mastering the art & science of
gastrointestinal healing
Proper gastrointestinal function
is the foundation of health and clinical excellence.
Digestion is the body’s first priority. As a practitioner, it should be your number one priority, too.
All IRH students are required to begin their coursework with the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. After mastering the concepts and applied practices in this course, you’ll not only be able to address your clients’ digestive complaints; you’ll access the foundation that supports their immunity, detoxification, nutrient status, neurological health, and more.
Ready to Get Started?
Generic Protocols Aren’t Enough. Create Targeted Recommendations That Work
Generic protocols aren’t enough. You need the clinical expertise to assess each client’s unique presentation and create targeted interventions that actually work.
The breakthrough comes when you master gastrointestinal healing as the foundation of all health. Digestion impacts everything: immunity, detoxification, hormone production, and nutrient absorption.
Our Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing course transforms how you practice by teaching advanced testing interpretation, bioindividual protocol development, and our exclusive approach to reversing food sensitivities and resolving gut dysfunction, even in your most challenging cases.
What Makes Our Approach To GI Healing Different
Beyond Symptom Management: While others chase symptoms with supplements, we teach you to identify and address the underlying patterns that create digestive dysfunction – and systemic symptoms – in the first place.
Precision Testing & Interpretation: Learn to use objective laboratory testing – including comprehensive stool analysis, GI-MAP, H. pylori, and SIBO testing – to create targeted interventions that actually work.
Food as Foundation: Master our exclusive approach to healing food sensitivities once and for all by strategically using healing foods, supplements, and therapeutic diets rather than generic approaches.
Bio-Individual Care: Understand how to honor each client’s unique presentation and create truly personalized protocols that address their specific healing needs.

Candice Berman
Certified Restorative Health Practitioner
“I am living proof that my own healing had to start with my gut and from there it opened up a world of possibilities and the opportunity to thrive again. Seeing the depth that IRH goes into on the gut and the healing ability the gut has…I just knew I needed to get my hands on the curriculum to deepen my practice and help heal more people.”

