The Holistic & Functional Psychology Institute
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HFPI trains therapists in regenerative practice: an approach that draws from transdisciplinary wisdom to treat the whole person and create the conditions for genuine human flourishing, not just symptom relief. We integrate evidence, wisdom traditions, and whole-person science in service of what people actually need to thrive.
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If this resonates with you, you are who this program was built for.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Holistic Training for Therapists
A 30-hour hybrid virtual training designed exclusively for licensed mental health professionals
Who it's for: Therapists who already see the whole person and want a clear, evidence-grounded way to translate this into their practice
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What you walk away with: clarity, confidence, and a community of practitioners who see the world the way you do
Two tracks: Clinical integration pathway or coaching credential pathway
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Learning: Flexible self-paced learning on your own schedule, combined with live application sessions to practice skills 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
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Start date: September 2026
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Instructor: Licensed clinician, NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider, and Board Certified Coach with a decade of transdisciplinary training​​​
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A New Paradigm for Mental Health Practice has Arrived.
You became a therapist because you believed that humans could grow and thrive, not just survive. You wanted to help people understand why they're here, what their life means, how to care for themselves, and how to truly flourish.
But the framework you were given was built around what's wrong.
Diagnoses.
Symptom reduction.
Pathology.
It wasn't built around what makes people well.
And it's dimmed your light, your passion, and your sense of purpose in this field.
Yet you have always known what makes people well:
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People are highly capable and resilient when tapped into meaning and purpose
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The mind and body are not separate
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Sleep, movement, and nutrition shape mood and cognition as profoundly as any mental health intervention
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Spiritual connection, however a person defines it, is not peripheral to mental health but central to it
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Vocational alignment, relationship with the natural world, environmental wellbeing, and a sense of belonging are not luxuries but conditions for flourishing
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These aren't fringe ideas. They're among the most robust findings in the literature. And yet most clinical training leaves them out entirely, treating parts of the person but never the whole. The current siloed paradigm is ironically contributing to the very issues it attempts to treat.
Your ability to see the whole person is your strength.
It enables you to treat all of these dimensions rather than just the symptoms, addressing the root causes sustaining them.
When you do this, clients become more integrated.
More alive.
More themselves.
And so do you.
This is common sense to those of us who have 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.
HFPI was built to give structure and credibility to the way you already think, so you can work with greater clarity, confidence, impact, and fulfillment.
We offer a fundamentally different orientation to what it means to help someone be well: one that finally honors the whole person you've always known your clients to be.
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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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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Sleep disturbances don't just accompany mental health challenges. In many cases, they precede them by years.
Longitudinal research shows that frequent sleep difficulties predicted and preceded a four-fold increased risk of developing depression, even in those with no mental health symptoms. Sleep deprivation in otherwise healthy individuals produces symptoms indistinguishable from clinical anxiety and depression.
Addressing sleep is not a wellness add-on. It is a clinical imperative that most training programs leave entirely to chance.
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Loneliness carries a mortality risk comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.
That is the conclusion of researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad, whose work on social isolation has become one of the most cited findings in health psychology. Social connection is not a soft variable. It is a biological necessity with measurable effects on immune function, cardiovascular health, and mental wellbeing.
The implications for how we structure care and what we address in sessions are significant and largely unexplored in conventional clinical training.
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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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Where you live, how much you earn, and whether you feel safe shape your mental health more powerfully than many clinical interventions.
The social determinants of health research, well established in public health and largely absent from clinical training, shows that income, housing stability, education, neighborhood safety, and access to green space predict mental health outcomes. They are primary drivers of wellbeing that are usually left out.
A whole-person framework takes them seriously as central to the clinical picture, rather than treating them as context outside the scope of practice.
While it's rare to find clinical training programs that cover all of these topics, it's even rarer to find a program that pieces them all together into a cohesive psychology of the whole person.
This program is here to change that.
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 BECOMES POSSIBLE
Your practice, transformed.
