Certified Youth Health Coach
Stages 1-5 | Virtual | Live Certification Course
Our Certified Youth Health Coach program takes you through our full youth coaching certification course, providing you with basic coaching skills and youth resilience-building techniques, in addition to specialization in health and wellness medicine for adolescents. With this certification, you can effectively work with your clients to address specific health and wellness challenges, helping them to set goals, identify obstacles, find accountability, and implement meaningful change.
$3,650
/ Person
Payment plans available at checkout. Additional 5% will be applied over the course of payment.
We’ve had the pleasure of training youth coaches for:





Class Schedule
Review our training calendar for upcoming Certified Youth Health Coach classes. Find a variety of live, virtual sessions to fit your schedule and start your coaching journey.
Please note that this course has the following minimum eligibility requirements: documented completion of an associate degree or higher, or 4,000 hours of work experience.
USA Fall 2024 Coming Soon
Trainees interested in Stages 1-5 path can sign up for the Stages 1-4 path now and add the 5th stage when it comes available.
EXCELLENT Based on 49 reviews Tyshonna Delaney2025-05-13 My experience with The Youth Coaching Institute has been nothing short of life-changing. The training was thoughtfully designed, truly aligned with the development of coaches, and provides resources and community for coaches. The instructors were not only experts in the field, but also incredibly supportive and engaging throughout the process. I successfully and confidently completed YCI feeling fully equipped to support youth in meaningful, strengths-based ways. The community of fellow trainees was also inspiring—diverse, passionate, and deeply committed to making a difference. Whether you're new to coaching or looking to specialize in youth development, YCI is a great organization to support your goals. I highly recommend it to anyone serious about empowering the next generation. Shyla Mathews2025-04-08 I have just completed CYWC with Dr Leah and Team! Highly recommend this training if you are looking at starting your coaching journey. The pacing of the programme is well planned with all the materials prepared well and very informative. Learnt so much and Dr Leah is very responsive to all my questions. Анна Крбашян2025-03-09 I recently completed the coaching certification course, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience! Dr. Leah is an amazing instructor—professional, supportive, and incredibly knowledgeable. From the very first session, I could tell I was in good hands. The course was engaging, and I loved every minute of it, even though I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. The material was well-structured, and Dr. Leah’s teaching style made it easy to understand even complex concepts. I also appreciated the supportive learning environment, where all my questions were answered thoughtfully and thoroughly. I’m so glad I found this course and feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from Dr. Leah. I’m excited to start my coaching journey and would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to become a certified coach! Valerie Shaw-Gavel2025-01-23 I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from my experience with YCI. It took one class and I was completely invested. Dr. Leah is knowledgeable (due to academia and life experiences) and has a tremendous passion for coaching that trickles down through her students. I learned more about myself throughout this course than I did in 4 years of college. The way the classes are taught, through peer conversations, video coaching sessions, reflections and coaching practice the takeaways come very easy. She works hard to meet people where they are directly and kindly. I will continue my connection with YCI and Dr. Leah in the future because I truly feel I am part of a "coaching family" now. Darrin Olmscheid2024-11-28 Dr. Mazzola and team were wonderful. Approachable, communicative and provided instruction that was research based yet provided practical strategies and resources one could use the very next day! Grateful for this experience Mehroo Turel2024-10-09 Thank you, Dr. Leah B. Mazzola for creating this exceptional program. Your shared experiences, deep insight and understanding of young minds, backed by research and tools, made this program easy to learn and highly practical to use. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this field. Angela Giles Klocke2024-09-04 I’ve had my eye on this training for a long time, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped in. Working with the team at the Youth Coaching Institute (YCI) was invaluable. While I am not new to coaching, there are so many ways to be an effective and impactful coach, and the training with YCI highlighted other techniques that I was able to start putting into action right away. The education and content, as well as the buddy coaching and coaching demos, offered a well-rounded experience in a comfortable learning environment. When it’s time to add to my knowledge and experience again, I will definitely return to YCI to continue. Jordan Tsuruta2024-08-29 YCI has greatly exceeded my expectations in terms of content, peer support, technical instruction, and overall personal value. This program has genuinely been life-changing for me. As a professional tennis coach with over a decade of experience and an active competitive athlete, I’ve gained invaluable insights into helping others—and myself—manage stress, identify unhelpful patterns, and create actionable plans for significant goals. While the education provided is both comprehensive and straightforward, applying the principles can be challenging. Fortunately, YCI offers an incredible mentorship system with ICF-certified coaches and guidance from Dr. Leah, providing essential feedback and support along the way. If you think you may be interested in learning what this program has to offer, I strongly recommend taking the leap of faith like I have and signing up! Becca Golden2024-08-28 There aren't enough words to fully express how incredible Dr. Leah's coaching programs are. My expectations were exceeded from the very first week of class and remained high throughout the entire course. I enrolled in the Youth Well-being Coach certification program to better support young people in discovering their strengths, potential, and goals. What I didn't expect was how much I would discover about my own. The experience was life-changing, empowering, and so much more. I am forever a grateful student and lifelong learner with Dr. Leah and YCI. Kathryn Armstrong2024-08-27 I highly recommend the Youth Resiliency Coaching Certification offered by the Youth Coaching Institute. As a Pediatric Cardiologist in Canada, I enrolled in this program to better support the youth and adolescents in my practice, many of whom have underlying heart disease. Through this certification, I gained valuable insights on how to support and facilitate young people to navigate the challenges of puberty, education, sports, and maintaining social connections. This experience was truly transformative for me, as I learned the importance of creating a safe and non-judgmental space for teenagers to express themselves and make their own choices. I am excited to integrate these learnings into my daily practice and empower teenagers and young adults to build resilience and strive towards their best selves, regardless of any underlying medical conditions they may have. I highly recommend this resource for any adult who works with young people. It will provide valuable support to help them succeed in life. Dr Kathryn (Katey) Armstrong Pediatric Cardiologist
The Core Benefits of the CYHC Course
Multiple Certifications
Completing this program awards you with three certifications: Certified Youth Health Coach, Certified Resilience Coach, and Certified Youth Well-being Coach
Specialized Knowledge in Health and Wellness
Health and wellness services are in high demand. This training will enable you to help fill in this gap and effectively address and support the mental well-being of young individuals.