Jordan Hoefing
Certified Restorative Health Practitioner
CNMT, FNTP
“Before taking Mastering The Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing, I thought I’d need to go to medical school to have the impact I want to make. Now, I have everything I need with the Institute of Restorative Health!”
Curriculum
Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing
1. Introduction & Welcome
Our Mission, Passion, and Purpose
The IRH Approach:
- Understand and honor the healing priorities of the body
- The discovery process: identifying imbalances and blocking factors to health via lab testing and effective client interviewing skills
- Develop a customized healing protocol that honors the healing priorities of the body and addresses the imbalances we found in the discovery process, and uses the tools of our trade as nutrition professionals – diet, supplements, and lifestyle – to restore balance and health
- How to work safely with testing as unlicensed practitioners
2. Digestion Anatomy & Physiology
- Learn the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal system
- Understand optimal digestion function
- Explore the many kinds of digestive dysfunction, from GERD and SIBO to parasite infections and beyond
3. The GI-MAP
- Learn what makes the GI-MAP test unique and the IRH preferred stool test
- Understand when to use this test and how to interpret it
- For students outside the US, we also learn about the Complete Microbiome Mapping test
4. CSAP & SIBO Testing
- Learn about an additional stool testing option: the Comprehensive Stool Analysis with Parasitology and how the test technology differs from the GI-MAP
- Understand when to use this test and how to interpret it
- Learn about the testing options for Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
- Understand when to use these tests and how to interpret them
5. Healing Solutions & Case Studies
Learn how to structure a therapeutic gastrointestinal healing protocol that includes:
-
- Support for optimal digestive function
- Pathogen eradication
- Gut healing
- Microbiome strengthening
- The removal of dietary stressors
- Review several case studies to see these tools applied in clinical practice
6. Adverse Food Reactions
Understand the mechanisms of different types of adverse reactions to food:
-
- Food allergy
- Food sensitivity
- Food intolerance
- Learn testing options for adverse food reactions and the benefits and downsides of each option
7. The IRH Approach to Adverse Food Reactions
Learn the unique IRH approach to gut healing:
-
- The specific combination of tests that provides the most helpful information
- How to use the information gleaned from these tests to sculpt the most effective healing protocols
- How to heal the true cause of food sensitivities
- Review several case studies to see these tools applied in clinical practice
8. Nutrients, Food & Special Diets
- Macronutrients: a review
- Macronutrient balancing based on biochemical individuality
- The role of healing foods in therapeutic protocols
- When and how to work with special diets
9. Supplements & Lifestyle
- Learn how to effectively work with supplements, including how to assess quality, dosing considerations, and how to manage ordering and shipping logistics.
- The missing link: understanding the impact of our lifestyle and emotions on our health and wellbeing
- How to properly and thoroughly assess and interpret a food journal
- How to conduct an effective initial interview that builds trust, gathers detailed clinical information, and initiates a strong relationship with your client
10. Putting it All Together
- The IRH business methodology: how to structure your practice for optimal results
- Client enrollment and retention: how to inspire, engage, and enlist your clients in their healing journey
Upon completion of this comprehensive curriculum, you’ll have foundational knowledge of:
- The systematic approach to identifying underlying patterns in digestive dysfunction
- Advanced testing interpretation methodologies that go beyond basic stool analysis
- The proprietary IRH method for addressing food reactions at their source
- How to apply first principles thinking to complex, challenging cases
Graduates will also achieve:
- True clinical mastery through hands-on application and rigorous assessment
- IRH credentials as Certified Restorative Health Practitioners
- Access to our clinical resources, including access to lab testing through IRH and our complete Healing Solutions guide that details protocols and dosing
- Eligibility for advanced certification courses (Hormones, Blood Chemistry, Clinical Mastery)
- Pathway to Master Restorative Health Practitioner designation
What’s Included When You Enroll
Comprehensive 12-Week Live Cohort for GI Clinical Mastery
Our intensive certification program provides everything needed to achieve complete mastery of gastrointestinal healing, including live clinical instruction, hands-on application, and rigorous assessment.
Regularly Updated Course Assets
10 Core Training Modules
Real-Life Case Studies
Healing Solutions Master List
*We do not specifically endorse any one supplement company. We share what works based on research and years of before/after testing in our own practices.
How To Build Customized Protocols Guide
Weekly, Live Support from a Clinically Experienced Instructor Team
10 Live Q&A Coaching Calls
1:1 Relationship With A Designated Instructor
Weekly Small Group Office Hours, Led By Our Instructors
Ongoing Access To The Instructor Team Via Your Class Forum
Perfect for Practitioners Ready For:
- Intensive clinical transformation and true GI mastery
- Comprehensive hands-on application with expert guidance
- Professional credentials and competitive marketplace advantage
Graduation Requirements:
- 80% grade on all module quizzes
- 80% grade on case study project
- 80% grade on final exams (one comprehension; one application-focused)
- Participation (live or via replay) in all mandatory webinars

Olivia Lucci
Certified Restorative Health Practitioner
“My client came to me with severe heartburn she’d had since she was 8. All doctors told her there was no hope, and just tagged on another medication. After 3 months of working together and using the principles I learned from IRH, her heartburn was completely gone. She could return to her life and feel completely pain free and fulfilled again!”

Laurane Chemenda
Certified Restorative Health Practitioner
“Since becoming an IRH Practitioner, I use the GI-Map and MRT with most of my clients and I can see a true difference in the precision of the protocols I create and the results we get. There is no guessing, just facts and applying what I learned.”