Both Tracks: Holistic Practice
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Utilize a clear, evidence-grounded framework for understanding the whole person
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Confidently discuss sleep, nutrition, movement, purpose, and spirituality in a way that is appropriate, ethical, and within your scope
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Use structured assessment tools to identify key drivers of a client’s presentation within the first few sessions
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Hold the bigger picture of a client’s life while still making clear, focused clinical decisions about where to intervene
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Structure sessions with more direction, so you’re not just processing but working toward meaningful change
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Earn CE hours toward your license renewal (NBCC)
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Build community with other practitioners who think holistically like you do
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Cultivate a practice that feels more integrated, purposeful, and aligned with who you are
Coaching Track: Additional Outcomes
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Earn a professional coaching credential that allows you to ethically work with clients anywhere in the world, beyond the constraints of licensure
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Structure coaching sessions differently from therapy, with clear goals, boundaries, and expectations
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Practice on your own terms, without insurance, rigid documentation, or managed care
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Work with growth-oriented clients who are ready and excited to change
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Develop an additional income stream independent of therapy referral patterns and reimbursement rates
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Build the foundation to expand into packages, groups, retreats, and online programs using a cohesive framework​​​
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Ready to take the next step?
HOW THIS TRANSLATES INTO PRACTICE
Framework. Process. Application.
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Framework
A structured, whole-person framework for assessing client wellbeing that can be applied in both therapeutic and coaching settings. You’ll learn to organize complex client information into a clear, usable picture rather than holding disconnected pieces.
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Process
The material is applied to your own life first, then practiced in structured work with others. This allows you to internalize the framework, test it in real time, and build confidence before integrating it into your clinical or coaching work.
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Application
Shift from a symptom-focused lens to a more root-cause oriented understanding of your clients. This changes how you assess, structure sessions, and focus your attention, allowing your work to become more targeted, coherent, and impactful.
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
Is this program right for you?
This program is for you if...
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You have always sensed that the conventional clinical model leaves something essential out, and you’re ready to work differently
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You want to bring in sleep, nutrition, movement, purpose, and spirituality, but don't have a clear, evidence-grounded way to do so
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You feel most alive in your work when clients are growing, not just stabilizing
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You want your practice to feel more integrated, purposeful, and aligned with who you are
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You’re drawn to holistic and integrative approaches, but want them grounded in clinical rigor rather than vague wellness culture
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You’ve felt like a black sheep in the field and want to connect with others who think the way you do
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You want training that builds on your existing clinical foundation, not one that wastes your time reteaching what you already know
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You are innovative and entrepreneurial, interested in expanding your scope, income, and professional freedom beyond the constraints of the conventional therapy model
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You want to be at the leading edge of where the field is heading
This program is not for you if:
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You aren’t drawn to integrative or transdisciplinary thinking
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You are not a licensed mental health professional or working toward licensure
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You are fully satisfied with the conventional clinical model and not interested in expanding beyond it
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You are looking for a quick credential without deep engagement with the material
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You want a general life coaching certification without any clinical grounding
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You prefer approaches that avoid research and evidence in favor of purely intuitive or spiritual frameworks​​​
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You do not already have formal professional training in foundational helping skills
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You are not ready to invest time, energy, and attention into your professional development
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Who Our Programs Resonate With
There wasn't much out there... outside of full schooling programs. This seemed like the perfect blend of what I was looking for: a way to deepen my knowledge and skills in holistic wellness to better serve my clients.
- Brittany, Coppelli, LPC, HFPI clinical training participant
Emma is very passionate about holistic health and was excited to share her knowledge with the group. My fellow participants... were a lovely group of professionals.
- Jessica, LPC, HFPI clinical training participant
It was a true holistic experience; it focused on mind, body, and spiritual wellness both in theory and in practice. You're in the best hands with Emma.
