The Graduate Institute

The Graduate Institute's
Master of Arts in Integrative Health & Healing (IHH)

Integrative Health and Healing is a 36-credit Master of Arts degree program that explores complementary and alternative (CAM) healing on a continuum with allopathic medicine. From the ancient roots of medicine to contemporary practice, participants study a number of integrative modalities designed to treat the whole person. Here, health is celebrated as the optimal alignment of body, mind, and spirit – not merely the absence of disease.

The program is dedicated to forwarding a humanistic model of care that recognizes each patient as a unique individual. It is grounded in the development of authentic healer-patient relationships through mind-body approaches to health and wellness. Participants examine Eastern and Western modes of thought as they influence diverse healing arts, and apply their learning through hands-on practice, scientific research, and field experience.

Integrative Health and Healing bridges the gap between the allopathic and complementary and alternative worlds by engaging healthcare practitioners, care providers, and all who are interested in achieving optimal health through the construction and delivery of a humane, informed, empathic, and personalized model of care.

This program will benefit:

• Healthcare professionals who wish to integrate complementary and alternative treatment methods with allopathic medicine
• Natural health practitioners who seek to expand the scope of their practice and establish an intellectual and cultural foundation for their work
• Wellness educators, health coaches, organizational consultants, and others who strive to create situations of wellness in both personal and professional environments
• Individuals who wish to contribute to the emerging field of integrative medicine by acquiring new strategies for transformation in their lives, communities, and professions

Faculty is comprised of distinguished practitioners at the forefront of their field.

Integrative Health and Healing is offered under the academic direction of Dr. Bernie Siegel, venerable author and founder of Exceptional Cancer Patients and Dr. David Forbes, President of the American Holistic Medical Association. A unique visiting faculty model enables learners to interact directly with practitioners and to participate in a network of leaders committed to integrative health care. Each weekend, a different practitioner presents the work of a specific healing modality to the cohort. Mentorship and internship opportunities are also undertaken to expand each participant's knowledge and experience in modalities and practices of their choice.

Discover a supportive learning community designed to accommodate the needs of working professionals.

Embraced as both teachers and learners, participants in Integrative Health and Healing come together as colleagues to create a supportive cohort community. Each cohort community remains together throughout this engaging 22-month program. Learning is facilitated through dialogue, journaling, and reflection, and colleagues contribute to the selection of topics that are addressed in the classroom.

The program meets one weekend per month for 22 months. Each weekend session includes Friday evening from 5 to 9 pm, and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm. Thus the program structure is convenient for working professionals and for long-distance commuters. Between monthly meetings, participants undertake research, construct writing reflections, and engage in pertinent readings from the field.

Eligibility Requirements:

A Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university is required for those who wish to enroll in the Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Healing. The degree can have been earned in any field and The Institute actively encourages applicants from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.

The Graduate Institute's Certificate Program in Integrative Health Coaching

Recognizing the critical and growing need for effective health coaches who can bridge the gap between allopathic and integrative healthcare delivery, The Graduate Institute (TGI) is pleased to announce a new 12-credit Integrative Health Coaching Certificate program. This program provides qualified individuals the opportunity to become International Coach Federation (ICF) credentialed integrative health coaches. The Habit Change Company – a trailblazing organization in the development of values and spirit-based coaching designed to sustain positive behavior change – works with The Institute's faculty and administration to teach and assess the core curriculum. The program consists of four integrated courses grounded in an experientially-based learning and teaching model.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is a profession in which a coach partners with clients via thought-provoking and creative processes that inspire them to maximize their personal and professional potential, according to the ICF. There are many benefits to becoming a certified coach, including flexibility and access, the versatility of in-person and phone based work, and the opportunity to work with people all over the world. Coaching, an inherently rewarding career, is dedicated to assisting others in their personal and professional lives and generates a positive impact on diverse populations of individuals, groups, and organizations.

Why Integrative Health Coaching?

Integrative Health Coaching (IHC), an emerging field in medicine and the behavior sciences, offers viable solutions for bridging the gap between knowledge and behavior change, tightening the patient/physician communication loop, raising awareness, and motivating patients while holding them accountable for their actions.

IHC establishes a co-creative and dynamic partnership between a consumer (patient) and professional coach embedded into a healthcare management system designed to identify, monitor, and motivate behavior in order to maximize the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the consumer (Kaplan, 2011).

Over the past five years health coaching has become an extremely valuable service and there is a clear need for more health coaches to work in a variety of settings. In an effort to help grow the profession in a responsible and forward-thinking way, The Graduate Institute's Integrative Health Coaching Certificate program is designed to provide participants with a unique combination of integrative medicine training and coaching practice. This ensures that those who complete the Integrative Health Coaching program will be fully equipped to offer a level of service and knowledge unsurpassed by any health coaching program currently available.

Eligibility Requirements:

A Masters degree is a highly desired qualification for candidates who wish to enroll in the Integrative Health Coaching Certificate program. Candidates who possess a degree in a health related field will be given preference. Exceptions may be made for those who possess a Masters or Bachelors degree in a non‐health field but who can demonstrate their competency and knowledge based on work experience in the medical/health field or prior educational experiences. Preference will be given to those who have 3‐5 years experience minimum in the medical profession or an allied health field.

Program Details:

The program is delivered over eleven months as four courses comprised of 45 hours each, including coach residency experience with supplemental assignments and options. Participants should be prepared to attend each class/course, and allow time to complete additional assignments to prepare for the certification process. The course content is integrated, so colleagues will receive coaching training as well as integrative health education simultaneously throughout the program.

Schedule:

Classes meet twice per month. There is a weekend intensive once per month, which takes place on Friday night from 5 – 9pm, Saturday from 9 – 5pm, and Sunday from 9 – 1pm. In between these weekend intensives, classes meet on a single Saturday from 9 – 5pm. All classes take place at The Graduate Institute's Campus in Bethany, CT unless participants are notified otherwise. Click here to request more information.

About The Graduate Institute:

Founded in 1999, The Graduate Institute is a not-for-profit educational organization that is licensed, chartered, and accredited by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education to offer post-baccalaureate degrees and certificate programs. It specializes in programs that advance emerging fields of inquiry – realms of study that illuminate developing states of consciousness and generate new points of academic and intellectual "knowing." Its goal is to facilitate personal transformation as a basis for professional development among colleagues.

If you are interested in learning more about Integrative Health and Healing, please Request Information.