An Open Letter to the NBHWC
From a Coach Who Walked the NBHWC Exam Path Twice
Dear NBHWC,
I feel called to write, for the profession, the mission, and the hope that lives inside every health and wellness coach.
I also write with lived experience. Iβve taken your NBHWC board exam twice. The first time, I did not pass. The second, I still await the results.
But what I know with certainty is this: The NBHWC exam alone does not provide a 360-degree view of a coach.
A 4.5-hour multiple-choice test may assess theory, ethics, and even present scenarios coaches may encounter.
But we know that coaching is not just recognizing what might happen. Coaching is the quiet bravery it takes to guide someone toward lasting change, without control, without agenda. Itβs relational attunement, somatic awareness, and trust earned breath by breath.
Not to mention, no real coaching session lasts 4.5 hours. Coaches are trained to care for their own nervous systems between sessions, through regulation, rest, and reflection. The examβs structure overlooks this rhythm. It doesnβt test a coachβs true wisdom, adaptability, or ability to hold space across time and touchpoints.
Most coaches feel profoundly drained after a 4.5-hour exam. Which makes me wonder: How are we modeling health and wellness when the very test designed to certify us leaves us depleted?
In truth, coaching lives in moments, not marathon performances.
Among thousands of coaches Iβve studied alongside in community, the most common experience was not confidence, it was confusion. Most left the exam unsure if they passed, disconnected from their bodies, and wondering if their calling could truly be validated by a timed test.
Iβm not writing to resist rigor. I honor high standards. Iβm writing to invite evolution.
Consider These Additions to the Certification Path:
Let future certification reflect both structure and soul, through a thoughtfully balanced model:
50% β Multiple-choice exam (2 hours)
10% β Written reflection or essay on coaching sessions
20% β Community coaching hours completed through NBHWC-approved organizations, to foster lived practice and relational accountability
20% β Supervised coaching hours with feedback from an NBHWC-credentialed coach, to model mentorship and integration
These additions would honor the full expression of coaching, not just what can be memorized, but what can be lived.
I believe NBHWC is capable of shaping a certification process that reflects the humanity this work requires. One that measures knowledge and knowing. Structure and soul.
It must be said: I deeply honor high standards. I honor the work NBHWC is striving to do.
This letter isnβt a protest, itβs the petal in the policy.
May future NBHWC credentialing reflect the fullness of the craft: the knowledge of competencies, the courage to care, the art of listening, the heart that holds.
With warmth and rose-scented thanks,
Diana Du