- Danielle White, Psy.D, HFPI clinical training participant
The Curriculum
This program is delivered in a hybrid format combining asynchronous pre-work with live application sessions. Approximately 30 hours in total, it is designed for licensed clinicians and builds on your existing training rather than repeating it.
This program is delivered in a hybrid format combining asynchronous pre-work with live application sessions.
Approximately 30 hours in total, it is designed for licensed clinicians and builds on your existing training rather than repeating it.
NBCC Continuing Education Credit Details
The Holistic & Functional Psychology Institute has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7882. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The Holistic & Functional Psychology Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
ACEP #7882
MARKET CONTEXT
The field is shifting.
Are you positioned for it?
Clients are changing what they want from care. The data reflects that the field is in transition. There is a significant opportunity for therapists positioned at the intersection of clinical depth and whole-person practice.
$6.8 Trillion
The value of the global wellness economy in 2024, projected to reach $10 trillion by 2029
That's over 3 trillion in growth over just 5 years. Clients are already spending in this space.
Global Wellness Institute, 2025
60%
The growth in coaching industry revenue between 2019 and 2022 alone
Health and wellness coaching is among the fastest-growing niche within the coaching profession.
International Coaching Federation, 2025
12.4%
The annual growth rate of the mental wellness sector since 2019
This is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world. And it's accelerating.
Global Wellness Institute, 2025
2.62%
The projected annual growth rate of the traditional mental health market through 2034
The conventional model is not keeping pace with what clients want and need.
IMARC Group 2025
The clients who want whole-person, growth-oriented support are already spending money to get it... often with practitioners who have far less clinical training than you do.
The demand exists.
The question is whether you are positioned to serve it with the depth, rigor, and ethical clarity that your training uniquely equips you to offer.
WHAT YOU GET
Understanding the Investment
Most therapists are used to investing in their professional development in isolated pieces. A single high-quality continuing education training often costs $200 to $500 for just a few hours of content, without offering a cohesive framework or clear path to implementation.
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Comprehensive coaching certifications frequently range from $5,000 to $10,000 or more, and are rarely designed with licensed clinicians in mind. Many spend significant time reteaching foundational helping skills while overlooking the scope, ethics, and clinical considerations that are essential for therapists to practice confidently.
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Holistic and integrative health programs can be equally expensive, but often lack the clinical rigor needed for responsible application in therapeutic or coaching contexts.
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Many therapists find themselves trying to put the pieces together themselves, spending thousands of dollars across multiple programs, without ever finding a coherent, integrated map for working with the whole person in practice.
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This program was designed to bring those pieces together.
Without redundancy, and without reteaching what you already know as a clinician.
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HOLISTIC CLINICAL TRACK
$1,500
Founding cohort pricing · ~20 hours
CLINICAL + COACHING TRACK
Founding cohort pricing · ~30 hours
$2,000
Payment plans available through Klarna at checkout. Custom arrangements available upon request.
Ready to take the next step?
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.
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Like many clinicians, I began my career with a strong clinical foundation and a persistent sense that something essential was missing. The framework I was given was effective in some contexts, but it was built to treat parts of the person rather than the whole.
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That gap left me hungry for a psychology of the whole person. ​
I studied yoga in India, mindfulness in Thailand, and shamanic traditions in Ecuador. I spent nearly two years living and working in Northern Thailand, where I served as a therapist at a mindfulness center and watched people heal through a combination of relationships, nourishing food, purpose, movement, nature, and meaning in addition to clinical intervention.
This experience forever changed how I understand human growth and flourishing.
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When I returned to the United States, I refused to accept the fragmentation I saw in conventional mental health care. I pursued training across disciplines: functional medicine, nutrition, spiritual counseling, psychedelic-assisted therapy, Internal Family Systems, depth hypnosis, coaching, and whole health leadership.
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This transdisciplinary path helped me understand how the pieces fit together, so I could work with them responsibly within a clinical and coaching context.
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What I teach in this program is the culmination of that work: a framework built through direct experience, clinical application, and integration across disciplines.
