The Holistic & Functional Psychology Institute
Enrollment is open for the Holistic Psychology & Coach Training Program until September 10th. Learn more here
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Holistic Training for Therapists
A 30-hour hybrid virtual training designed exclusively for licensed mental health professionals
Two pathways: Clinical track and coaching credential track
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Learning: Flexible self-paced learning on your own schedule, combined with live sessions to deepen the material and connect with your cohort
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Class size: Live groups are capped at 12, ensuring real feedback, meaningful connection, and direct access to the instructor
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Curriculum: Encompasses lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, whole-person assessment, and holistic practice
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CE hours: NBCC-approved continuing education hours are included
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Commitment: Approximately 2-3 hours per week over 3 months + one intensive weekend
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Founding Cohort Schedule: Program begins Thursday, September 17, 2026. Live sessions meet on select Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM Central. The program concludes December 3, 2026.​
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Enrollment Deadline: Thursday, September 10th, 2026, 8:00 pm CT
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This program is for those who never thought in silos, who naturally see the interconnections the conventional model misses.
Clients increasingly want exactly what you feel most called to offer. We are here to help you serve them.
THE EVIDENCE BASE
The Science of Whole-Person Mental Health & Wellbeing
This program fills in gaps commonly missed in clinical training programs.
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Exercise can be as effective as antidepressants for depression. Yet most therapists are never trained to address it.
A landmark randomized controlled trial found that exercise performed comparably to antidepressants in treating major depressive disorder. This finding is not fringe. It has been replicated across multiple studies. And yet, the majority of clinical training programs never address movement as a therapeutic intervention, leaving therapists without the framework or confidence to integrate it into their work.
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2
What you eat shapes how you feel, yet nutrition is rarely addressed in mental health training.
The SMILES trial found that dietary intervention produced significant improvements in depression symptoms compared to a social support control. The Nurses’ Health Study II found that those who ate the most processed food were 50% more likely to develop depression.
There is a robust body of evidence linking diet quality, gut microbiome health, and mental health outcomes through the gut-brain axis. This is almost never addressed in therapy training programs.
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3
Having a sense of purpose is measurably protective for mental and physical wellbeing.
Research consistently links purpose in life to reduced rates of depression and anxiety, improved immune function, lower mortality risk, and greater resilience. Researchers like Michael Steger have built a substantial empirical base around meaning and wellbeing.
Yet purpose, vocation, and meaning are rarely taught as clinical competencies, leaving therapists without tools for one of the most powerful domains of human flourishing.
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Boreham & Schutte, 2023; Sutin et al., 2023; Kim et al., 2022
TWO TRACKS. ONE CORE CURRICULUM.
Choose your professional direction.
Both tracks share the same foundational curriculum. The difference is in scope and where you want to take your practice.
Holistic Clinical Track: ~20 hours
For therapists who want to deepen their clinical work using a whole-person framework, lifestyle medicine, and structured assessment tools, while earning CE hours toward license renewal. This track integrates holistic practice within your existing clinical work, without a coaching credential pathway.
Holistic Coaching Track: ~30 hours
Includes everything in the Holistic Practice Track, plus the coaching competencies, session structure, and credential pathway needed to work as a holistic coach with clients anywhere in the world, outside the constraints of licensure and insurance.
Not sure which track is right for you? Reach out and we'll help you decide.
What Participants Are Experiencing
Although my education in natural medicine was very thorough, I was looking for a practicum experience to help integrate the information. I am leaving confident and feel equipped with the experience I needed to support my clients.
- Roxanne, DNM, LCDC, HFPI clinical training participant
I feel more confident incorporating holistic wellness practices into my clinical work and providing the research and rationale behind these practices.
- Brittany Coppelli, LPC, HFPI clinical training participant
Emma’s training was wonderfully illuminating, combining science-backed research and direct clinical applications. Her expertise and communication skills deliver on a vital topic for all of us, applicable in both our professional and personal lives.
- Michael Salinas, LPC, HFPI clinical training participant
Enroll in the Founding Cohort
Choose your track below, and enroll directly. The program is discounted by $500 for the founding cohort only. Pricing will increase after September.
You'll receive a confirmation email immediately. You will also receive a short intake form within 24 hours to complete before the program begins. ​​
Payment plans include a $100 setup fee. All payments complete at least one month before the program ends.
Enrollment closes 9/10/26 at 8:00 pm CT
About Your Instructor
Emma Donovan, LCPC
Board Certified Coach, Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Approved Continuing Education Provider #7882
I created the program I wish I had access to as a young therapist, built through direct clinical experience and training across functional medicine, nutrition, spiritual counseling, and Internal Family Systems.
Licensure & Certifications
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Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor – Illinois
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Licensed Professional Counselor – Missouri A
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pproved Continuing Education Provider #7882
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Board Certified Coach (BCC)
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Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist (BCHN)
Graduate Education
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Lindenwood University — M.A. in Professional Counseling, high honors
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University of Western States — M.S. in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine
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Southern California University of Health Sciences — Doctorate in Whole Health Leadership (in progress)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the investment, and do you offer payment plans?
The Holistic Clinical Track is $1,500, and the Coaching Track is $2,000. These are founding cohort prices and will increase in future cohorts. Payment plans are available for a small $100 setup fee. The exact payment frequency may vary depending on signup date. All payments will be completed at least 1 month in advance of the program end date.
Will this program count toward my continuing education requirements?
HFPI is an NBCC-approved continuing education provider, ACEP #7882, and many hours in this program are NBCC-eligible for continuing education credit. Please check with your state licensing board regarding their CE acceptance policies.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
Full refunds are available within 3 days of enrollment, minus any payment processing fees incurred, provided no course materials have been accessed. After 3 days all sales are final. If you determine before the first day of the program that the timing is not right, your investment is fully transferable to a future HFPI cohort, program, or retreat beginning within 12 months, minus a $100 administrative fee.
Want to see the full module-by-module curriculum guide? View it here.
The mental health field is at an inflection point.
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The reductionistic framework, built around pathology, symptom reduction, and siloed disciplines is straining under the weight of complexity it wasn’t designed to hold. Rates of mental health challenges continue to rise despite decades of refinement within the conventional model.
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Something more is needed.
The practitioners who will lead the next chapter of this field are not the ones who stayed within the lines. They are the ones who read across disciplines, ask nuanced questions, and refuse to reduce the person sitting across from them to a diagnosis.
That's you.
The world needs the kind of practitioner you are becoming.
Because your clients, the ones who are ready to do more than cope, who want to understand why they're here and how to truly thrive, are already looking for this kind of care.
HFPI was built for this moment.
And this program was built for you.
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Enrollment closes 9/10/26. ​
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The founding cohort begins September 17th, 2026. Founding cohort students receive priority enrollment, direct access to Emma during the program, and the opportunity to shape the program's evolution as it grows.
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