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Meet a Few of Our Graduates

Meet some of our graduates and discover the ways they are using Whole Health Education training to enhance their personal lives and careers.

Jacqui Bryan

Jacqui Bryan, BA, RN, MS, CHC, WHE, FNLP
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I had been in successful private practice for over five years when I learned about NIWH. I was looking to broaden my knowledge base and be able offer exciting new information to my clients. I made the decision to enroll in the NIWH Whole Health Educator program because I felt this may be the missing piece that many of my clients were searching for. So often people think that their health issues are related to just ONE thing, when in fact it is more likely a perfect storm of issues. Poor quality diet, lack of sleep, uncontrolled stress and inactivity are some of the many culprits that impact health. NIWH’s 5 Aspects of Whole Health™; the physical, emotional, nutritional, environmental, and spiritual, addressed many of these issues and they made sense to me. “Everything IS connected”. This was information I felt compelled to share with the clients I serve. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: YES! Whole Health training met not only my professional goals, but my personal curiosity. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and it was not until after I completed this program that I was able to connect the dots as to “how this diagnosis could happen to me”. My NIWH experience is ingrained deeply into my current practice at www.JacquiBryan.com. It is my opinion that a practice that encompasses the 5 Aspects of Whole Health™, “leaves no stone” unturned. These practitioners have a clear picture of what their client’s world is like. Armed with this valuable information Whole Health Educators can adapt their programs to be a good fit for their clients’ lives. This feels good for the client and the practitioner. A win-win. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I use the 5 Aspects of Whole Health with one-on-one clients and in group settings. It is a part of my daily professional and personal life. It feels great! Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: Yes, without hesitation!

