What occurs when a Ph.D. with a ardour for habits 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 be taught behind the scenes to guiding stay Zoom classes with power and empathy, she’s each the architect and advocate to your teaching journey.
On this interview, Shana shares her method to constructing student-centered applications, what makes AFPA’s stay 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 coed studying expertise?
My position encompasses the whole course improvement lifecycle. This ranges from the starting stage, the place we strategize new course choices and matters that align with pupil wants, to creating written and video studying supplies, and securing top-tier instructors which might be specialists 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 schooling 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 vary the trajectory of their profession and their lives.
What’s one thing most individuals won’t notice about how AFPA develops its curriculum?
Most individuals won’t notice that we at all times begin by asking, ‘What’s finest for the coed?’ The reply to that single query drives each determination we make, from the matters we educate, the instructing 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 usually goes unseen is how a lot we have a good time alongside our college students. Once they earn their certificates and discover success within the discipline, we’re completely ecstatic. In spite of everything, that’s our final aim: to supply the schooling they should really propel them into the skilled roles they search.
How do you guarantee AFPA’s applications keep present with analysis, traits, and finest practices?
Within the well being business, new analysis is consistently rising, offering new info and redefining finest practices. At AFPA, we perceive that offering our college students with outdated info is solely not an possibility, 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 specialists within the discipline. We’ve even been recognized to edit a stay 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 abilities college students achieve from AFPA applications?
Among the most precious abilities college students achieve from AFPA applications embody:
- Complete Data: Each single certainly one of our programs gives a wealth of data on the subject of examine. For college students actually looking for to realize experience in a particular space, AFPA is the last 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 educate, supporting our college students to see the larger image.
- Sensible Utility and Teaching Abilities: 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 educate the abilities, we additionally present ample apply alternatives to use them to actual world situations.
- Skilled Confidence and Profession Readiness: Our applications are designed to construct college students’ confidence of their talents, making ready them to excel on their chosen profession journey.
What makes the stay cohort expertise particular at AFPA?
The Superior Well being Teaching Intensive is the dynamic, stay part of our Licensed Grasp Well being and Wellness Coach program, and it’s AFPA’s solely stay course. In a single Zoom room, we unite individuals 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 need to empower others to turn out to be the very best model of themselves. There’s magic in bringing collectively adults of all ages, with their various backgrounds and wealthy life experiences, watching them be taught and develop collectively. It’s really transformative.
Be taught Find out how to Set Your self Aside as a Board-Licensed Well being Coach
Attending to Know Dr. Walsh Outdoors the Classroom
What are a couple of quirky or shocking issues about you that your college students won’t 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. Once I was in first grade, my instructor moved my seat for speaking so many instances, I ended up sitting subsequent to each single child in school.
I didn’t be taught to trip a motorcycle till I used to be an grownup, as a result of as a child I wished to focus all my power on rollerblading.
While you’re not engaged on curriculum, instructing, 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 dwelling with my household, the power I get from social connectedness fills my cup.
In the event you needed to sum up your philosophy on habits change in a single sentence, what would it not be?
In the event you change your well being, you alter 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 stay well being teaching session?
In the event you’re on the fence about becoming a member of the following stay course, remind your self that this is among the most effective and inexpensive methods to turn out to be a Nationwide Board Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach. As an NBHWC-Authorised program, AFPA provides a direct and supportive path to board certification with out pointless delays or bills.
In case your aim is to supply a significant service to others by way 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 achieve the abilities to assist individuals make actual, lasting adjustments of their lives—and be compensated for the worth you present. Well being and wellness teaching remains to be an rising discipline, which implies there’s room to develop, contribute, and set up your self in an rising occupation.
On the identical time, this isn’t nearly your purchasers—it’s a transformative expertise for you, too. By this coaching, you’ll deepen your individual self-awareness, develop important teaching abilities, and construct the boldness wanted to not solely move the board examination however to actually be an ideal coach.
If that sounds just like the sort of profession and private development you’ve been in search of, cease hesitating and enroll as we speak!
📆 The following AFPA stay well being teaching session begins quickly.
Be a part of a world group of aspiring coaches and be taught from among the discipline’s main educators.