Andrea Walker
FNTP, Certified Restorative Health Practitioner
“What a gift this class is. I can’t imagine moving forward in my practice without this info, it would be like practicing blind.”
Expert Faculty & Mentorship
Our instructor team consists of highly-skilled, sought-after advanced functional health professionals who have successfully implemented these methodologies in their own thriving practices. Each faculty member brings years of real-world clinical experience helping clients achieve breakthrough results with complex cases.
Margaret Floyd Barry
Executive Director,
Institute of Restorative Health
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP, CGP
Ellen Lovelace
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, MPH, FNTP, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition
Paige Reagan
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP
Kristin Whitaker
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, Certified Nutrition Therapist
Courtenay Fisher
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP
Devin Delaney
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP
Kimme Rovin
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP
Bonnie Flemington
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP
Sarah Fields
Master Restorative Health Practitioner, FNTP
For Those Who Want To Practice With Precision & Confidence
Mastering The Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing is perfect for:
- Nutritionists and dietitians seeking advanced clinical skills
- Nurses wanting to integrate functional approaches
- Chiropractors and acupuncturists aiming to address underlying causes more effectively
- Functional medicine practitioners wanting specialized GI expertise
Prerequisites: Open to qualified health professionals.
Course Tuition & Enrollment
Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing
Comprehensive training with live instruction and IRH credentials
Tuition: $4,000 USD
Financing Options:
- Best Value: One payment of $4,000 USD
- 3-Month Plan: Three payments of $1,467 USD
- 6-Month Plan: Six payments of $747 USD
Payment plans include a financing fee for extended payment terms
Ready to Get Started?
Enroll Now For Our
January 2027 Certification Cohort
Next Live Certification Cohort Begins: January 13, 2027
Registration is now open for our full certification cohort. Due to the intensive, personalized nature of this live training, class sizes are intentionally limited to ensure optimal learning and instructor support. Enroll now to save your spot!
Ready to Get Started?
FAQs
I just graduated. Will this course be a good fit for me?
Many of our students have just graduated from a nutrition program or other health practitioner training program. We often hear from those who’ve been practicing for years before they enroll in IRH that they wished they’d had the tools IRH offers (and the better clinical results!) sooner.
It’s never too early to take this training; most students tell us that it helped them build a successful practice faster. If you have questions about your qualifications to apply for certification, email us here.
I’ve taken so many courses. All of them promised great things but only yielded minimal results. How is your program any different?
We hear you! There are hundreds of options when it comes to continuing education; it’s overwhelming and often disappointing.
Part of the reason we created this course is because we’ve taken thousands of hours of seminars, trainings, and intensives. We figured out what actually works in clinical practice, and distilled it into the Institute of Restorative Health curriculum. You’re getting the best of what we’ve discovered in our 30+ years in clinical practice, and the proof is in the results: our graduates consistently get outstanding results in their practices using the exact tools and techniques we teach.
As a non-licensed practitioner, I didn’t think I could work with lab testing. Is that true?
Most direct-access testing companies offer accounts to non-licensed practitioners. But access to testing isn’t really the issue.
While you may be able to access lab testing as a non-licensed practitioner, it’s important to make sure you’ve completed the proper training on how to run and work with labs before serving clients in this capacity. We teach you exactly how to work with labs in a way that is safe and within your scope of practice.
Unlike doctors and other licensed practitioners who use lab testing to diagnose and treat disease, you’ll learn to use lab testing to identify imbalances within the body. You’ll then leverage the data and insights from testing to make more targeted and informed recommendations for the therapeutic interventions you’re already familiar with, including diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes.
In our experience, incorporating testing into your work with clients doesn’t change your scope of practice but it does make your scope of practice so much more effective.
Labs are changing all the time - new ones are coming out with new technologies. How can I stay current with these changes after I graduate from this program?
Class graduates are invited into the IRH alumni community, which gives you access to updated course materials, including new tests, updated labs, new strategies, and the latest research supporting IRH work. The IRH team regularly updates its curriculum to keep up with the ever-evolving landscape of lab testing, supplements, and best practices.
I want to enroll, but I’m already spread too thin. How much time does the course require?
We recommend allowing at least 6 hours per week to master the class materials, participate in live Q&A webinars, and complete assignments. The structured format helps you stay on track with your cohort.
Here’s the thing about this program: everything you learn is immediately applicable to the day-to-day of your practice, and the sooner you start using the tools and approaches you learn, the sooner you’ll start getting results. All this to say, the time working on this class isn’t extraneous to your business.
In general, we recommend allowing at least 8 hours per week to master the class materials, ensure you get your questions answered, and to join in additional case studies on the weekly live Q&A webinars. But, in our experience, every hour you spend on the course will save you dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of stress and frustration in your practice.
I’m still struggling to get clients. Is now really the right time to invest in this?
While we can’t make this decision for you, we can tell you that if you’re struggling to get clients, you can’t afford NOT to invest in your business right now.
We’ve worked with thousands of practitioners around the world who all say the same thing – their clients are presenting with more and more complex health issues. Their foundational toolkit isn’t enough to help their clients heal. It wasn’t until they developed the skills needed to get to the underlying cause of their client’s health issues that they were finally able to get real results and grow their business.
In fact, many graduates of our programs started before they had any clients and have gone on to build referral-based practices with months-long waitlists thanks to the clinical skills and confidence they gained in the course.
Have a question not answered here? No worries – simply schedule time to connect with a member of our admissions team directly.
Every day you wait is another day of:
Clients leaving frustrated because standard protocols didn’t work
Missing the deeper dysfunction that’s actually driving their symptoms
Feeling uncertain about your clinical recommendations
Watching other practitioners get the results you want to achieve