Bill-Croft

Dr. Bill Croft, Ed.D., Ph.D., RRT, RCP, FAAIM
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: My story is rather long. In the 1960s, I was considered a slow learner, and I had a physical disability which was eventually corrected after years of physical therapy and orthopedic interventions. It turned out that I could not hear well due to ear trauma suffered at birth. I walked with a limp and could not hear very well so I must be slow as they called it back then. Also, I suffered from severe allergies, thus completing the picture of someone with a disability. At times, my peers treated me harshly as you could imagine. Labeling people can hurt them for a lifetime or propel them to do greater things in life. I was determined to find a pathway to better health as a young child, so I consider my journey to the NIWH beginning when I was about 12. Fortunately for me, I had great parents and siblings. My big sisters would always protect me, and my mother refused to believe I was a “slow learner.” Mom also pointed out to the doctors that something was wrong with my right leg. After all of my childhood issues, I learned to never give up despite the whispering behind my back when relatives would ask how I was doing. Dad would always smile and say he is okay. He refused to believe anything could hold me back as long as I worked hard. There is always a pathway to success. With that said, there were lingering issues relearning words and sounds which created other challenges. Great teachers helped me overcome these issues along with my family. At the heart of overcoming any problems in life is learning from those life lessons rather than shrinking from them. These challenges led me down a path towards healthcare as a career and powerlifting as a sport. I saw firsthand how the health care system treated people in those days especially young children. It was a different time, especially in military hospitals. When I decided to enter respiratory school in the mid-eighties, I had already attempted some jobs like many adult students. I had no sense of purpose. Nothing seemed as promising as respiratory therapy as a way to a purposeful life. Of course, I had no idea what would follow. I loved my didactic and clinical experiences so much that I knew teaching or management is where I would land. Of course, this would not occur without experience. After graduation, I determined that I needed a variety of experiences in ICU to teach, so I embarked on working in various settings. It was not until I obtained a job in the NICU that I found my clear path. There was nothing about the role that I did not love. I worked with great professionals in nursing and respiratory care. They taught me what teamwork was all about. They were the best. The NICU manager required that we take the Perinatal and Pediatric Specialty Exam which was just released that year by the NBRC. Of course, it is now the neonatal and pediatric specialist (NPS) credential. While this was one of many steps towards teaching, I would soon discover that it was the one thing that made a huge difference in my skills clinically and professionally. The following year, I was offered a clinical education position at a hospital based on my experience and credentials working with students and staff. My primary job was to ensure the students had positive clinical experiences, so I developed a comprehensive clinical rotation program to maximize the facility resources for students. I have been in the field for over 34 years and am a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 33 years. Those early experiences in the ICU and NICU led to my dream job of becoming a Professor, Program Director, and Department Chair at Sandhills Community College which was my alma mater. I relied heavily on the experiences in the NICU in my teaching with the neonatal and pediatric courses as my favorite subjects to teach. Along the way, I completed my BS Applied Science and Technology, M.Ed. in Educational Technology, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in counseling and psychology at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. However, when I became a Certified Whole Health Educator (WHE) through the National Institute of Whole Health. It all clicked for me. I could see clearly how everything was connected to everything else. Throughout my career, I was driven by my early childhood experiences. My inherited and congenital “physical issues” propelled me to never give into the status quo. I always found time to stay active in powerlifting, which I began in 1978. Since 2000, I have competed and won my division and weight class at AAU World and International Powerlifting Championships while setting over 100 state, world and American records. In 2016, I was inducted into the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame. This year marks 44-years in the sport and 33-years in my profession. While these seem like mutually exclusive experiences, the success in powerlifting convinced me that I could also overcome any of my learning deficiencies by first conceiving success, then achieving it. The NIWH program breathed new life into my career but also helped me better understand the mind, body and spirit well beyond what I learned in college. The tenets of the program are embedded in everything I do in healthcare and personal care. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Without question, the program exceeded my expectations. After graduation from the NIWH and obtaining my Certified Whole Health Educator designation in 2009, I was allowed to serve as an advisor for the NIWH programs. In addition to this role, I was still employed full-time as a college professor in respiratory care. For more than twenty years, I taught courses in cardiopulmonary pathophysiology, pharmacology, critical care, and community health classes. In 2009, I rewrote the entire curriculum around the whole person concepts. All community classes were revised to emphasize the five aspects. It had a significant impact on my students. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: During my tenure at Sandhills Community College, I chaired the Health and Wellness Committee and co-chaired the Diversity Committee, both of which sponsored a variety of innovative wellness and culturally based programs designed to enrich the health and culture of the campus community based on the NIWH concepts. The diversity and wellness programs emphasized campus and community awareness using health screenings and various holistic health engagement activities focused on underserved demographics’ needs. Under the supervision of licensed and credentialed faculty members, the burgeoning talents of the nursing, health science, massage therapy, culinary, and health and fitness science students were used to deliver these services in partnership with the First Health of the Carolinas. The program cultured self-care skills aimed at enhancing academic success and life-long well-being. In addition, the NIWH concepts were introduced to our professional group at the national level when I participated in the American Association for Respiratory Care 2015 and Beyond Conference representing the state of North Carolina. The whole health model was incorporated into the expected competencies for respiratory thereapists beyond 2015. As a member of the International Committee, I taught as a guest lecturer at the University of Vlorë-“Ismail Qemali,” located in Vlorë, from 2007 to 2012. I served as a guest lecturer for the nursing programs and the local hospital where I brought the NIWH five aspect concepts to the people of this region. Also, I served on the University Scientific Committee from 2009 to 2015, reviewing graduate-level scientific papers. During this period, along with other members of the SCC International Committee, I also hosted, guided, and exchanged cultural experiences with the faculty and staff from the University of Vlorë during their time in the United States. As a result of these relationships, I was asked to present a whole health approach to asthma management for the inaugural International Conference in Respiratory Public Health in Vlore, Albania. At the local community level, I served on the First Health Regional Services Board as a vice-chair and Health Service Committee Chair, responsible for oversight of all ancillary and outpatient services owned and operated by First Health of the Carolinas. As the representative for Sandhills Community College, my tenure ushered in a more substantial commitment toward campus health needs, such as facilitating the mobile health van and the farm-to-table project with the Moore County Farmers Market which was an extension of the competencies earned while enrolled with the NIWH. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: My sojourn towards better health led me to research programs extensively. I considered many programs, but this program resonated with me immediately. I could not provide a higher recommendation to anyone wanting to improve their professional and/or personal life.

Eileen-Foti

Eileen Foti, BSN, RN, OCN
WHE 2021

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: As a child, I always have felt a ‘connection’ of sorts, to my spiritual side. Oddly enough, I ate my veggies before I would touch my meat and spent many a night at the dinner table, refusing to eat the meat. The VA was beginning to implement a Whole Health program and it just felt wrong to me. It felt divided by service rather than ‘whole’ for the veteran. I received an email asking for ideas on how to use up some extra funding the VA received. I googled Whole Health Education and stumbled across NIWH.org. I knew right away it was going to be a good fit. I asked for the funding and received it. How excited was I? From the moment I spoke with Georgianna Donadio, I felt a true connection; I knew I had a friend for life, right there, over the phone! It wasn’t all peaches and cream. I got frustrated and disheartened. My nursing background taught that I was to advise, instruct, and counsel my patients on the ‘how to” of healing, etc. It wasn’t until my 11th class at NIWH that the lightbulb went on; think System’s Redesign! It all came together like a purse string and what a moment for me. From the beginning, even though I was not consciously aware, I became intuitively aware of my stress levels and how my body felt under stress. I began to notice how my ‘energies’ felt to me and what I was projecting to others. I finally understood what whole health actually IS! Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Absolutely. I enrolled in this program more for myself than for my professional goals but I am finding it extremely useful in my career. I now work for the National TeleOncology Program. I take every opportunity to educate my veterans on the many aspects of health and well-being. I share my knowledge with anyone who will listen; some ‘get it’, other’s don’t and that’s okay. The best part of it all is that everything is backed by scientific evidence, you just have to look for it; or better yet, practice it on yourself and see the difference! Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I apply my training in my everyday life and in my professional life. I have friends that are always asking me ‘how do you stay so happy?’; I don’t think that I am always happy. My favorite quote by Wayne Dyer “change the way you see things and the things you see will change” says it all for me. Another I like is from Robert C. Gallagher, former director of the Green Bay Packers. He said “ change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.” I teach my veterans about the 5 elements of whole health, most are fascinated, especially my older vets. Grandma’s remedies did have merit, think about it. Keeping a sense of humor has allowed me to practice in Oncology for over 24 years now. I love that I can share my NIWH knowledge with people who are experiencing all kinds of stressors due to diagnoses, treatments, multiple appointments, etc. If I can impart just a moment of peace onto someone’s life, it feels so good; for me and for them. Q: My personal Health Experience through NIWH A: “I am BEYOND thrilled. I even have physical proof [of how Whole Health works]! For 15 years I was neutropenic and none of my hematologists knew why. My WBC never rose above a 2 and my neutrophils were always