Practical & Applied Learning Experiences
By integrating both hands-on practicum and real-world applications, this program allows you to practice and refine your coaching techniques, preparing for a wide range of health and wellness coaching scenarios.
Career Advancement & Diversification
A specialization in health and wellness coaching opens various career pathways, providing you with skills and expertise that make you valuable in education, mental health, social work, and youth development sectors.
Have Questions? Schedule a Q&A With Us.
Whether you have some coaching experience under your belt, want to better serve youth in your profession, or are exploring a profitable and fulfilling career choice, we’re here to guide you on the best path forward. Fill out our contact form or schedule a live 20-minute Q&A to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
All training, supervision, and practicum are completed 100% virtually and available internationally via live Zoom webinar and/or telephone conference call.
Candidates must be 18 years old or older.
Our training programs are ideal for professionals working directly with tweens, teens, and/or emerging adults, professionals leading organizations serving these populations, or those who aim to serve this audience in some capacity.
Coaching is a helping profession focused on learning and growth. Thus, it is a wonderful skillset addition for those in or interested in a career path within helping professions or education (e.g., human resources, counseling, social work, human services, leadership, nursing, teaching, public health, etc.)
Trainees who complete our programs most often apply their skills in the following ways:
- Coaching as a side gig for access to deep, meaningful work and extra income around a full-time job
- Coaching as a professional career path
- Adding coaching skills to enhance their work with tweens, teens, or young adults
- Coaching in a volunteer or mentoring capacity
Training progression is as follows for those pursuing youth life coach certification:
- Stage 1 Only – Basic Coaching Skills: for parents or teachers of tweens, teens, or emerging adults who want to learn to support and empower them more effectively through this challenging life stage but do not have any interest in a coaching-specific work role.
- Stages 1-2: Certified Youth Well-being Coach: for adults who serve tweens, teens, or young adults and want to add coaching skills to enhance their services.
- Stages 1-4: Certified Youth Resilience Coach: for adults who serve tweens, teens, or young adults and want to pursue a professional coaching career, establish a private coaching business, or supervise coaching staff. This program is Level 1 International Coaching Federation Accredited. It’s also approved by the Center for Credentialing & Education for Board Certified Coach applicants.
- Stages 1-5: Certified Youth Coach: for adults who have a minimum of an associate degree or equivalent 4,000 hours of work experience. This program covers basic coaching principles, resilience coaching techniques, and specialization in health and wellness coaching for youth.
- Stage 4 Only – ICF Group Mentor Coaching: for coaches who will be pursuing higher credentialing through the International Coaching Federation and did not complete their 10 mentor coaching hours as part of their foundational coach training program. This is the 10 hours of mentor coaching required for the ICF ACC or PCC application.
- Stage 5 Only – Specialty Certifications: For certified coaches who have already completed at least 60 hours of ICF-approved training, we offer several stage 5 certifications for specialization in lifestyle medicine/health and wellness, career, and academics.
Yes! For coaches who have already completed steps 1-4 or received their coach certificates elsewhere, we offer a standalone self-study program called Lifestyle Medicine for Adolescents. This program only covers stage 5 and culminates in the CYHC designation, if the trainee meets the minimum eligibility requirements.
Our Stages 1-4 (Certified Youth Resilience Coach) training programs have an 80% live attendance requirement.
All live classes are recorded so that those who have an allowed absence are able to watch the recording to submit a missed class makeup summary to earn credit.
If you were scheduled to coach on the day of your absence, you would also need to complete a makeup practice coaching session outside of class.
We also understand that an unexpected life event can require you to pause your training. Your well-being is our priority. You can transfer to a later cohort to complete your training up to one year from the date of your withdrawal from your current cohort.
Absolutely not. Your basic coaching skills are generally applicable to any coaching-appropriate audience – tweens, teens, and adults of all ages.
The health and wellness science knowledge you’ll gain is also generally applicable. You are practicing coaching peer trainees who are adults of all ages with various backgrounds, experiences, and cultures during your in-class training. This means that you’re learning to coach adults of all ages through this program.
Because your training with us is approved by the International Coaching Federation, you also qualify to obtain a higher credential through the ICF upon successful completion with us. The ICF’s designations are general professional coaching designations accepted in most coaching-related roles.
Trainees may cancel or withdraw from Stages 1-4 training within 7 days following the Class 1/Stage 1 start date for a pro-rated refund of paid tuition beyond the non-refundable registration fee. Cancellations or withdrawals more than 7 days following the class start date result in no refunds or reductions in tuition owed, as trainees must cover the cost of the lost seat.
Reach Out to Us to Learn More
Have questions or want to speak with a member of our team? Schedule a meeting or reach out to us directly, and we’ll be happy to assist you on your coaching journey.
Youth Coaching Expert Insights
Discover a library of free expert resources exploring the youth coaching landscape, the experiences of adolescents today, and opportunities to strengthen your approach.
Elevate Your Impact and Start Coaching Today
Make a positive and measurable impact with the Youth Coaching Institute. Develop your coaching skillset and begin the journey to becoming a certified youth life coach today.