BECOME A CERTIFIED HEALTH & WELLNESS COACH
NBHWC-Approved · 90%+ Average Pass Rate · Built for Working Adults · Tuition Often Repaid in 2-4 Weeks of Work
Sound Interesting?
Explore the videos below for quick answers and a chance to get to know Pain Coach Academy better.
Have more questions? We got you!
A Proven Path to Becoming a Health & Wellness Coach
- Live, virtual training (2x/week)
- Small classes of ~25 students
- National Board Exam prep included
- Certification leads to real work
- 1:1 mentoring
- Tuition: $3500
- Typical Pay: ~$70/hour
- Repay tuition in 2-4 weeks
- Payment plans available
- Enrolling monthly
HIGHLIGHTS
SUPPORTING STATS
Coaching is a non-judgmental partnership that focuses on strengths and solutions rather than weaknesses and barriers. Pain Coaching specifically supports people living with chronic pain by combining coaching skills with pain neuroscience education. It is built on trust, rapport, and confidentiality.
A Pain Coach partners with clients to help them live more fully, despite pain. Rather than providing medical advice, a Pain Coach helps clients:
- Understand how pain works in the brain and body
- Explore new coping tools and lifestyle strategies
- Build resilience, confidence, and hope
- Take ownership of their health decisions
- Reconnect with activities and purpose that matter to them
A Pain Coach partners with clients to help them live more fully, despite pain. Rather than providing medical advice, a Pain Coach helps clients:
- Reduce fear and catastrophizing
- Improve sleep, mood, and daily function
- Strengthen supportive habits like movement and stress management
- Find renewed purpose and quality of life.
Pain Coaches work with individuals living with chronic pain, including conditions like arthritis, cancer-related pain, CRPS, fibromyalgia, joint pain (lower back, neck, etc), migraine, neuropathy, and more. Coaches also support caregivers, family members, and people adjusting to life with long-term health challenges.
- 17 weeks of training
- 2 live, vitrual classes per week (2 hours each)
- Approximately 75 hours total
- Curriculum includes 7 books, the neuroscience of pain, and coaching skills
- Classes are small (around 25 students), encouraging personal interaction
The training is intentionally designed to be rigorous but manageable. Most of our students work full-time and have families. With live classes scheduled in advance and strong faculty support, the program is structured to mirror real-life circumstances.
We understand that things come up along the way. You may miss up to 6 classes in the Health and Wellness training . All sessions are recorded, and you are required to review the recordings for any missed sessions.
Graduates qualify to sit for the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches exam, and many opt to complete our Advanced Pain Coach Training.
Historically, PCA students pass at a rate of 90-100%, well above average compared to other programs.
Our program is a $3,500 investment. With live training, small class sizes, and a high-quality learning experience—plus industry-leading NBHWC exam pass rates and strong career opportunities—most students find the value far exceeds the cost.
Students will be introduced to core theories of coaching, including positive psychology and the stages of change, while exploring evidence-based approaches to facilitate client growth.
Students will examine how the brain processes and maintains pain, with a focus on neuroplasticity and its role in recovery and resilience.
Students will develop professional communication techniques such as active listening, OARS (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries), and structured strategies for engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning in coaching conversations.
Students will investigate the interplay between physical health, emotional well-being, and cognition, practicing tools such as mindfulness, relaxation, and self-compassion to promote lasting behavioral change.
Students will apply ethical principles, explore case scenarios, and integrate coaching theory into real-world practice through guided exercises and discussions.
Students will engage in supervised practice sessions with classmates, fostering skill development and confidence in a collaborative learning environment.
Each student will receive one-on-one mentoring from highly trained coaching professionals, ensuring personalized feedback, professional modeling, and individualized academic support.
Students will complete open-book reading exams designed to reinforce comprehension, provide practice with Q&A style questions, and confirm mastery of key curriculum content.
Students will learn how to design and conduct professional coaching sessions — including flow, structure, and progression — to ensure they enter the field with clarity, confidence, and readiness for practice.
Students will be trained to recognize and skillfully respond when clients feel resistant or stuck, using evidence-based strategies to maintain progress and empower sustainable change.