Emma's Credentials & Training
Licensure & Certifications
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor - Illinois
Licensed Professional Counselor - Missouri
Approved Continuing Education Provider #7882
Board Certified Coach (BCC)
Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist (BCHN)
Graduate Education
Lindenwood University
M.A. in Professional Counseling - high honors
Southern California University of Health Sciences
Doctorate in Whole Health Leadership (in progress)
University of Western States
M.S. in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine (in progress)
Specialized Training
Psychiatry Redefined
Functional Psychiatry Fellow
Institute of Functional Medicine
AFMCP + Advanced Practice Modules
Nutritional Therapy Association
Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
International Association of Depth Hypnosis Practitioners
Depth Hypnosis Practitioner
Foundation of the Sacred Stream
Applied Shamanic Counselor, Spiritual Counselor, & Ordained Buddhist Minister
Internal Family Systems Institute
Internal Family Systems Levels 1, 2, and 3 trained
Integrative Psychiatry Institute
Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy; Certificate in Nutritional Psychiatry
It's Yoga International & Vinyasa Yoga School
Yoga Teacher Training (500 Hours Total)
What Colleagues Say About Emma
If you're looking for someone who will do ALL the trainings and read ALL the research... Emma is your person. You are in the best hands with her and it shows. She is phenomenal.
- Maria Miller, LPC
Emma is one of the most dedicated and innovative therapists I know. She is compassionate, holistic, and non-pathologizing in her approach. I feel 100% confident referring clients to Emma.
- Julie Wrocklage, LPC, NCC
In her back pocket, Emma carries a wealth of knowledge, training, and education. With Emma, your well-being will be elevated in the most empathetic, profound, and professional way.
- Raber Hamad, LPC
Emma is kind, curious, and committed to learning. She is constantly expanding her knowledge to better serve her clients and has so much wisdom to offer.
- Jessie Kissinger, LPC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this curriculum grounded in evidence and science?
Yes. The program integrates primary research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses across lifestyle medicine, behavioral health, and whole-person wellbeing. We also draw on the full model of evidence-based practice: research findings, clinician expertise, and client values and preferences.
Where wisdom traditions intersect with clinical realities and emerging science, they are included thoughtfully and with appropriate context. We do not overstate the evidence, and we do not ignore relevant findings simply because they fall outside the conventional clinical frame.
Can I legally and ethically talk about topics like nutrition & exercise?
Yes, with important caveats, which is why it is important to select a program tailored to your profession that is intentional about scope. This program teaches you how to these domains in a way that is ethical, within scope, and aligned with your licensure.
You will not be trained to diagnose or prescribe outside your scope, but to assess, educate, and support clients in ways that are appropriate to your role. Direct recommendations are restricted in some states, and our program is mindful to teach you how to work with these topics within the scope of a therapist and coach.
Will I actually be able to use this in my current practice?
Yes. The program is designed for direct application within your existing work. You will learn how to integrate the framework into real client sessions in a way that is practical, ethical, and aligned with your current setting. Many participants begin using elements of the approach immediately as they move through the program.
Is this program too advanced or too basic for me?
This program is designed for licensed clinicians with an existing clinical foundation. It does not reteach basic helping skills. It builds on what you already know and introduces a more integrated framework for applying it. Participants range from early-career therapists to experienced clinicians looking for a more cohesive and holistic approach.
Are all hours in the program CE-eligible hours?
This program offers a significant amount of CE hours wherever the curriculum aligns with NBCC content areas. Most of the program is CE eligible. Wherever content does not align with NBCC categories (such as modules specifically about coaching that are not applicable to therapy), CE credit will not be offered. CE credit will be clearly marked on the syllabus and schedule.
How is this different from other holistic or coaching programs?
Most coaching programs are not designed for licensed clinicians. They spend a significant amount of time teaching foundational helping skills, and many therapists find that they are being re-taught what they already know, without being taught the scope clarity, ethical framework, or clinical depth they need to practice confidently and responsibly.
