American College of Lifestyle Medicine
American College of Lifestyle Medicine Adds Health Coach Training and Certifying Leader Dr. Sears Wellness Institute to Lifestyle Medicine Corporate Roundtable
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has announced the addition of health coach training and certifying leader Dr. Sears Wellness Institute to its Lifestyle Medicine Corporate Roundtable. Dr. Sears Wellness Institute offers approved and accredited online training for medical professionals, allied health professionals, and others interested in a lifestyle medicine approach to health and wellness.
August 5, 2021 — The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has announced the addition of online health coaching and certifying leader Dr. Sears Wellness Institute (DSWI) to its Lifestyle Medicine Corporate Roundtable, a group of thought leaders and industry professionals who explore effective clinical innovations, activate marketing strategies, accelerate reimbursement and policy adoption, and pursue research and demonstrations of lifestyle medicine in practice. ACLM launched its Corporate Roundtable in 2016 and it now includes more than 30 active member organizations in the lifestyle medicine ecosystem.
Lifestyle medicine is defined as the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention—including a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection—as a primary modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease.
As the rates of chronic disease continue to rise, health coaches are needed more than ever to fill the gap in health care by addressing and helping to prevent illnesses related to lifestyle choices. Since 2007, DSWI has offered approved and accredited online training for medical professionals, allied health professionals, and others interested in a lifestyle medicine approach to health and wellness. The evidence‐based curriculum was developed by internationally recognized physician, Dr. William Sears, along with a team of experts in nutrition, exercise science, behavior change, psychology, and curriculum development among others. The curriculum covers four L.E.A.N. principles: lifestyle, exercise, attitude and nutrition. DSWI health coaches use their training as behavior change specialists to support, motivate, and empower clients to reach optimal health.
“We believe that health coaches trained in a lifestyle medicine approach are the future of health care,” said Dr. Sears Wellness Institute Executive Director of Education Dominique Hodgin, MA, NE, NBC‐HWC. “Our company is proud to partner with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and other like‐minded companies that are at the forefront of this change. Together, we can address the staggering rates of chronic and preventable disease and create a new model for health in today’s changing world.”
“The health coach is a critical part of the lifestyle medicine multidisciplinary team,” said ACLM President Cate Collings, MD, MS, FACC, DipABLM. “Because lifestyle medicine prevents, treats and sometimes reverses lifestyle-related chronic disease, behavior change is at the heart of health restoration. Coaches bring this expertise and motivation to patients as key partners. We welcome Dr. Sears Wellness Institute to our Corporate Roundtable.”
ABOUT DR. SEARS WELLNESS INSTITUTE– As a top provider of online health coach training and certification, the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute’s Health Coach Certification and Master Health Coach Certification programs lead the industry with a specialized approach to education. Certified and Master Certified Health Coaches receive specialty training to address the unique needs of children and families, pregnant and post‐partum women, adults, and the senior population. Health coaches with specialty knowledge address the whole person, which empowers clients to make sustainable lifestyle behavior changes.
The Dr. Sears Wellness Institute’s mission is to educate, equip and empower individuals and organizations with practical science‐based training and resources to improve the health of others through the principles of Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude and Nutrition (L.E.A.N.). With a commitment to providing unparalleled support for an active community of health coaches, the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute believes education is key to transforming lives and helping people reach optimal health through a balanced approach to wellness.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the medical professional society for those dedicated to the advancement and clinical practice of Lifestyle Medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable health care system. Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention—including a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection—as a primary modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease.
More than a professional association, ACLM is a galvanized force for change. ACLM addresses the need for quality education and certification, supporting its members in their individual practices and in their collective mission to domestically and globally promote Lifestyle Medicine as the first treatment option, as opposed to a first option of treating symptoms and consequences with expensive, ever-increasing quantities of pills and procedures. Learn more at www.lifestylemedicine.org.