Our Health and Wellness Coach Training is a comprehensive NBHWC-approved 75-hour program that blends asynchronous, self-paced modules with live, interactive sessions to give you both flexibility and real-time practice. You will learn evidence-based skills such as Motivational Interviewing, neuroplasticity, positive psychology, and holistic lifestyle coaching, all grounded in neuroscience and bio-psycho-social principles.
Small class sizes ensure you receive personal attention, with one-on-one mentoring from experienced instructors and interactive practicums built into every class. The combination of live teaching, pre-recorded lessons, and individual coaching creates a dynamic and supportive learning environment - one proven effective by the powerful testimonials of our graduates, who consistently highlight why this program sets the standard in health and wellness coaching.
Let's Get You Signed Up!
Click below to connect with a seasoned pain coach who can answer your questions and help you explore whether this path is right for you.
Click below to connect with a seasoned pain coach who can answer your questions and help you explore whether this path is right for you.
Become a Nationally Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with a specialty in pain coaching. Live, virtual training. Small classes. Real support. Enrolling now.
Ready to Help People in Pain & Build a Career Doing It?
Meet the Faces Behind PCA
Becky Curtis
Founder & Chairwoman
Alex Crowther
Chief Executive Officer
Matt Sheers, NBC-HWC
Instructor
Paul Curtis, NBC-HWC, ACSM-CPT, CPMC
Director of Instruction & Mentoring
Jaerene Robinson, CADCIII
Instructor
Jackie Horridge, PHD
Instructor
Jim Murphy, LMFR, NBC-HWC
Instructor
Lee Kral, PharmD, NBC-HWC, CPMC
Instructor
Lindsay Muskett, MHA, NBC-HWC
Instructor
Kris Sutton, NBC-HWC, CPMC
Instructor
Dena De Piazza, NBC-HWC, CPMC
Program Director
A Career With Purpose.
A Field With Unlimited Growth.
Pain Coaching is a young profession, but it is on a remarkable growth trajectory. While many people have never heard of Pain Coaching yet, awareness and demand are rising fast. With over 50 million adults in the United States alone living with chronic pain, the need for compassionate, skilled pain coaches will only continue to increase.
Industry leaders are taking notice. The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), the recognized body for health and wellness coaches, where pain coaching becomes board-certified, even hosts a dedicated job board for opportunities in the field.
- Hospital Networks
- Pain Management Clinics
- Pharmacy Groups
- Physical Therapy
- Chiropractic Practices
Who Hires Pain Coaches?
A Calling with Deep Meaning...
The opportunities in Pain Coaching are vast, and they continue to grow. Some graduates step into organizations that need them right away. Others choose the freedom of building their own practice. Many are drawn to this work because of their own lived experience with chronic pain, which allows them to serve with unique empathy and understanding.
Above all, Pain Coaching is not just a career. It is a calling. A profession where you can make a meaningful living, help people reclaim their lives from pain, and find purpose in every single session.
If you feel called to this path, we invite you to explore whether becoming a certified Pain Coach is the next chapter for you.
Curriculum Outline
Over 17 weeks (with two 2-hour classes per week), here's what you can expect to learn:
- Virtual Health & Pain Companies specializing in Pain Coaching
- Primary Care Practices
- Virtual Reality Health, Mobility, & Pain Management Programs
- National & Governmental Organizations (such as the VA)
- Private Practices, including Independent Coaching Businesses
A Rewarding Career with Real Income Potential
Beyond purpose and impact, Pain Coaching offers financial opportunity and flexibility.
Coaching session rates typically range from $50 to $150 or more per session, meaning both part-time and full-time coaches can create sustainable, fulfilling careers. Some choose to coach 35 to 40 hours per week, while others integrate coaching into evenings or weekends, building a career that fits their lifestyle. Financing options are available.
Whatever you decide, private practice or working as an employee, there are many opportunities to earn a good living.
- Income depends on location, experience, and whether or not you're self-employed.
- Some employers offer competitive salaries along with benefits such as health insurance.
- Others choose private practice, setting their own rates and hours.