Holistic wellness and integrative health programs, on the other hand, often lack the clinical rigor, ethical framework, and scope clarity that licensed professionals require. Many therapists find these programs compelling in concept but difficult to translate into responsible clinical or coaching practice. This program bridges that gap. It brings the depth and evidence base of clinical training together with the whole-person orientation that most graduate programs leave out entirely.
While a few coaching programs for therapists exist, to our knowledge, none have a holistic wellness focus. This program was specifically designed for licensed mental health professionals who want their existing clinical rigor honored and to fill in the small gaps needed to navigate scope clarity, while teaching them the holistic wellness skills they are most excited to learn.
I already have some holistic training. Will this be redundant?
Some content may feel familiar, particularly if you have a background in integrative medicine, health coaching, or lifestyle medicine. What most students find, however, is that the program offers something their previous training didn't: a coherent framework, scope clarity specific to licensed clinicians, and the practical tools to apply holistic principles within both therapy and coaching containers. If you're unsure whether this is right for you given your existing training, reach out, and we can help you decide.
What if I want to apply this work clinically but don't want to become a coach?
The Holistic Clinical Track was designed for exactly this. You'll receive the full core training, lifestyle medicine curriculum, assessment frameworks, and clinical application tools without the coaching-specific modules or credential pathway. This track is ideal for therapists who want to practice more holistically within their existing clinical work and earn CE hours toward their license renewal without branching into coaching.
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 the investment, and do you offer payment plans?
The Holistic Practice Track is $1500, and the Coaching Track is $2000. These are founding cohort prices and will increase in future cohorts. Payment plans are available through Klarna at checkout. If you need a custom payment arrangement, reach out directly and we'll do our best to work with you.
When are the live sessions?
Live sessions are scheduled on weekday evenings and/or weekends to accommodate working clinicians. Final scheduling is confirmed with each cohort based on participant time zones, with the goal of finding times that work for the majority of students. Session groups are capped at 12 students to ensure a small, connected, and high-touch experience.
What if I can't attend all of the live sessions?
This is a structured cohort program, and you'll get the most out of it by progressing with the group, attending live sessions, and completing work by the outlined due dates. That said, we understand that life happens. Recordings and make-up options will be available for motivated self-starters who miss sessions and communicate with us directly. We ask that you come in with the intention of full participation and communicate with us early if circumstances change.
What if I can't complete the program within the stated dates?
In cases of extenuating circumstances, we're willing to discuss individualized arrangements. Extensions are granted based on need for a defined period, and are not indefinite. The cohort structure exists to serve your learning and support you along the way, so that you reap the full benefits of this program.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
We want you to feel confident in your investment. Please review our policy before enrolling.
Full refunds are available within 3 days of enrollment, minus any payment processing fees incurred. After 3 days all sales are final.
If you determine before the first live session that the timing is not right, your investment is fully transferable to a future HFPI cohort, program, or retreat beginning within 12 months.
If you need to withdraw before completing 25% of the program, you are welcome to restart in a future cohort beginning within 12 months at no additional charge as long as the same program will be offered again within that time frame.
After 25% of the program is completed, students may not transfer to future cohorts, but they may finish the remaining coursework self-paced at a time that works for them within 12 months of the program start date.
Transfers and restart credits expire 12 months from the date of the original enrollment and cannot be extended.
Extenuating circumstances such as serious illness or family emergency are handled individually and with care. Please reach out directly if something unexpected arises.
What happens after I apply?
Applications are reviewed within 72 hours. If your application is a good fit, you'll receive a personal email from Emma with your enrollment link and a founding cohort discount code.
If you have questions before enrolling, you're welcome to book a brief fit conversation, reach out by email, or send a voice message via Voxer. Details will be included in your acceptance email.
If you decide the timing isn’t right for you, you'll be added to the interest list and notified when the next cohort opens.
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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