What occurs when a Ph.D. with a ardour for conduct change, a knack for curriculum design, and a present for connection leads your well being coach coaching? You get Dr. Shana Walsh—AFPA’s Director of Schooling and Curriculum, and the chief of our Grasp Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach program.
With a Ph.D. in Kinesiology, Train Diet, and Well being Promotion, in addition to credentials as a Nationwide Board-Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach, Grasp Licensed Well being Schooling Specialist, and Licensed Private Coach, Dr. Walsh brings many years of expertise to each course she touches. From shaping what you study behind the scenes to guiding stay Zoom classes with vitality and empathy, she’s each the architect and advocate in your teaching journey.
On this interview, Shana shares her strategy to constructing student-centered packages, what makes AFPA’s stay cohort expertise so distinctive, and some enjoyable information, just like the time she did a pull-up whereas hula-hooping.
The Secrets and techniques Behind AFPA’s Curriculum
As AFPA’s Schooling & Curriculum Director, how do you form the scholar studying expertise?
My position encompasses the complete course improvement lifecycle. This ranges from the strategy planning stage, the place we strategize new course choices and subjects that align with pupil wants, to creating written and video studying supplies, and securing top-tier instructors which can be consultants of their respective areas. I’m additionally concerned in aiding present college students all through their AFPA studying journey. In each stage, I prioritize the standard of the training we offer, guaranteeing essentially the most useful and relevant content material for our college students. It’s extraordinarily rewarding to see one thing go from an concept scribbled on a notepad in pencil to a certification college students can earn to alter the trajectory of their profession and their lives.
What’s one thing most individuals may not notice about how AFPA develops its curriculum?
Most individuals may not notice that we all the time begin by asking, ‘What’s finest for the scholar?’ The reply to that single query drives each resolution we make, from the subjects we educate, the educating strategies we make use of, the instructors we choose, and even the little particulars, just like the on-screen colours in our programs (nay for orange, yay for blue).
Past course improvement, what usually goes unseen is how a lot we have a good time alongside our college students. After they earn their certificates and discover success within the subject, we’re completely ecstatic. In spite of everything, that’s our final aim: to supply the training they should actually propel them into the skilled roles they search.
How do you guarantee AFPA’s packages keep present with analysis, traits, and finest practices?
Within the well being business, new analysis is consistently rising, offering new info and redefining finest practices. At AFPA, we perceive that offering our college students with outdated info is solely not an choice, so we take a proactive strategy as an alternative. We make it part of our routine to watch the most recent problems with main educational and business journals, attend business conferences, tune into webinars, and community with different skilled organizations and consultants within the subject. We’ve even been identified to edit a stay course to tweak a truth or two primarily based on newly gleaned information. We do that to ensure that when our college students graduate, they’ve essentially the most present info attainable to excel of their careers.
What do you see as among the most precious abilities college students achieve from AFPA packages?
Among the most precious abilities college students achieve from AFPA packages embrace:
- Complete Information: Each single considered one of our programs offers a wealth of information on the subject of research. For college kids actually searching for to achieve experience in a particular space, AFPA is the final word useful resource.
- Holistic Views: At AFPA, we deeply perceive how intertwined all areas of well being are. For that purpose, we infuse holistic views into the whole lot we educate, supporting our college students to see the larger image.
- Sensible Utility and Teaching Expertise: It’s one factor to know what to do, however it’s one other to have the ability to do it successfully. We don’t simply educate the talents, we additionally present ample apply alternatives to use them to actual world eventualities.
- Skilled Confidence and Profession Readiness: Our packages are designed to construct college students’ confidence of their skills, getting ready them to excel on their chosen profession journey.
What makes the stay cohort expertise particular at AFPA?
The Superior Well being Teaching Intensive is the dynamic, stay element of our Licensed Grasp Well being and Wellness Coach program, and it’s AFPA’s solely stay course. In a single Zoom room, we unite individuals from throughout the nation and across the globe. Whereas all of us come from vastly totally different walks of life, we share a profound commonality: a deep need to empower others to grow to be the perfect model of themselves. There’s magic in bringing collectively adults of all ages, with their numerous backgrounds and wealthy life experiences, watching them study and develop collectively. It’s actually transformative.

Study Methods to Set Your self Aside as a Board-Licensed Well being Coach
Attending to Know Dr. Walsh Outdoors the Classroom
What are just a few quirky or shocking issues about you that your college students may not know?
I’ve efficiently accomplished one pull up whereas hula-hooping.
Additionally, I’ve scored within the 99th percentile for extroversion on a number of character assessments. After I was in first grade, my instructor moved my seat for speaking so many instances, I ended up sitting subsequent to each single child at school.
I didn’t study to journey a motorbike till I used to be an grownup, as a result of as a child I wished to focus all my vitality on rollerblading.
Whenever you’re not engaged on curriculum, educating, or teaching, how do you recharge?
As a quintessential extrovert, I recharge by spending time with others. Whether or not it’s from good dialog with my neighbors sitting across the firepit, some pleasant competitors in rec pickleball, or absorbing high quality time at house with my household, the vitality I get from social connectedness fills my cup.
If you happen to needed to sum up your philosophy on conduct change in a single sentence, what wouldn’t it be?
If you happen to change your well being, you alter your life.
Her Recommendation for Aspiring Coaches
What recommendation would you give to somebody who’s on the fence about becoming a member of the following stay well being teaching session?
If you happen to’re on the fence about becoming a member of the following stay course, remind your self that this is among the most effective and reasonably priced methods to grow to be a Nationwide Board Licensed Well being and Wellness Coach. As an NBHWC-Authorised program, AFPA provides a direct and supportive path to board certification with out pointless delays or bills.
In case your aim is to supply a significant service to others by the ability of well being and wellness teaching, whereas incomes a dwelling doing work that makes a distinction, that is your alternative. You’ll achieve the talents to assist individuals make actual, lasting adjustments of their lives—and be compensated for the worth you present. Well being and wellness teaching continues to be an rising subject, which implies there’s room to develop, contribute, and set up your self in an rising occupation.
On the identical time, this isn’t nearly your shoppers—it’s a transformative expertise for you, too. By this coaching, you’ll deepen your individual self-awareness, develop important teaching abilities, and construct the boldness wanted to not solely cross the board examination however to really be an awesome coach.
If that sounds just like the sort of profession and private development you’ve been searching for, cease hesitating and enroll in the present day!
📆 The subsequent AFPA stay well being teaching session begins quickly.
Be a part of a world group of aspiring coaches and study from among the subject’s main educators.