"I now have more confidence with working with pain clients as well as groups."
-Evan B, Advanced Training Course
"After completing the course, I feel I am better equipped to listen and guide my clients to reach whatever goal they are seeking."
-Karla B, Health & Wellness Course
"Coaching people recovering from chronic pain is a missing and much needed profession. PCA is one of the best places to begin to develop the skills & knowledge needed."
-Jerry B Health & Wellness Course
Check Out What Our Students Say!
The Science of Pain Coaching:
Research That Shows How It Works
Chronic pain is one of the most common and costly health challenges in America. Nearly 25% of U.S. adults live with chronic pain - more than those living with diabetes (14.7%), heart disease (5.5%), or cancer (10.3) [CDC 2021] These numbers are staggering, but behind them are real people whose daily lives are disrupted by sleepless nights, limited mobility, strained relationships, and the emotional weight of living with pain.
For decades, traditional approaches, such as medications, injections, surgeries, or physical therapy, have offered help. But too often, they don’t address the whole picture. Pain isn’t only physical. It affects the body, the mind, and the social world around us.
That’s why experts describe it as a biopsychosocial condition [Gatchel et al., 2014]. And this is exactly where pain coaching becomes a missing link.
The Problem
“Nearly 25% of U.S. adults live with chronic pain: more than diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.” (Institute of Medicine, 2011)
Learnings from July 2020 research study conducted by PLOS (a nonprofit 502 (c)(3) corporation, #C3254500, based in California, USA). PLOS is a non-profit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. See study here.
The Breakthrough
From a 2020 PLOS ONE study on 400+ people with chronic pain:
- Pain intensity dropped significantly
- Daily life interference improved even more
- Mobility, energy, and emotional well-being increased
- Satisfaction: 50/50 median rating
Translation: People felt less pain, more freedom, and greater quality of life.
Why Pain Coaches are Different
Pain Coaches are trained to:
- Walk alongside clients, offering consistent support
- Bridge the gap between medical care and real daily life
- Address the whole person: body, mind, relationships, &
resilience
- Restore agency, purpose, and hope
What The Research Shows
A growing body of research is confirming what so many people living with pain already know: having the right support makes a difference. One powerful study published in PLOS ONE followed more than 400 people enrolled in a year-long health and wellness coaching program for chronic pain. The outcomes were striking [Rethorn et al., 2020]:
- Pain intensity dropped significantly (large effect size, Hedges’ g = 1.00).
- Pain-related interference in daily life improved even more (Hedges’ g = 1.13).
- Mobility, vitality, and emotional well-being all improved, showing that
positive changes in one area often ripple into others.
- Participants reported high satisfaction with the program, even though the
coaching wasn’t designed to “cure” pain.
The message is clear: when people are supported to set goals, strengthen self-care, and make meaningful changes aligned with their values, their pain experience shifts in measurable and life-changing ways. What this means in everyday terms: The same study found that, on average, people’s pain levels dropped by about a point and a half over the course of the year.
More importantly, the way pain disrupted their lives, their ability to work, connect with others, and enjoy daily activities - improved even more than pain scores themselves. People felt more energy, greater mobility, and less emotional weight from their pain. At the end of the program, satisfaction was almost perfect, with a median rating of 50 out of 50.
Here’s the remarkable part: the program wasn’t designed to “cure” pain. Instead, it helped people set goals, learn self-care skills, and live more fully in alignment with their values. Yet pain itself went down. Why? Because as people regained movement, managed daily activities more confidently, felt more energy, and experienced fewer negative emotions, their pain intensity decreased. In other words, pain coaching doesn’t just treat symptoms - it helps people reclaim their lives in ways that actually reduce pain itself.
The Research is Clear. The Need is Urgent.
The research is clear. The need Is urgent. Pain Coaching works, and the world needs more certified coaches to bring this life-changing approach to millions living with pain. This is why Pain Coach Academy exists.
You can explore it here: NBHWC Career Website.
- Wellness Retreats
- Functional Restoration Programs
- Health Clubs
- Wellness Centers
- Doctors' Offices
“Pain coaching doesn’t just reduce symptoms, it helps people reclaim their lives.”