Veronika

Veronika Sumbera, DMD
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: Their unique 360° vision. I come from a family of “wholistic parents” and both my parents were physicians. My mother is a gynecologist and my father a pediatrician. Since early age, I remember asking my mom why she was explaining certain things to her patients and I would ask the same to my father. I grew up in Mexico where I was blessed to be able to even assist with some visits my parents did. They would explain to me why the patient was in a certain state. I remember that my parents would spend so much time talking and listening to their patients. I grew up thinking that doctors explain and teach their patients how to prevent being in the same situation again. I become a DMD (doctor of medical dentistry) and moved to Europe and worked with this holistic mindset. Then, I moved to California and literally I was in disbelief to see how doctors work there. I would spend more time filling papers and doing nonsense stuff, then see the patient, ask a couple of questions, then give a prescription, then be done. I couldn’t get licensed as a dentist in California, so I became a volunteer in a Surgery Center helping underserved kids. I was shocked to see no one would talk about why they ended there. The situations were all 100% preventable, so I started doing a research of how I could help, then shortly after a professor from Italy told me he found something I will love while in USA. It was an article about Health Coaching. I started the research and after doing a deep, long research was surprised that in many schools when asked what the requirements were, the answer was: we need your name, address and your credit card, and we will email you all the courses… I knew those schools weren’t for me. There are plenty of schools that offer Health Coach training but no one sounded truly professional for me. Then I came across NIWH, and was very attracted to their curricula then after the interview with Dr. Georgianna Donadio, I knew this school was the one! Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: It went beyond what I could imagine. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: Since my graduation, I apply it every day in my own life. In California I used to be a key speaker for a Program called Health of America’s at Berkeley University where I introduced it, and in my Coaching practice in California my clients were very satisfied. For me, it was amazing to see people gaining knowledge and understanding about their situation in such a positive way, then get in the driver’s seat on their journey to wellness. Right now, I am in a transition back to Europe where I will share this amazing program hopefully very soon. Q: Has the Whole Health Education training impacted your health? A: Yes! It give you literally the whole picture of the pieces of your life, giving you the awareness and the opportunity to make conscious choices. Once you learn the “Whole Picture of Health™” you know if you are in the direction of wellness or not. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: Absolutely YES! I will highly recommend this program to anyone including to every physician, and to anyone that treasures their quality of life as well as the wellbeing of the planet. The investment in this program is priceless for what it could bring not only in their personal life, but also in our world. Once you understand that everything is connected to everything else you will be inspired to spread wellbeing and peace in the world. If you are searching for the right school, you have arrived! Dr. Georgianna Donadio put together an amazing and unique program that you will be thankful for – for life! Thinking on her enthusiasm and her unique way to teach brings me a smile and a deep sense of gratitude.

Danielle-Henderson

Danielle Henderson, MPH, BA, CWHE & WC, CHES
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: “After completing the Whole Health Educator classes, I qualified for my National Provider Number (NPI) and began my own practice in health promotion and disease prevention. The NPI has been a great help as I am able to provide my clients with coded statements for my services. They are able to submit this to their insurances or flexible spending accounts as health education expenses, if these services are covered under their plans. If not, the statements can be used as medical expenses on their annual Income Tax returns. The NPI number brings increased credibility among colleagues for additional referrals from clinics and hospital facilities, as well as allows the patient to use insurance or flexible spending accounts to pay for all or part of costs. The Health Educator Certificate program allows nurses to enhance and richen their practices and bring care to the best place possible, whole person healthcare, with the patient being the center and driver of choice.” Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: “All of my clients have been successful with a combination of Whole Health Education, personalized coaching, and with nursing critical thinking and care planning skills. One client has seen an eighty (80) pound weight loss and is now running marathons on a regular basis. He is happier, more active, and feels the journey was easy with the right understanding of how one element can affect everything around him and within him.” Q: Are you pleased you are able to serve others through Whole Health? “Another young man came to me with extreme hypertension. Medical physicians in his area would not see him until over $900 in lab work could be drawn. He was desperate, knowing that his health was at risk but his income could not support such high lab costs. Looking at the whole picture of his environment, nutrition, spiritual, emotional, and physical health he has been able to find and acknowledge behavioral issues and change them for the better. Today his blood pressures are running in the “perfect” range. He has given up most of his fast foods and soda intake and began a personal exercise program.”

