Diploma in Coaching and Behavioural Change

This innovative one year, blended learning practitioner training course is designed for anyone wishing to coach individuals and/or groups towards lasting lifestyle change using the very latest evidence based behavioural change strategies. The theory and practical skills developed on the course can be applied to a variety of settings including healthcare, education, corporate and private practice. It can be taken as a stand alone qualification or, for those particularly interested in healthcare, can be combined with our extremely popular Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching. This combination of qualifications gives graduates a highly effective set of skills ideally suited to the modern healthcare professional and maximising income potential. After two years graduates are not only qualified to give comprehensive advice on diet and lifestyle to their clients but will also have the skills required to effectively help them to facilitate these changes, overcome barriers to change and improve health in the long term.

Dublin and Cork, next starting date September 2016

London and Manchester, next starting date January 2017

About the Course

For those particularly interested in helping clients to change long held and defeating habits and beliefs, this unique 1 year diploma, written to UK level 5 (Irish level 6/7), gives graduates a highly effective set of skills underpinned by the latest evidence based theories in behavioural change. Includes:

- Theories on behavioural change

- The practical application of behavioural change theories

- A clear process and all paperwork required to systematically work with clients towards lasting behavioural change

- Clinical practice and ‘buddy’ coaching to hone skills

- Reflective practice designed to help all students grow as individuals and coaches

- Stress management, to help you address a key causative factor in many individuals’ health issues, and entrepreneurship, to help you envision and develop the career you want

- Entrepreneurship, to ensure coaches understand how to build a business and maximise income using their new knowledge and skills

Why Choose the Diploma in Coaching and Behavioural Change?

- Constantly updated material. All modules have a module leader responsible for them. The role of the module leader is to continually update the material delivered in lectures, student notes and online, set and mark assignments and to answer student queries on the module forums. This keeps IHS material up to date using evidenced based research and the very latest theories in healthcare.

- Comprehensive and well structured study material supplied. Including presentation slides, case studies, video clips, quizzes and short answer questions and chances to reflect on your knowledge all designed to make the learning experience as interactive as possible

- Dynamic and interactive lecture weekends. Designed to suit all learning types and engage students in the learning process. Lecture weekends include a mixture of formal lectures, group discussion, group exercises, role play and case studies

- Expert lecturers. Lecturers for the Diploma in Coaching and Behavioural Change includes certified coaches and an NLP Master Practitioner, giving our students access to a wealth of knowledge and experience from their first day of study

- The IHS commitment to pastoral care and student support. IHS have a dedicated student support officer to help struggling students or those with specific learning difficulties. We ensure that all students have access to both staff and peer support whilst studying with IHS

- Help clients make a real, positive and long term difference to their lives. Develop the skills required to effectively help clients to facilitate these changes in the long term, overcome barriers to change and improve their health

- Broaden your potential client base. This unique qualification enables you to work with any number of clients with a broad base of health goals

- Join practitioner registering associations and insure yourself to practice. Receive the benefits and support associated with belonging to professional bodies

What will I study?

This course is running in Dublin and Cork from September 2016 and the UK (Manchester and London) from January 2017. However if you wish to combine it with our popular Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching then you can begin studying in Dublin and Cork in September 2015 and in the UK (Manchester and London) from January 2016.

- Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching (optional - can be completed prior to the Diploma in Coaching and Behavioural Change modules below). Here we examine food from farm to fork and discuss exactly how it is grown, processed - thus nutritionally depleted - and the cumulative effect this has on health. Students are then taught how to analyse a client’s individual needs and instructed how food, nutrients, supplements and lifestyle changes can be used to counteract modern lifestyles and promote optimum health.

- Behavioural Change. Utilises the latest evidenced based behaviour change strategies to help empower individuals towards taking responsibility for their own wellbeing and adopting long term life enhancing choices.

- Stress Management. This module takes a comprehensive and practical look at stress to ensure healthcare practitioners have the tools required to help clients manage one of the biggest contributing factors to chronic disease in the 21st century. The module covers the major causes and physiological impact of stress from both an orthodox and functional medicine perspective and gives students a comprehensive overview of the best evidence based stress management techniques (both ‘in the moment’ and long term) in. These include coaching for stress relief, relaxation and breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, emotional freedom technique and self hypnosis. The content is designed to allow practitioners to give their clients practical tools to help manage stress but also know when and who to refer to should they need more specialist help. Dietary interventions to help support the nervous and endocrine systems will also be discussed in detail.

- Entrepreneurship. This module includes a multitude of practical advice from healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs who are running their own successful businesses. It is specially designed to ensure that those wishing to join a caring profession don’t forget that they also need to make a living – and that the more successful they are as business professionals the more people they can potentially help. Content includes practical material on how to set up and grow a thriving practice including marketing, maximising revenue streams and time management but also focuses on the mindset and vision required to succeed in business. Additionally, the principles of NLP and coaching are used to help an individual use their communication skills to ensure they always send the verbal and non-verbal messages they want to potential clients and business associates. This gives graduates the knowledge and confidence to succeed.

How is this course structured?
Choose from any of the following options depending on your current lifestyle and study preferences:

- In-class. Starting in September (Ireland) or January (UK) and with 9 lecture weekends (approximately one per month) per year, this is the most popular way of completing the Diploma in Diet, Health and Wellness Coaching.

- Blended Learning. Some modules may be completed via e-learning.

Students need to study approximately 10 hours per week plus lecture weekends.

All students are enrolled onto the IHS learning management system. Here you will find all course material, forums, quizzes, assessments etc in one place to help you organise your study and study material as efficiently as possible. You will also upload all assessments here and can also use it to communicate directly with module leaders, other members of staff and fellow students.

Entry Requirements

This diploma is a lifelong learning course and students are accepted on to this course through a combination of academic qualifications and relevant life experience.

Normal minimum entry requirements

The minimum academic entry requirement for this course is a grade C at Junior Certificate or 4 GCSEs grades A to C. Equivalent international qualifications will also be accepted. A background in healthcare is beneficial.

Prior Learning and Prior Experiential Learning

Applicants with Prior Learning and Experiential Prior Learning will also be considered. All knowledge, skills and competencies accumulated through life and work experience will be considered.

All applicants will be interviewed to determine their suitability for the course
Course Fees
Ireland (Dublin and Cork)
Price TBC
UK (London and Manchester)

Price TBC