Functional Medicine

What Functional Medicine does

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) is a privately-held educational institution headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, that trains and certifies functional medicine health coaches. Founded by Dr. Sandra Scheinbaum (CEO), with Elyse Wagner as Co-Founder and Chief Wellness Officer, FMCA's flagship offering is an approximately 12-month Health Coach Certification Program designed and delivered in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). The program is fully approved by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and the UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA), with curriculum aligned to Harvard Institute of Coaching standards. As of the input data, FMCA reports 4,500+ graduates worldwide, and the certification targets career changers, licensed healthcare professionals, and wellness enthusiasts seeking board-eligible credentials (FMCHC and NBC-HWC pathway).

FMCA operates a product-led growth model delivered entirely online through the LearnWorlds learning management system, with no disclosed public pricing for tuition. Revenue mechanics include a $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit, monthly payment plans (often facilitated by third-party financiers such as Affirm), reinstatement fees ranging from $200-$600 for deferred students, and standalone specialty courses for continuing education (e.g., Basics of Positive Psychology, Lab and Biomarker Insights). Supporting ecosystem assets include the weekly Health Coach Talk podcast, a Find-A-Coach Directory, a Functional Medicine Job Board, alumni mentorship programs, and a Business-Building Track — collectively forming a multi-channel funnel from free educational content (blog, guides, sample courses) through discovery calls to enrollment. FMCA markets through organic channels (podcast, blog, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, email newsletter) and operates with a headcount of 11-50 employees serving students globally, including the United States and United Kingdom.

Name

Functional Medicine

Legal name

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, Inc.

Website

https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) is a private online education institution that trains and certifies health coaches in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine, serving career changers, healthcare professionals, and wellness enthusiasts globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Coach Certification & Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Life Sciences (EDAAAPAA)

Keywords

• Health coach certification
• Functional medicine training
• Wellness coaching education
• Health coaching program
• Behavior change coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Health Coach Certification Program Tuition: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees for the approximately 12-month Health Coach Certification Program. Students pay tuition with options for payment plans through third-party financiers like Affirm. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required at enrollment.
2. Specialty Courses: Additional standalone courses such as the Basics of Positive Psychology specialty course and lab/biomarker coaching module (Personalizing Health Coaching with Lab and Biomarker Insights) offered for continuing education credits.
3. Reinstatement Fees: Fees charged for deferment reinstatement, ranging from $200 (between enrollment and Module 2) to $600 (between Module 3 and Module 6).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) delivers a fully online, approximately 12-month Health Coach Certification Program developed in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and the UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA). Graduates earn the FMCHC credential and qualify for the NBC-HWC board certification, supported by an alumni ecosystem including a Find A Coach Directory and a Functional Medicine Job Board.

Product overview

Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) offers a comprehensive education and certification ecosystem for functional medicine health coaches. The core product is the Health Coach Certification Program developed in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and approved by NBHWC and UKIHCA. This is supported by specialty courses for continued education, the Health Coach Talk podcast for industry insights, the Find A Coach directory for graduate visibility, a Functional Medicine Job Board for employment, and an Alumni Program providing ongoing mentorship and career support. Additional resources include free guides and The Doctor's Guide to Health Coaching eBook.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Coach Certification Program An approximately 12-month online certification program training individuals to become Functional Medicine Certified Health Coaches (FMCHC). Covers functional medicine principles, positive psychology coaching, nutrition, mind-body medicine, and the psychology of eating, fully approved by NBHWC and UKIHCA.
• Specialty Courses Standalone continuing-education modules such as the Basics of Positive Psychology specialty course and the Personalizing Health Coaching with Lab and Biomarker Insights module, available for continuing education credits.
• Business-Building Track Optional add-on track within the Health Coach Certification Program focused on business development skills for coaches who plan to establish private coaching practices.
• Find A Coach Directory Searchable online directory of FMCA-trained and certified Functional Medicine Health Coaches that prospective clients and healthcare practitioners use to find coaches.
• Functional Medicine Job Board Job board where doctors and healthcare organizations post open positions specifically seeking FMCA-trained and certified health coaches.
• Alumni Program Post-graduation membership program offering career guidance, coaching and business mentorship, continuing education, thought leader webinars, networking opportunities, and a quarterly alumni newsletter.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41 million worldwide die of non-communicable chronic illness and could be helped by a coach

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMCA offers the only Health Coach Certification Program in collaboration with IFM. FMCA's program shares faculty members and much of the same course curriculum as IFM's training. As IFM's partner, FMCA is the first to receive cutting-edge information and education in emerging approaches. IFM incubates and propagates new research, tools, pilot projects, and partnerships responding to evolving trends in primary care.
• National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBHWC establishes professional standards for health and wellness coaching and approves training programs. FMCA's program is fully approved by NBHWC, meeting rigorous Program Approval Standards including course content delivery, practical coaching skills development and evaluation, and faculty qualifications. NBHWC's national certification enables FMCA graduates to pursue board certification (NBC-HWC).
• UK & International Health Coaching Association (UKIHCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMCA's Health Coach Certification Program is fully approved by UKIHCA, providing international recognition for graduates.
• Harvard Institute of CoachingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMCA's program is designed in keeping with the standards of excellence set forth by the Harvard Institute of Coaching.
• Health Coach AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Coach Alliance is listed as an approving organization for FMCA's program.
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASM is listed as an approving organization for FMCA's program.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dr. Sears Wellness Institute: Offers health coaching certifications (including pediatric and adult wellness coaching) endorsed by the Dr. Sears wellness brand. Targets a similar wellness enthusiast and career-changer audience with comparable price points and online delivery.
• Institute for Integrative Nutrition: The largest direct competitor in the health coaching certification market. IIN offers a Health Coach Training Program with comparable online delivery, a large graduate community, and curriculum spanning nutrition, coaching, and behavior change, targeting the same career-changer and wellness enthusiast segments as FMCA.
• Precision Nutrition: Premium nutrition and health coaching certification with a comparable business model (online cohort-based training, ongoing alumni ecosystem, specialty continuing education). Precision Nutrition targets overlapping segments including personal trainers, nutritionists, and career-changers entering coaching.
• Wellcoaches: One of the oldest established health and wellness coaching certification schools, founded in partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine. Wellcoaches competes head-to-head with FMCA for healthcare professionals and career-changers, and its school is similarly approved by NBHWC.
• Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Professional Training: Duke University's health coaching certification program is NBHWC-approved and carries strong academic institutional branding. Comparable in curriculum depth and target customer (healthcare professionals and serious career-changers), competing directly with FMCA's IFM-affiliated credential.

Broad incumbents

• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): A large, established fitness and wellness certification body that has expanded into wellness coaching (NASM Certified Wellness Coach). NASM brings substantial brand recognition, broader scope (fitness, nutrition, coaching), and B2B training infrastructure that a focused niche player like FMCA cannot match.
• Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach Training: Mayo Clinic's health and wellness coaching training program leverages the Mayo Clinic brand and is NBHWC-approved. As a flagship academic medical center, it competes for the healthcare-professional segment with substantial institutional credibility, though at higher price points and a more traditional cohort format.

Emerging players

• American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA): AFPA offers multiple wellness and health coaching certifications at lower price points with online delivery. It targets the same career-changer entry segment as FMCA but lacks FMCA's exclusive functional medicine affiliation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fxmedcoach
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/FunctionalMedicineCoachingAcademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/FunctionalMedCoach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/functional-medicine-coaching-academy-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/functionalmedcoach

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Functional Medicine