Last week, we officially introduced YourCoach Academy, an NBHWC-approved health coach training program. While the announcement itself is new news, the work behind it is not. YourCoach Academy was built on years of delivering outcomes-driven health coaching services, validating thousands of health coaches and understanding what it truly takes to drive real behavior change, through REAL coaching in the real world. As we unveil the Academy, we want to share what truly sets it apart, because there’s nothing else like it available to future and current health coaches today. In today’s blog, we share three ways YourCoach Academy differentiates itself from other available programs and why it represents a new standard for health coaching education.
It’s built from real coaching experience and real-world data.
YourCoach Academy is grounded in data and proven outcomes from years of YourCoach’s health coaching service delivery. What does this mean and how does it translate to our coaching education? Though just announced last week, YourCoach Academy has been years in the making. We’ve spent years delivering outcomes-driven health coaching services to a diverse cohort of Industry Partners, collecting real-world experience and insights from tens of thousands of interactions. YourCoach Academy is grounded in science and our real-world experience delivering REAL health coaching with real outcomes.
The curriculum is rooted in behavior change science and evidence-based coaching practices, ones that have been proven to work (check out our Retrospective Observational Outcomes Study for more info on this!). Rather than relying on theoretical models alone, or dated practices that may no longer work, students learn skills that have been tested, refined and validated through real client engagement and that are designed to drive measurable results. This real-world foundation is what allows graduates of YourCoach Academy to step into coaching with confidence, competence and credibility and it’s what sets our graduates apart.
Select coaches are eligible for client opportunities with YourCoach.
YourCoach Academy doesn’t stop at preparing students to sit for the NBC-HWC exam. It’s the only program where select graduates may be considered for health coaching opportunities within the YourCoach ecosystem, providing a rare and valuable bridge between training and real-world work. This distinction exists because we don’t just train health coaches; we validate, support and provide opportunities for them at scale.
Throughout the Academy, participants complete extensive health coach training including a combination of weekly live instruction from experienced faculty, curated asynchronous content, individualized mentorship, peer coaching labs, and structured skill assessments. For graduates who meet our validation standards, this creates a meaningful pathway forward: the potential to become eligible for real-world coaching opportunities through the YourCoach ecosystem. In an industry where new coaches are often left asking, “What’s next?,” YourCoach Academy is designed to help answer that question for top-performing coaches.
Coaches graduate with access to the YourCoach platform.
Not only does YourCoach Academy equip rising health coaches with a superior skillset, and set them up for potential opportunities with YourCoach, but also it acclimates them to the YourCoach platform as a tool for managing their practice (as well as working with our clients if they are chosen to do so). Throughout training, our curriculum blends foundational coaching skills with practical applications, all while leveraging YourCoach’s proprietary health coaching platform to simulate real coaching workflows, documentation and outcome tracking.
Not only does this help YourCoach Academy graduates acclimate to a health coaching platform they can use to build their practice, but graduates will receive access to the YourCoach platform free of charge for one year after graduation. This provides a true springboard into the field, supporting continued skill development and giving health coaches the tools they need to succeed while delivering high-quality, human-centered care from day one. But this goes beyond individual success. It represents what we stand for at YourCoach. As the first platform designed by and for health coaches, YourCoach has always been committed to advancing the future of the profession and positioning health coaches as essential members of the broader health and care ecosystem. In today’s overburdened healthcare system, health coaches play a critical role in improving outcomes, supporting behavior change, and delivering the kind of human-centered care that patients and clients need and deserve.
YourCoach Academy is an extension of that mission. It’s not just about training coaches; it’s about elevating the standard of health coaching itself. The Academy was intentionally built to elevate the health coaching profession and prepare coaches for real-world impact. Rooted in science, and informed by years of validated health coaching experience, YourCoach Academy is designed to create pathways into meaningful and outcomes-driven health coaching. For aspiring coaches who want to deliver REAL health coaching that drives REAL change, YourCoach Academy offers a truly differentiated approach to training. Applications are now open and the inaugural cohort begins February 17, 2026. Need-based scholarships are also available. Apply here to get started!
FAQ:
Q: What makes YourCoach Academy unique?
A: YourCoach Academy is built from years of real-world health coaching experience and validated outcomes, not only theory. The curriculum is grounded in behavior change science and informed by coaching interactions delivered across YourCoach ecosystem. The Academy trains coaches in the skills, standards, and real-life application needed to drive measurable behavior change in today’s health and care landscape.
Q: How does YourCoach Academy prepare coaches for real-world coaching, not only certification?
A: YourCoach Academy combines weekly live instruction from experienced faculty, curated asynchronous content, individualized mentorship, peer coaching labs, and structured skill assessments. Students learn from outcomes-driven coaching practices and graduate with both the confidence and competence to coach effectively.
Q: Do graduates really get free access to the YourCoach platform and potential new client opportunities within the YourCoach ecosystem?
A: Yes! Graduates of YourCoach Academy receive free access to the YourCoach platform for one year after graduation. Not only that, but select graduates are eligible for opportunities with YourCoach.