Both programs include the same 10 core training modules and foundational curriculum. Here’s what differs:

Full Certification includes: Live Q&A calls, designated instructor support, exams and quizzes to ensure mastery, Healing Solutions database access, personal lab review, IRH certification, and eligibility for advanced certification courses.

The Self-Study option includes hands-on practical application opportunities through pre-selected Q&A sessions from previous cohorts, optional peer community access, and self-paced learning. Note that this option does not include live instruction, certification, clinical mentorship, or access to our Healing Solutions database.

If you’re a qualified health practitioner, you can apply to upgrade to our Full Certification Program at any time. Upon acceptance into the certification program, we’ll apply your Self-Study investment toward the certification tuition.

Yes! Our Self-Study option is open to anyone interested in learning about gastrointestinal healing, including individuals focused on their personal health journey and supporting their families.

However, please note that like all Self-Study students, you won’t receive access to our Healing Solutions database, IRH certification, or testing access through IRH. The program provides foundational knowledge that can inform your personal health decisions, but it’s educational content rather than personalized health guidance.

Not at all! The core training modules are identical in both programs. When you upgrade, you’ll join a live cohort for the full certification experience including mentorship, 1:1 support and all the additional resources.

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. Our Full Certification Program requires an application, but our Self-Study option has open enrollment if you want to start exploring our methodology immediately. If you have questions about your qualifications to apply for certification, email us here.

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.

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. Both our Full Certification Program and Self-Study option teach you exactly how to work with labs in a way that is safe and within your scope of practice.

However, only our Full Certification Program provides actual access to lab testing through IRH and our complete Healing Solutions database with specific protocols and dosing recommendations. The Self-Study option teaches the methodology and clinical application skills, but you would need to arrange your own lab testing access and won’t have access to our clinical resource database.

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.

Full Certification Program 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 their curriculum to keep up with the ever-evolving landscape of lab testing, supplements, and best practices.

Self-Study students receive updates to the foundational curriculum materials during their access period. If you upgrade to certification later, you’ll gain full access to the ongoing alumni community and resources.

For Full Certification Program: 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.

For Self-Study: Since it’s self-paced, you control the timeline entirely. You could study intensively and complete it in a few weeks or spread it out over your full year of access. Most students find they can make steady progress with 3-4 hours per week.

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 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.

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. And, their foundational toolkit isn’t enough to help their clients heal. It wasn’t until they developed the skills needed to get to the root 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 Mastering The Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing 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. 

If budget is a concern, our Self-Study option provides an accessible entry point to start building these essential skills, with the option to upgrade to full certification as your practice grows.