JoseMondejar

Jose Ray Mondejar, MD
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: “My love for medicine encourages me to focus on the prevention of diseases, not just based on the usual method of treatment; but, by means of understanding the body as a whole; interconnecting the tangible and intangible within us. Q: Did the Whole Health enhance your previous trainings? A: Since graduating medical school in Cebu as Doctor of Medicine in the Republic of Philippines, I have been in search of holistic medicine and have completed numerous courses. Studies Homeopathy at Hudson Valley School of Classical Homeopathy Gardiner in New York, American College of Integrative Medicine and Dentistry in New York; a fellow of Anti-Aging and Functional Medicine of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine at Herbert Benson Institute at Harvard Medical School. I have also graduated at the British Academy for Bioregulatory Medicine in London, with honors, and am a fellow of the British Society for Bioregulatory Medicine. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: NIWH has made a tremendous impact on me and has influenced my general outlook on life. I love this program!” Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A. I would sincerely recommend this program because the learning experience is so exponential and exciting.

lynn-jonen

Lynn Jonen, PhD
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I was drawn to Whole Health Education after working in Behavioral Medicine as a licensed clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist for several years. I was providing neuropsychological testing to older adults and education to their families. I wanted to be able to offer more information about the integration of nutrition, environmental factors, and spiritual life into the emotional and physical aspects to form a larger picture of health. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Yes. The Whole Health Education program at NIWH appealed to me because it focused on empirically validated studies and science to integrate and connect all aspects of whole person health. Having the ability to present scientific information to others to support their decision-making and give a more complete picture of their and their loved ones’ health made my work more meaningful. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: The focus on education rather than making recommendations allows more empowerment for others and makes it more likely that others will make more sustainable lifestyle changes when they are empowered with health information. Even more important to me was training in the relationship aspect of health care. Healing is relational, regardless of the specific intervention, whether it is growing and healing in personal relationships or facilitating others’ healing through clinical work. Now, more than 10 years since completing the program, I can say with certainty that this way of being with others is fully integrated into my presence in the world, and I feel most fortunate to have the opportunity to work with current students as an Academic Adviser for NIWH! Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: I recommend the NIWH Whole Health training without reservation! In addition to providing great breadth and depth of solid scientific information, it supports more authentic connection with self and others, which is much needed in health care.

Ladsine-taylor

Ladsine Taylor, MSN, RN, GNP-BC, CDP, BCPA
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I have always had an interest in health promotion, wellness and education. Having been a social worker for several years prior to my current career in nursing, I felt something was missing in the care for my patients. Not only in my direct nursing role but also in my current position as an advanced practice provider. I wanted to broaden my knowledge base; I wanted a new view on things rather than always focusing on disease and treatment. As I was searching for doctoral studies program, I discovered the National Institute of Whole Health. I read about NIWH philosophy of treating the person from a whole person view which aligned with my goals and values and philosophy of health and well-being. It was the connecting piece for me that allowed me to integrate all my education and experiences to enhance my care for the patients I served and my community involvement. I called NIWH and set up a time for an interview, met its qualifications and enrolled in the program. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Yes. It has given me a better understanding of disease, behaviors, interventions and how everything is interdependent and interconnected to each other! I love education and being able to have the special skill to provide demystified health information via Behavioral Engagement with Pure Essence ™ which was an additional bonus! I would not have received this in any traditional school setting. The training is scientific, and evidence based. Q: How are you currently applying for your training from NIWH? A: I have applied this training to my personal life and have made lifestyle changes to better my health. Also, I have applied my training from NIWH from the lens of the 5 Aspects of Whole Health®. When I see and evaluate patients daily and focus on education that empower my patients to facilitate changes they desire to make. Then, coach them following up on their progress and advocate by providing them additional resources or information needed. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: Definitely! This should be incorporated into all Nursing, Medical, Allied Health programs!

