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Share my review (so far!) of the Integrative Health Practitioner certification and my thoughts on the program. I’m so excited to be on some podcast episodes with Dr. Stephen Cabral and he has also generously gifted me access to my Level 1 and Level 2 certification programs. In this post I’m sharing an update on the course and my thoughts on level one now that I’m done. If you want to join me as a learning partner, go here and use code FITNESSISTA for $100 off Level 1 and $250 off Levels 1 and 2.
Hellooooo. Nice Monday. I hope you had a nice weekend. We enjoy our last moments with Caro here before we have to say goodbye later today 🙁
For today’s post, I wanted to provide an updated overview of my experience with the Integrative Health Practitioner course and how I plan to use this certification. I recently finished level one and started level two. I loved immersing myself in these modules and know this will be a whole new level for my coaching.
There have been times when I have worked with a nutritional client online and wished I could suggest specific labs (it is NOT the job of a nutrition coach or personal trainer to do this. All you can do is reach out to a RD to contact or doctor). I’ve added more members to my coaching staff who can do these tests. But as my online practice continues to grow, I wanted to be able to learn all of this myself.
Certified Integrative Health Practitioner
What is the IHP certification?
The Integrative Health Practitioner certification was developed by Dr. Created by Stephen Cabral. If you are unfamiliar with his work, Dr. Stephen Cabral is a board certified naturopathic doctor and founder of EquiLife & the Institute for integrative naturopathsand author of the international bestseller, The rain barrel effect. With nearly 20 years and over 600,000 pages of completed research studies, dozens of natural health certifications, over a quarter of a million private client sessions and a PhD in Naturopathic Medicine – the knowledge, experience and passion of Dr. Cabral are at the top of their game.
I’ve been following him on Instagram for a few years and recently had him as a guest on the podcast. I had looked at this certification a few times and knew I wanted to do it eventually – this partnership was a sign that it should happen now. 🙂
I have benefited greatly over the years from working with naturopathic physicians and functional medicine practitioners. Especially when I was told by various doctors: “Everything is fine” or I would “just have to live with it”. (This isn’t the case for everyone! Also worth noting here is that my primary care nurse here in Tucson is AMAZING.) But there have been a few times in my life where I thought things were hopeless…and were told they were actually hopeless. All I had to do was see a different doctor (sometimes you just need a second or third opinion!) or alternate avenues to get the help we needed.
I’ve absorbed all the lessons and I’m so excited to help clients in a different way.
The IHP is based on 7 integrative disciplines:
– Ayurveda medicine (science of life and body typing)
– Bioregulatory medicine (the science of self-healing and balancing)
– Chinese medicine and herbalism (unlocking the healing wisdom of nature)
– Eastern philosophy (use the mind to heal the body)
– Traditional naturopathy (the “real life” to reverse disease)
– Orthomolecular medicine (the science of vitamins and minerals as “medicine”)
– and functional medicine (state-of-the-art laboratory tests to determine underlying causes)
There are two levels of IHP: Level 1, which teaches you how to establish healthy habits based on the DESTRESS method (Nutrition, Exercise, Stress, Detoxification, Rest, Emotional Balance, Dietary Supplements and Achievement Mindset). And Level 2, which focuses on 7 functional medicine laboratories (including HTMA, OAT, DUTCH), the ability to recommend and analyze these laboratories and propose an action plan depending on the results.
Each lesson lasts about 30 minutes. and dr Cabral includes recommended reading material and supplemental podcast episodes. And shares tons of resources and handouts for clients to use. Because it is so in-depth, the entire course can take around 6 months, and Level 2 can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. I’ve been at this for a few months and not even halfway through the first level.
What I like about the IHP:
– This is exactly what I want to learn and I know I can use these skills to help 1:1 clients with the content I create here on the blog and also with group coaching and classes I develop. I want to help as many people as possible have happy, balanced hormones and optimal energy. And help them cut through the *noise* to develop consistent and sustainable healthy habits. This is another step in my educational process and I’m loving it so far.
– dr Cabral. If you follow him on Instagram or listen to his podcast, you’ll know he’s incredibly knowledgeable. But can also say that he is a really *good person* who really wants to help others on their way to healing. I enjoy watching each lesson video and learning something valuable from each one. He really did an incredible job with the content and delivery of the course.
– Additional support. They offer a private Facebook group for IHP candidates and certified practitioners, live calls, and even refer clients to IHP Level 2 graduates. I also appreciate all the handouts and resources that we can use and share with clients when we’re collaborating are done with the certification process.
Any cons?
– I find it difficult to study on the go and I feel like I have to sit at the computer and take notes. dr Cabral dives into a lot of information and was even more common in Level 2. Time is the only thing that stands in the way as the lessons are around 30 minutes each and I have to be home to complete them. My only frustration is not being able to go through the information as quickly as I would like, but at the same time it allows me to really absorb all the lessons.
I think that’s the only downside!
If one of my healthcare professional friends is looking for another way to help their clients, I would highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go to heal others which I think is a beautiful mission.
You can use my referral link here and code FITNESSISTA for a $100 or $250 discount (depending on whether you only do level 1 or both levels for a higher discount).
So tell me friends, what’s one healthy habit you make every day that makes you feel great?
If you could change careers or add another certificate to your resume, which one would you choose?
xo
gina