At its heart, pain coaching is about empowerment. Pain coaches are specially trained to:
- Walk alongside clients as they navigate the ups and downs of persistent pain.
- Provide accountability and encouragement for lifestyle changes that support
healing.
- Address the whole person, not just symptoms, but mindset, lifestyle,
relationships, & resilience.
- Bridge the gap between medical treatment plans and real daily life.
Managing pain isn’t only about finding the right pill or procedure. It’s about restoring agency, purpose, and hope. Coaching offers people the tools and support they need to take back control of their lives — even when pain remains.
Why Pain Coaching Matters
As healthcare continues shifting toward holistic, patient-centered care, pain coaches are becoming essential members of care teams. The research is clear: health and wellness coaching is effective for managing chronic pain. The results are more potent than many traditional behavioral therapies and deserve recognition.
For those living with pain, having a coach in your corner can mean the difference between merely surviving and truly thriving.
This is why Pain Coach Academy exists - to train, support, and certify pain coaches who can bring this life-changing work to the people who need it most. Our mission is simple: to make pain coaching available everywhere, so no one has to walk this journey alone.
Because when people are equipped to take back their lives from pain, we aren’t just reducing symptoms. We are restoring hope, meaning, and possibility.
The Call to Action
Rethorn, Z. D., Pettitt, R. W., Dykstra, E., & Pettitt, C. D. (2020). Health and wellness coaching positively impacts individuals with chronic pain and pain-related interference. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0236734. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236734 | Institute of Medicine. (2011). Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. The National Academies Press. | Gatchel, R. J., McGeary, D. D., McGeary, C. A., & Lippe, B. (2014). Interdisciplinary chronic pain management: Past, present, and future. American Psychologist, 69(2), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035514 | National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). (2019). What is Health and Wellness Coaching? Retrieved from http://www.nbhwc.org
Stories of PCA
-Luisa H., Health and Wellness Course
PCA's coaching program was definitely worth the investment. The teacher's are all incredibly knowledgeable in the fields of Health and Wellness, Chronic Pain and Coaching, especially MI. Not only did they deliver the material effectively and set us up for success, but they also created an engaging and safe space for students to practice their coaching skills and share their thoughts. I would highly recommend this program!
Motivational Interviewing Skills
Students will develop professional communication techniques such as active listening, OARS (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, summaries), and structured strategies for engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning in coaching conversations.
Foundations of Health and Wellness Coaching
Students will be introduced to core theories of coaching, such as Positive Psychology, the Stages of Change Model, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Appreciative Inquiry (AI), while exploring evidence-based approaches to facilitate client growth.
Peer-to-Peer Coaching Practice
Students will engage in supervised practice sessions with classmates, fostering skill development and confidence in a collaborative learning environment.
Applied Assessments
Students will complete open-book reading exams designed to reinforce comprehension, provide practice with Q&A style questions, and confirm mastery of key curriculum content.
Understanding Pain & The Brain
Students will examine how the brain processes and maintains pain, with a focus on neuroplasticity and its role in recovery and resilience.
Mind-Body Connection & Self-Compassion
Students will investigate the interplay between physical health, emotional well-being, and cognition, practicing tools such as mindfulness, relaxation, and self-compassion to promote lasting behavioral change.
Individualized Mentorship
Each student will receive one-on-one mentoring from highly trained coaching professionals, ensuring personalized feedback, professional modeling, and individualized academic support.
Coaching Session Design & Structure
Students will learn how to design and conduct professional coaching sessions — including flow, structure, and progression — to ensure they enter the field with clarity, confidence, and readiness for practice.
At Pain Coach Academy, we go one step further...
We have relationships with leading organizations actively hiring pain coaches. Many of our graduates receive guidance and support with placements, ensuring they can step confidently into meaningful work. Check them out here!
The course is so well organized with different teachers from different specialties, which allows you to get multiple perspectives. The material is balanced between formal learning and actively practicing skills. The small class size allowed the cohort to really
get to know each other. This was an amazing course and I would recommend it to anyone!
- Janell S., Health and Wellness Course
