For the City Times

STEVENS POINT – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the National Wellness Institute are launching the Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate program this fall. The only program in Wisconsin that is transitionally approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, it will be offered 100 percent online.

 According to UWSP, health and wellness coaching skills were posted in more than 75,000 positions in a recent online job search in January 2019. These skills can be delivered in a variety of settings and formats, including one-on-one or in small groups and face-to-face or online. Health and wellness coaches are employed by hospitals, clinics, counseling and treatment centers, corporations, employee assistance programs, schools and universities, insurance agencies, social service agencies, fitness centers, U.S. military and as self-employed businesses.

 “Wellness is maturing, which requires new thinking and doing,” said Chuck Gillespie, CEO of the National Wellness Institute. “The training program developed with UW-Stevens Point brings the highest incorporation of heath and holistic wellness together to bridge this opportunity to better connect health with all Six Dimensions of Wellness–social, emotional, physical, intellectual, spiritual and occupational.”

The certificate program is an accelerated eight-week classes, with an opportunity to complete the full program in as few as eight months.

The program offers two pathways to completion. Both options prepare participants for the national certification exam. The continuing professional development option does not require a bachelor’s degree, while the graduate credit option can count toward many master’s degree programs. The deadline for the first cohort is Oct. 18.

For more information, visit uwsp.edu/healthwellnesscoaching.