What occurs when a Ph.D. with a ardour for conduct change, a knack for curriculum design, and a present for connection leads your well being coach coaching? You get Dr. Shana Walsh—AFPA’s Director of Schooling and Curriculum, and the chief of our Grasp Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach program.
With a Ph.D. in Kinesiology, Train Vitamin, and Well being Promotion, in addition to credentials as a Nationwide Board-Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach, Grasp Licensed Well being Schooling Specialist, and Licensed Private Coach, Dr. Walsh brings many years of expertise to each course she touches. From shaping what you study behind the scenes to guiding dwell Zoom classes with vitality and empathy, she’s each the architect and advocate in your teaching journey.
On this interview, Shana shares her method to constructing student-centered packages, what makes AFPA’s dwell cohort expertise so distinctive, and some enjoyable details, just like the time she did a pull-up whereas hula-hooping.
The Secrets and techniques Behind AFPA’s Curriculum
As AFPA’s Schooling & Curriculum Director, how do you form the scholar studying expertise?
My position encompasses all the course improvement lifecycle. This ranges from the starting stage, the place we strategize new course choices and matters that align with scholar wants, to creating written and video studying supplies, and securing top-tier instructors which can be consultants of their respective areas. I’m additionally concerned in helping present college students all through their AFPA studying journey. In each stage, I prioritize the standard of the training we offer, making certain probably the most invaluable and relevant content material for our college students. It’s extraordinarily rewarding to see one thing go from an concept scribbled on a notepad in pencil to a certification college students can earn to alter the trajectory of their profession and their lives.
What’s one thing most individuals may not understand about how AFPA develops its curriculum?
Most individuals may not understand that we at all times begin by asking, ‘What’s greatest for the scholar?’ The reply to that single query drives each choice we make, from the matters we train, the educating strategies we make use of, the instructors we choose, and even the little particulars, just like the on-screen colours in our programs (nay for orange, yay for blue).
Past course improvement, what typically goes unseen is how a lot we rejoice alongside our college students. After they earn their certificates and discover success within the subject, we’re completely ecstatic. In spite of everything, that’s our final aim: to offer the training they should really propel them into the skilled roles they search.
How do you guarantee AFPA’s packages keep present with analysis, tendencies, and greatest practices?
Within the well being business, new analysis is continually rising, offering new info and redefining greatest practices. At AFPA, we perceive that offering our college students with outdated info is just not an choice, so we take a proactive method as a substitute. We make it part of our routine to watch the newest problems with main educational and business journals, attend business conferences, tune into webinars, and community with different skilled organizations and consultants within the subject. We’ve even been identified to edit a dwell course to tweak a truth or two primarily based on newly gleaned information. We do that to ensure that when our college students graduate, they’ve probably the most present info attainable to excel of their careers.
What do you see as among the most precious expertise college students acquire from AFPA packages?
Among the most precious expertise college students acquire from AFPA packages embrace:
- Complete Information: Each single one among our programs offers a wealth of data on the subject of research. For college students actually in search of to realize experience in a selected space, AFPA is the final word useful resource.
- Holistic Views: At AFPA, we deeply perceive how intertwined all areas of well being are. For that cause, we infuse holistic views into all the pieces we train, supporting our college students to see the larger image.
- Sensible Utility and Teaching Expertise: It’s one factor to know what to do, nevertheless it’s one other to have the ability to do it successfully. We don’t simply train the talents, we additionally present ample observe alternatives to use them to actual world situations.
- Skilled Confidence and Profession Readiness: Our packages are designed to construct college students’ confidence of their skills, getting ready them to excel on their chosen profession journey.
What makes the dwell cohort expertise particular at AFPA?
The Superior Well being Teaching Intensive is the dynamic, dwell part of our Licensed Grasp Well being and Wellness Coach program, and it’s AFPA’s solely dwell course. In a single Zoom room, we unite folks from throughout the nation and across the globe. Whereas all of us come from vastly totally different walks of life, we share a profound commonality: a deep want to empower others to turn into the most effective model of themselves. There’s magic in bringing collectively adults of all ages, with their numerous backgrounds and wealthy life experiences, watching them study and develop collectively. It’s really transformative.
Study The best way to Set Your self Aside as a Board-Licensed Well being Coach
Attending to Know Dr. Walsh Exterior the Classroom
What are a number of quirky or shocking issues about you that your college students may not know?
I’ve efficiently accomplished one pull up whereas hula-hooping.
Additionally, I’ve scored within the 99th percentile for extroversion on a number of character assessments. After I was in first grade, my trainer moved my seat for speaking so many instances, I ended up sitting subsequent to each single child at school.
I didn’t study to trip a motorbike till I used to be an grownup, as a result of as a child I wished to focus all my vitality on rollerblading.
Whenever you’re not engaged on curriculum, educating, or teaching, how do you recharge?
As a quintessential extrovert, I recharge by spending time with others. Whether or not it’s from good dialog with my neighbors sitting across the firepit, some pleasant competitors in rec pickleball, or absorbing high quality time at house with my household, the vitality I get from social connectedness fills my cup.
In case you needed to sum up your philosophy on conduct change in a single sentence, what wouldn’t it be?
In case you change your well being, you modify your life.
Her Recommendation for Aspiring Coaches
What recommendation would you give to somebody who’s on the fence about becoming a member of the following dwell well being teaching session?
In case you’re on the fence about becoming a member of the following dwell course, remind your self that this is likely one of the most effective and reasonably priced methods to turn into a Nationwide Board Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach. As an NBHWC-Authorized program, AFPA presents a direct and supportive path to board certification with out pointless delays or bills.
In case your aim is to offer a significant service to others by means of the ability of well being and wellness teaching, whereas incomes a dwelling doing work that makes a distinction, that is your alternative. You’ll acquire the talents to assist folks make actual, lasting modifications of their lives—and be compensated for the worth you present. Well being and wellness teaching continues to be an rising subject, which implies there’s room to develop, contribute, and set up your self in an rising career.
On the similar time, this isn’t nearly your purchasers—it’s a transformative expertise for you, too. By this coaching, you’ll deepen your personal self-awareness, develop important teaching expertise, and construct the arrogance wanted to not solely move the board examination however to actually be an incredible coach.
If that sounds just like the sort of profession and private development you’ve been on the lookout for, cease hesitating and enroll right now!
📆 The subsequent AFPA dwell well being teaching session begins quickly.
Be a part of a world group of aspiring coaches and study from among the subject’s main educators.
