, inclusivity, and collaboration.
UHP’s approach to mastery blends classroom learning, immersive practice, and guided mentorship. Students refine their coaching skills through seven recorded practice sessions, each followed by real-time feedback from board-certified instructors. By the time you successfully complete the program, you’ll meet all NBHWC eligibility requirements and embody the presence, professionalism, and purpose of a certified health wellness coach.

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