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DHWCT FAQs

Participants in the DHWCT come from a wide variety of backgrounds and must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree (in any field). Exceptions for those without a bachelor’s degree may be made for people with three or more years of experience in a medical or allied health field such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, health education, exercise physiology, psychotherapy, or nutrition. The best way to find out if you meet the requirements is to fill out the free online application. Within the application, we’d encourage you to use the resume and the two open-ended questions to describe your background, experience, and professional goals. As we review your full background we will be able to best make the eligibility determination.  

This DHWCT is designed for medical and allied health providers and other professionals seeking to partner with their clients to improve their health behaviors and outcomes. 

DHWCT participants represent diverse educational and professional backgrounds. Many represent licensed medical and allied health fields such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, health education, social work, exercise physiology, psychotherapy, or nutrition. Others represent a wide range of professional fields such as public health, massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga therapy, personal training, ministry, education, business entrepreneurs, healthcare marketing and consultants, and other fields. 

Participation in the DHWCT Foundation/Certification Course is limited to accepted applicants.  

Please allow for up to 2-4 weeks for application review. You can expect to receive an email notifying you of your application status and next steps regarding registration. Registration is limited to approximately 50 participants per course. Registrations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis and require payment in full. We will offer a waitlist for courses that fill to maximum capacity before to the registration deadline. 

Acceptance into the program without registration and payment does not reserve your place in the course. 

Applications are not connected to any particular course format or dates. Once you have an approved application, it is valid for 18 months. Additionally, you will receive emails letting you know when new courses open for registration. 

Click here to view our Cancellation Policy. Click here to access our Cancellation Request Form.

The program, uniquely based on many years of clinical experience and research with thousands of patients and clients, trains medical and allied health care providers in the core competencies necessary to work as health & well-being coaches. Participants report the greatest assets of our training are our well-designed coaching competencies, utilization of a coaching framework based on the neuroscience of change and theories of change models, the integration of mindful awareness, the emphasis on experiential practice to support translation to professional practice, as well as the emphasis on creating a diverse and unique learning community of colleagues 

We feel there are many strengths to our Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training. Here are some of those strengths for consideration: 

  • Duke’s Brand: The Duke brand carries substantial weight; it stands for excellence in education and training. Our coach training program excels in this manner as it is rooted in research and based on the neuroscience of change and behavior change theories. 
  • Learn from Leaders: At Duke, you will learn from leaders in the field of coaching, both as highly experienced coaches and excellent instructors 
  • Adult Learning Methodology: Duke’s program utilizes adult learning methodology to deliver a highly experiential program. The incorporation of experiential practice is crucial to the translation of coaching concepts into professional practice. 
  • Mentored Feedback: As a participant, you will receive feedback to support you in your development and application of coaching skills and process. 
  • Mindful Awareness: Duke’s model of health & well-being coaching regards mindful awareness as an essential element of coaching. To truly partner with another person, a coach must develop their capacity to pause, recognize what is happening in the present moment, and then choose an appropriate response. 
  • Community: We feel the most effective learning happens in a community. The live training components, the ongoing practice with colleagues, and the emphasis we place on building on the expertise and knowledge each participant brings to the training group, all help to build a unique learning community. It is the community that supports you in getting the most out of the training. It is the community that will continue to grow as you continue to network with your colleagues after training and develop new networks with our broader graduate community through our graduate community website and continued learning activities. 
  • Standards: DHWCT is a National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) Approved Program, having met the 2018 Program Approval Standards. Graduates of DHWCT are eligible to apply to sit for the National Board Examination. 

The registration fee is due in full at the time of registration. We do not have a payment plan option available. You may register online with a credit card or call our guest services desk (919.660.6826) to pay over the phone. We are also able to take multiple types of tender, such as more than one credit card or a credit card and a debit card. We accept checks through the mail, but will not be able to secure your seat in the course until payment is received. 

Duke Health & Well-Being has limited funds available for partial financial assistance for the DHWCT. The funds may cover up to 10% of the registration fee. To be considered, please submit your  financial assistance application  before to the early registration deadline for your desired course. 

There is also an early registration discount of 10%. The deadline for the early registration is listed on the Apply and Register page for the course. Click here to access the online application. 

The DHWCT is a professional training offered by Duke Health & Well-Being, Duke University Health System. Participation in our courses awards continuing education credits, not academic credits. We are a separate Duke entity from the Duke University academic system/registrar’s office and therefore our trainings are generally not eligible for traditional academic federal financial aid programs. We are also not an approved education or job training provider under GI Bill funding.  

The In-Person Course registration fee covers printed materials, access to the online course content, and two instructor-led onsite training modules, as well as the cost of continuing education credits. Beverage service and lunch are included during the onsite training days. 

The Online Course registration fee covers access to the online course content, instructor-led webinars, as well as the cost of continuing education credits. 