Yasmine-Lajimi

Yasmine Lajimi, BA, CHES, BCS, CHW
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: What drew me to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health is the profound impact I have witnessed when individuals are valued and seen fully Whole Health approach recognizes the critical role of all elements of a person—physical, emotional, nutritional, environmental, and spiritual—in shaping their behaviors, experiences, and perspectives on life. These aspects are deeply intertwined, making it impossible to address one without considering the others. Understanding this interconnectedness is essential for appreciating how each element influences a person’s health and well-being. While the web of these elements may seem complicated, there is a simple truth at its core: approaching a person with a holistic view is the only way to fully engage their potential for healing. By acknowledging and integrating these diverse facets, we can offer care that truly honors the complexity and uniqueness of each individual. This comprehensive and compassionate approach is what makes the Whole Health field, and the work of the National Institute of Whole Health, so transformative and compelling. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Yes, it fully met my professional goals which were to become a source of knowledge and inspiration for patients, allowing them to access care that centers them and their needs. As a Certified Health Educator Specialist, (CHES) I see the NIWH Whole Health Program as a beacon for what is possible in the patient care setting. It breaks apart the rigidity of traditional models of health education and engages learners in a dynamic and enchanting, yet still pragmatic, path towards deeply understanding the how and why of their health concerns and how to hold space for them and support their healing journey. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I am currently using the framework and knowledge of Pure Presence and Behavioral Engagement to be a supportive ally for my patients. I work to empower individuals and communities, fostering health knowledge and self-sufficiency. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: I would always recommend Whole Health training to others for expanding their awareness of the physiology of the human body and of the ways that engaging with people out of pure respect and full presence can profoundly change outcomes in people’s lives.

Calandra-Eddington

Calandra Eddington BSN, RN
Whole Health Educator Graduate, Whole Health Patient Educator, Wellness Inventory Coach

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I was drawn to the Whole Health field as a way to find the purpose in my passions- psychology, fitness, and nutrition. I spent many years as a long-distance swimmer, runner, triathlete, and group fitness trainer, while also doing some graduate work in exercise physiology and nutrition before being drawn into my family business. My degree was in psychology, and I’ve always been drawn to helping others and the psychographics of human behavior. The program provided the perfect alchemy to combine and practice all my lifelong passions. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Yes, the Whole Health training prepared me extensively for working as a patient educator, wellness educator/ coach, and in directing the wellness education and content management in my current position. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I am currently employed by a national wellness technology company. I began as a corporate wellness coach and quickly rose to wellness content creator, writing for their blog and creating podcast material. I now manage the wellness content direction for the company, handle the marketing, and still work as an onsite wellness coach and account liaison. We address the unique needs of the transportation industry, specifically, truck drivers. Truck drivers suffer so many chronic health conditions due to their very sedentary lifestyle, lack of healthy food at truck stops, extreme stress, and sleep deprivation. They are twice as likely to be obese compared to other populations and they suffer twice the rate of diabetes, a 30% higher incidence of hypertension, and their average lifespan is just 64 years. Our platform addresses fitness, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and well-being. We focus on wellness education through our content which includes, videos, blogs, podcasts, and handouts and the platform also uses an app-based engagement tool that allows the drivers to compete in health challenges where they earn points for healthy behaviors and compete with fellow employees. I work to connect the dots with the Whole Health approach so that they understand how their lifestyle habits are connected to their wellness and this really helps them to make small changes to improve their health. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: I would highly recommend Whole Health training! It is a wonderful and enlightening program for anyone who works with others in helping them manage and better understand their health conditions. The materials are excellent, and the program helps participants not only see the “Big Picture of Health”, but also deftly teaches how to best put the knowledge into action and help people change their lifestyle and health behaviors in positive ways.

jillbates

Jill Bates, MS, PharmD BCOP - Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist, FASHP
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I became a pharmacist to help people—to work with people, and, my favorite thing about my role is getting to know people’s stories. As time went on I found this more and more challenging to experience. Further, as an oncology pharmacist for the Veterans Administration, confronting mortality was commonplace. I was drawn to whole health as a means of renewing my mission to help people and beyond just the physical. The body and spirit are inextricably connected, so, it doesn’t make sense that healing could take place by focusing on simply the physical. Whole health is relational and utilizes a holistic approach to healing that centers on the person. I find this thought process to be a refreshing approach to healthcare. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Yes, I wanted to understand how to approach care more holistically and what I got was a renewed sense of mission in my role as a pharmacist. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: In my current role, I am a precision medicine pharmacist working with providers. However, as a Whole Health Educator™, I get to help people and learn their stories. I am applying the training working one on one with people who are interested in lifestyle change. The eventual application in my role fits nicely with de-prescribing. Currently, 84% of doctor visits result in some sort of prescription. What would it look like if you could visit with your pharmacist who could provide comprehensive medication management that included Whole Health Education™ to facilitate lifestyle change? I think that would be a very valuable service to offer and one that could allow medications to be stopped as healthy behaviors developed. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: Yes, I think that all healthcare professionals should be familiar with the whole health approach as it has much potential to positively impact the quadruple aim of healthcare.

Dr.-Beverly-Wedda

Beverly Wedda, MD
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: “My experience of the Whole Health Education program is, “why don’t medical schools incorporate this [whole health, integrated model] into their curriculum?” Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: “I now truly understand how everything is connected to everything else!” Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: As a board certified family physician in Durham, North Carolina, affiliated with Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Co-Chair of their Whole Heath effort – “I’m committed to whole person health care, [and worked to establish a holistic health center in Massachusetts that offered holistically oriented services, support and resources]. I am a primary care physician, practicing Family Medicine and believe in the Whole Health Education® philosophy and a whole person approach to medicine.” Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: “Every medical professional should be required to take this program!”

