We were lucky to catch up with Sandra Scheinbaum recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sandra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I was a clinical psychologist for over 35 years. When I turned 65, I experienced an “ah-ha” moment: I could start an online school to train health coaches.. My speciality had been health psychology, I had a background in education, and the world needed health coaches. So rather than retire like so many of my peers, I found a partner and we launched the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy. Neither of us had business experience. What we did have was a clear mission and purpose: to train thousands of health coaches, who could make a huge impact by guiding people around the globe to lead healthier lives. We’ve now trained close to 4000 health coaches! Lesson learned: you’re never too old to pursue your dreams.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

From an early age, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I also loved learning, so immediately after college, I got a masters degree in learning disabilities. My first job was teaching children with severe learning and behavior disorders. That position sparked an interest in teacher burnout, parenting, and stress, which led to enrolling in a doctoral program in clinical psychology. I practiced for over 35 years as a clinical psychologist combined with teaching university courses. All of these work and educational experiences served a purpose and were the right choices at the time. But well-being meant more than career satisfaction and fulfilling my love of learning.

By studying mind-body medicine, I gathered a variety of ways to find personal inner peace. Some of these strategies came from mindfulness training and positive psychology. I also discovered the important connection between food and mood, and between exercise and well-being. so I radically changed my diet and began to work out regularly. I trained to become a yoga instructor and have practiced yoga everyday for the past 20 years.

In 2009, I learned of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and decided to attend one of their conferences. Here was a transformational way of thinking about chronic illness that looks at root causes, rather than just naming the condition and prescribing a particular treatment.

After that first workshop, I enrolled in every course offered through IFM and am proud to be a member of the first graduating class (and the first clinical psychologist) of Certified Functional Medicine Practitioners. Not only did discovering functional medicine change my life, it also transformed the way I worked with patients. With this approach, I helped hundreds of people. But I knew that I had a larger mission: to train health coaches in this ground-breaking approach. Together with my partner, Elyse Wagner, I founded the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) in collaboration with IFM.

A health coach takes clients from where they are to where they want to be. They act as an ally, a personal cheerleader. To be a good health coach, one does not need to come from a background in healthcare. Many of our students came from diverse fields such as finance, business, education, or communications. Many coaches worked previously as nurses, physical therapists, personal trainers, mental health professionals, and a host of other professions. If you have a true passion for helping others, consider entering this rewarding field.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

More is not always better. I had to learn that multiplication by subtraction can be a winning formula. Simply put, sometimes the best way to complete a project is to drop it. Early in my career, I said yes to every opportunity. After founding FMCA, I had to learn to say “no” or “not now.” Rather than having many balls in the air, I now focus on just a few important initiatives as a time. As a visionary and idea generator, this new way of operating has been challenging and I’m still working on it.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Without question, wha’t’s most helpful is not going it alone. I love the saying “who, not how” that was coined by the legendary coach, Dan Sullivan. Find the right “who.” That could mean a business partner, a mentor,, a coach, or someone skilled in areas that are challenging for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsandi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicinecoaching/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/SandraScheinbaumphd/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/fxmedcoach/
• Youtube: Functionalmedicinecoaching
• Other: Clubhouse: @drsandi