For the in-person format, see below for the minimum system requirements to access and complete the online training requirements.  You will also need access to a reliable phone line that can dial long-distance phone numbers to complete the required between-module telephonic practice sessions. 

For the online format, you will minimally need a desktop or laptop computer with reliable wired internet access and a computer headset with a microphone to join the live webinars. Please note, mobile devices (mobile phones, tablets, iPads, Chromebooks, etc.) are not compatible with the live webinar platform. 

Click here to view the minimum system requirements to access and complete the training components delivered through the online learning management system.

Yes. Awarded credits will vary based on which course format you choose— In-Person or Online.  

Continuing education credits from their specific professional organizations to contact them directly to find out how to do it. Generally, there is a petition process they can submit through, often for a fee, with proof of course completion using their JA certificate or Certificate of Completion. 

After completing the course, you will receive several downloadable electronic certificates showing Joint Accreditation continuing education credits, ICF Continuing Coach Education credits, and a Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training Certificate of Completion. 

The course includes instructor-led training with skills practice and online learning components (E-Learnings and Video Demonstrations) to enhance the course curriculum. The course provides extensive training in the core competencies required of Health & Well-Being Coaches. The curriculum will cover the following topics: 

  • The role of Health Coaching in the transformation of healthcare. 
  • Research on the efficacy of Integrative Health Coaching. 
  • Patient-Centered Care, the Wheel of Health (WOH), and Personalized Health Planning as they relate to Health & Well-Being Coach Training. 
  • The change process including the review of key concepts of the neuroscience of change and existing behavior change models and theories. 
  • How to effectively utilize coaching skills such as other-focused listening, reflections, inquiry and summary to assist clients in articulating their desired behavior changes, health vision and goals. 
  • How to effectively utilize the Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Process Model to assist clients in establishing their optimal health vision and values, exploring their readiness to make behavior changes, setting goals and action steps, and assessing progress over time. 
  • Components of an effective partnership between client and coach. 
  • Mindful awareness and its role in enhancing the application of coaching skills, process, and partnership. 
  • The global structure of a coaching series that occurs over time, as well as the structure and objectives of each session within a coaching series. 
  • Advantages and challenges of group coaching, and the integration of coaching elements with group facilitation skills. 
  • Ethical considerations for the coaching profession. 
  • Healthy Living E-Learning Curriculum:  Designed to provide coaches with a well-rounded review of healthy living to enhance their knowledge base for coaching 

For the In-Person Course, the first day of the first onsite module begins with check-in at 8:30 AM and ends at 5:30 PM. Our remaining training days are from 9:00 AM until 5:30 PM. Please plan your travel accordingly. We ask that you arrive promptly as we will begin and end the training on time each day. 

For the Online Course, you will attend your weekly 3-hour live webinar sessions on the designated day and time of your course during the Core Competencies phase.  

You will find upcoming course dates and schedules on the Apply and Register page of our website. 

 

Training Content  

The content of the DHWCT, regardless of the delivery format, includes:  

Phase 1: Core Competencies  

  • An online orientation  
  • Live, instructor-led training on the skills, process, and partnership of health coaching  
  • Distance learning components, including  E-Learning modules and video demonstrations 
  • Facilitated small group coaching practice  
  • Online Core Competencies Assessment
  • Scenario-based application  

Phase 2: Advanced Skills  

  • Four (4) 1-hour individual mentor sessions  
  • Four (4) expert-led advanced skills seminars  
  • Self-directed small group coaching practice  
  • Online Written Exam
  • Practical skills assessment via live oral exam  
  • Additional e-learning modules: Healthy Lifestyle Curriculum & Overcoming Challenging Coaching Situations 
  • Practical skills assessment via live oral exam   
  • Access to optional Business of Coaching e-learning  

Yes, you can find the DHWCT Attendance Policy here.

All required course materials will be provided to you. You are not required to purchase any additional textbooks. 

For the In-Person Course, evening homework is assigned during the onsite training days. These assignments are designed to enhance the in-person instruction and include readings in your course manual as well as reflective writing exercises. You can expect to spend approximately 1 hour per evening on the homework assignments. 

Between the onsite training modules, you will complete several course requirements including self-paced E-Learnings, viewing Video Demonstrations, and telephonic skills practice sessions. You can expect to spend approximately 3 hours per week on these between module requirements. 

For the Online Course, pre-work and homework are assigned to enhance and support the live webinar sessions. These assignments may include reading in your course manual, reflective writing exercises, self-paced E-Learnings, and viewing Video Demonstrations. You can expect to spend approximately 2 hours per week on these assignments. This estimate is in addition to attending the weekly 3-hour live webinar sessions. 

Yes. There are knowledge checks throughout the course and both a written and oral exam. In order to complete the course, receive a certificate of completion and earn continuing education credits you must pass the written exam with 80% of the answers correct and pass the oral exam.  

You may take the written exam as many times as needed during the examination period in order to pass. 

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