Fern-Wargotz

Fern Wargotz, BSN, HNB – BC, WHE
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: “I had been searching all my Nursing life for a program like this. A program that was in alignment with my values and my Philosophical approach in caring with and for others. NIWH is the only Nationally Accredited program that offered the Credential in Whole Health Education. I am grateful that I have been able to realize a goal that I had envisioned 10 years ago. The program encourages the learner to begin to understand what Whole Health really means and how to be able to translate it in a meaningful way to our clients and, in turn, the world. As an additional benefit, the program facilitates opportunities in Emotional, Physical, Nutritional, Spiritual growth in its students. This program set the stage for a growth and evolvement in my professional as well as my personal life.” Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A. “Yes, and then some! I was not aware of the in-depth opportunities that this program offers. I have achieved more than I had thought was possible. Both my Board Certification in Holistic Nursing and my Whole Health Education Credential, are my most valued credentials of my Nursing Career.” Q: How are you applying the training? A. “I have created my own Company, “Whole Health and You”, with a website and clients. I love working with clients supporting and offering them information for their health and wellness goals. I make my own hours and have the ability to choose whom I work with. I truly enjoy educating others on the Whole Health principles. Most importantly, I am able to utilize this information for myself and my loved ones as well.” Q: Would you recommend this program to others? A. “I could talk about this program once a day and twice on Sunday! Without any doubt I recommend this program! – As long as students understood this is an in-depth program not a short cut. It is a robust, accredited program. This program has been life changing!

Melissa-sperry

Melissa Sperry, MSN, RNc NC-BC, CNE, CNOR
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: “After completing the Whole Health Educator classes, I qualified for my National Provider Number (NPI) and began my own practice in health promotion and disease prevention. The NPI has been a great help as I am able to provide my clients with coded statements for my services. They are able to submit this to their insurances or flexible spending accounts as health education expenses, if these services are covered under their plans. If not, the statements can be used as medical expenses on their annual Income Tax returns. The NPI number brings increased credibility among colleagues for additional referrals from clinics and hospital facilities, as well as allows the patient to use insurance or flexible spending accounts to pay for all or part of costs. The Health Educator Certificate program allows nurses to enhance and richen their practices and bring care to the best place possible, whole person healthcare, with the patient being the center and driver of choice.” Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: “All of my clients have been successful with a combination of Whole Health Education, personalized coaching, and with nursing critical thinking and care planning skills. One client has seen an eighty (80) pound weight loss and is now running marathons on a regular basis. He is happier, more active, and feels the journey was easy with the right understanding of how one element can affect everything around him and within him.” Q: Are you pleased you are able to serve others through Whole Health? “Another young man came to me with extreme hypertension. Medical physicians in his area would not see him until over $900 in lab work could be drawn. He was desperate, knowing that his health was at risk but his income could not support such high lab costs. Looking at the whole picture of his environment, nutrition, spiritual, emotional, and physical health he has been able to find and acknowledge behavioral issues and change them for the better. Today his blood pressures are running in the “perfect” range. He has given up most of his fast foods and soda intake and began a personal exercise program.”

Angela-R-Hall

Angela R Hall, MSN, RN, AHN-BC
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I began a journey several years ago to discover the true causes of illness and disease, the miraculous way in which God created our bodies to work specifically within His Creation, how to prevent our bodies from succumbing to illness and disease, and how to heal our bodies and reverse the damage they have already sustained, naturally. I researched several different programs, but only this program offered by NIWH aligned with my values and my desire for an evidence-based, holistic approach to client care. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: This program far exceeded my expectations! I learned more in the 9 months of taking this course than I did in my entire master’s degree program. The online classes and provided resources contain a wealth of amazing information, far more than I expected; with the convenience of being able to complete the classes at my own pace. This program explored health and the human body’s ability to heal in ways I had never heard before. For the first time in my 20+ year nursing career, I finally understand the interconnectedness and interdependency of every single cell, tissue, muscle, organ, and system in the body; and the way the 5 different aspects of health: physical, emotional, spiritual, nutritional, and environmentalTM, all work together to determine where we each fall on the illness/wellness continuum. I have learned how to actually help my clients begin to heal, rather than simply treating their symptoms; and in the process have been able to heal myself! I decided to put what I had learned to the test. By following everything I learned, and the exact same principles that I now teach, I have lowered by cholesterol by over 100 points, increased my HDL, lowered my LDL, and reduced my triglycerides substantially, and I lost 40 pounds in the process… all in less than 6 months! I have learned what I feel is the most important lesson of all, God designed our bodies for health and healing. When we provide our body with what it needs, and remove what it doesn’t, miracles are truly possible! Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: Since graduating, I have started my own Whole Health Education® and Holistic Nurse Coaching practice and have been offered a position as a Diabetes Educator at a local hospital. I have recently completed my Advanced Holistic Nurse Board Certification and will be taking the Chronic Care Professional Board soon. I am also now eligible to sit for the Health and Wellness Nurse Coach Boards, which I plan to do within the next few months. I am now practicing in a way that aligns with my values and my spiritual beliefs. I am so excited to be on this journey to health and healing. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: I would highly recommend this program to any nurse who is interested in treating the whole person, body, mind, and spirit, and in learning how to set our bodies up for optimal healing to begin to take place using evidenced-based best practices. Thank you for providing this wonderful program! Angela R. Hall, MSN, RN, AHN-BC

Ann-Baker

Ann Baker, BSN, MPHS
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I love to work with clients giving them the “Big Picture of Health®” and teaching them ways to prevent disease or improve their health.” “I graduated from NIWH and after 6 months, already had a growing practice. Clients really respond to the whole person focused 5 Aspects of Whole Health™. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: “My referral partners, including physicians and mental health professionals, are thrilled that I have an NPI number as a patient health educator, as it makes my health education services more available to their patients.” Q: Are you pleased you are able to serve others through Whole Health? A: “Much gratitude to NIWH which has produced the best whole health and patient advocacy program in the country.

Tamara

Tamara Golden, RN, HNB-BC, NBC-HWC
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I had been working as a RN Health Coach in a corporate wellness setting for 3-4 years when I came to NIWH. My patients were often asking for more information related to their health concerns, and I realized that they needed better understanding in order to be clear about the steps they could take to improve their health. I wanted to grow my skills in finding credible health information and making it understandable to my patients. I also believed that there was more to great health than just diet and exercise, and wanted to learn to integrate all aspects of health into my work. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Definitely! My mantra is “Sometimes we don’t know enough, and sometimes we just don’t act on enough of what we know.” Whole health education serves the “knowing” piece of the behavior change puzzle, and coaching serves to help patients functionally implement what they learn into their own lives. I see education and coaching as two sides of the behavior change coin. So, adding Whole Health Education® skills to my coaching skillset helped me to increase my value to my clients and they have better outcomes. Completing the NIWH program also prepared me to get board certified as a Holistic Nurse. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I am still working in corporate wellness and love it. In my last position, where I served the same population for 7 years, I had 100% satisfaction rating among those I served. On anonymous surveys, the comments often referred to how well I listened and how cared for they felt, and how they appreciated the time I took to help them understand what was going on and what they could do about it. Since the pandemic put my employers’ launch of virtual care services on the fast track, I am now serving in a new telehealth program and get to work with clients all over the country, helping them improve their chronic conditions and overall health. In addition to my full-time job, I had a small private practice out of a home office until the pandemic hit, and I piloted an online group program since then. My goal for this year is to grow my online program, and the Self HEALTH Academy in on pace to launch this summer! NB: Tamara will be speaking at the upcoming Health Coach Summit this year and also spoke at a Lifestyle Medicine Summit last October and will likely do so again this year. Q: Has the Whole Health Education training impacted your health? A: I am able to see the Big Picture of Health® more clearly than ever before, and can advocate for my own health on a higher level. Most memorable was that while I was taking the program at NIWH, I had an issue of tendonitis in my shoulder following a flu vaccine at a local pharmacy, which was painful and affected my arm function. My doctor did not believe it was related to the shot and wanted to give me cortisone shots. I was able to apply what I learned about researching health information and present her with information that showed poor injection technique CAN cause the symptoms I was having. She thankfully read what I sent and changed her mind. Also, applying what I learned about inflammation and Omega-3 fatty acids in one of my first classes, I started taking a quality fish oil supplement, and within about 2 weeks my 7-month episode of arm pain ended, no cortisone or other treatment needed! Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: Whole-heartedly! Whole Health training at NIWH is a game changer if you want to take your nursing career to a new level and be able to serve your clients in an even more impactful way.

Heidi-Martin

Heidi Martin, LDO, WHE, CHS
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I wanted to learn a more holistic way of living and helping others. At the time I contacted NIWH I was working as an optician with a passion for herbalism. I went through the NIWH website and what I read there intrigued me and I contact the program and signed up! Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: My goal was to be able to help people from a more natural or holistic perspective and after completing the program I went on to complete a 3 year Homeopathic training, which brought together my many interests and passions. Today, I am a licensed Optician, a Certified Homeopath and a trained herbalist using all the tools in my toolbox, of which I have many! Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I am currently in private practice doing homeopathy, herbalism, Whole Health counseling with a dash of wellness coaching in my business which is appropriately named Whole Health Visions, It serves my clients with their overall health and eye health needs. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A. I would, absolutely. It would really help people who are looking for the big picture or whole picture of health!

Judith-Brynn

Judith Brinn, BS, CHHC, Obesity Certified, WHC, WHE
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: Coming from a Health Coaching background, I found that there was something missing when trying to assist individuals with making a sustainable behavior change. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Through my experience with the program at the National Institute of Whole Health, I was able to identify what that missing piece in Health Coaching was. The courses provided the education needed to be able to supply evidence-based health information to patients, and the case study portion of the program helped facilitate the personal WHY for change in patients. This was the missing piece. The program taught me how to assist patients in finding their individual “why” they needed, so that the changes can be sustained for a lifetime.” I have achieved above what I was expecting when I began the program. I have learned how to help an individual make the behavior changes they need to make in order to improve the quality of life they have. I knew I would learn how to guide individuals to do this, however, experiencing it first hand with client case studies made it tangible. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: Currently, a certified Health and Wellness coach and Patient Health Educator, as well as Clinical Program Manager and LTCA Program Director for i nHealth Lifestyle Therapeutics. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? I would definitely recommend this program to a friend or colleague, and actually have recommended it! I am very satisfied with my experience and education at NIWH. I feel I have grown personally and professionally because of it.

Cindy-Luisi

Cindy Luisi, BA, CCP, WHE, CDL Wellness Coach
Whole Health Educator Graduate

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A: I was drawn to the Whole Health field as a way to find the purpose in my passions- psychology, fitness, and nutrition. I spent many years as a long-distance swimmer, runner, triathlete, and group fitness trainer, while also doing some graduate work in exercise physiology and nutrition before being drawn into my family business. My degree was in psychology, and I’ve always been drawn to helping others and the psychographics of human behavior. The program provided the perfect alchemy to combine and practice all my lifelong passions. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A: Yes, the Whole Health training prepared me extensively for working as a patient educator, wellness educator/ coach, and in directing the wellness education and content management in my current position. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: I am currently employed by a national wellness technology company. I began as a corporate wellness coach and quickly rose to wellness content creator, writing for their blog and creating podcast material. I now manage the wellness content direction for the company, handle the marketing, and still work as an onsite wellness coach and account liaison. We address the unique needs of the transportation industry, specifically, truck drivers. Truck drivers suffer so many chronic health conditions due to their very sedentary lifestyle, lack of healthy food at truck stops, extreme stress, and sleep deprivation. They are twice as likely to be obese compared to other populations and they suffer twice the rate of diabetes, a 30% higher incidence of hypertension, and their average lifespan is just 64 years. Our platform addresses fitness, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and well-being. We focus on wellness education through our content which includes, videos, blogs, podcasts, and handouts and the platform also uses an app-based engagement tool that allows the drivers to compete in health challenges where they earn points for healthy behaviors and compete with fellow employees. I work to connect the dots with the Whole Health approach so that they understand how their lifestyle habits are connected to their wellness and this really helps them to make small changes to improve their health. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A: I would highly recommend Whole Health training! It is a wonderful and enlightening program for anyone who works with others in helping them manage and better understand their health conditions. The materials are excellent, and the program helps participants not only see the “Big Picture of Health”, but also deftly teaches how to best put the knowledge into action and help people change their lifestyle and health behaviors in positive ways.

Marilyn-Kier

Marilyn Kier, BS, OMT, BCTMB

Q: What drew you to the Whole Health field and the National Institute of Whole Health? A. I worked as an Orthopedic Massage Therapist for 26 years. In that role, I treated all aspects of my patients’ pain, focusing on many of the areas NIWH incorporates in the Big Picture of health. As I’m transitioning to the next chapter of my life, the Patient Advocacy Program offered by NIWH was the perfect fit for my experience and future goals. Q: Did the Whole Health training meet your professional goals? A. The Whole Health training exceeded my professional goals. The vast amount of information presented by renowned experts and scientists will assist me in educating clients who want to achieve total wellness. Q: How are you currently applying your training from NIWH? A: After working with me, a client who has Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes lowered her fasting glucose # by 100 points in just 3 months. When I went to the Emergency Room for a client, I was able to bypass the administrative red tape by simply announcing I was a Patient Advocate. The emergency room physicians were happy to talk to me. I was able to assist the patient in getting the necessary tests quickly, which ultimately led to her release. Q: Would you recommend the Whole Health training to others? A. If you have a strong desire to help others achieve total health, you owe it to yourself to explore what the Whole Health training program offers. You’ll be hard pressed to find another program that offers such comprehensive training at such a reasonable cost.

"Whole Health training met not only my professional goals, but my personal curiosity. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and it was not until after I completed this program that I was able to connect the dots as to “how this diagnosis could happen to me.” My NIWH experience is ingrained deeply into my current practice."

Jacqui Bryan
BA, RN, MS, CHC, WHE, FNLP
NIWH Graduate

Jacqui Bryan
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Since 1977, Pioneers of Whole Health™, Whole Person Health Care™, and Whole Health Education®

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