Integrative Institute in NYC...anyone know...

[lovbeingamommy]

Has anyone gone through the program here or know anything about it? I received an e-mail today that they are offering a distance education (15mo) program where you will receive you Health Consultant Certificate. I am very interested in this, but wonder what it would qualify me to do afterwards It's really expensive so I'm trying to find unbiased info about the school before I invest $5000+ and lots of time.

http://integrativenutrition.com

The Program sounds phenomenal and I especially like it because it's a holistic approach to nutrition. WWYT?

[staceychev]

All I know is that it was murder getting off their mailing list!

I dunno. I really liked their philosophies, but it also felt a little weird on the graduation side to me. I got an "MLM" feel from it. I'm really interested to hear if someone else had any experiences with it, as well, though.

Are you interested in counseling or learning about food? I always said that if I won the lottery I was going to quit my teaching job and go to the Natural Gourment Cookery School!

[lovbeingamommy]

Actually I just want to learn everything I can about food and how it can be used to maximize health. My overall goal is to open a charter or private school that focuses on developing and enhancing the whole person - mind, body, soul. I'd also like to earn some money on the side by providing nutritional consultations.

[o'smom]

I have no first-hand experience with it myself, but I will relate my friend's: she lives in NYC and was very interested in their program a few years ago so got all the info and even went to talk to someone about it. She loved the idea of the program and thought some of their classes and instructors sounded amazing, but was a bit put off by how the end of the program was very focused on you setting up your business as a health consultant. She wasn't bothered by the idea of the business, but in how they basically had a formula for you to follow. She decided not to go (and instead did take a few classes at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School). Some time later she was looking for someone to help her with a few health issues she felt were food related and she found a health consultant who had graduated from the Integrative institute. My friend ended up seeing her for only 1 visit and was really put off by the whole business approach. She said it felt like she was getting roped into one of those health club memberships -- the woman wanted her to sign up (and pay in advance) for 6 months of nutrition/wellness consulting and said that was how her business operated. My friend has no idea if the woman was any good or not, because she never went back -- she said she felt like the woman was focusing on the business aspect (getting her to "sign up") more so than her actual health. She ended up just seeing a naturopath.

[kgrace]

Yes I completed the 6 months with a woman who graduated from there and learned a great deal in retrospect, but I don't think it was worth 1250.00...nothing personal to the counselor but it felt very business minded less holistic.
I think a better investement would be healthy cooking classes or some other specific form of health counseling.

[lovbeingamommy]

o'smom and kgrace you've given me an idea...I think what I'll do is see if they're anyone in AZ that graduated from there and request a consultation from them. I'm pretty good about reading people so that might give me a good idea about the Institutes philosophy...sort of indirectly that is. I don't know $5000 is a lot of money and you're not really getting a degree that's recognized by more of the mainstream organizations. I'm wondering if it might be better to pursue getting a masters degree from the local university in nutrition. Also, Southwest School of Naturopathic Medicine is in the next city so that's an option also. I've taken a few classes there when I was planning to go into naturopathic medicine.

[Periwinkle]

funny - I just did an MDC search on "integrative nutrition" because someone I know kept referencing being "board certified" from this place I'd never heard of. A little googling and I found this:

http://www.credentialwatch.org/reports/iin.shtml

According to this, it's not a real school at all, just a marketing scheme... where in order to graduate you have to sign up 2 people for a 6 month long workshop. I got the heebie jeebies about it listening to this person talk and now I think I know why.

[3HealthyBoys]

Have you looked into Clayton College of Natural Health? I am working on a Masters in Holistic Nutrition through them through their online program (I am also in AZ). Their program is awesome and I am really enjoying the freedom to do it at my own pace. Plus, out of all of the programs that I looked at they were definitely the most reasonable in price! Their website is www.ccnh.edu if you are interested in looking into. i really like their approach to health.

[babycarrier]

Timely thread - I was this close to signing up for the distance learning this week, but decided to sleep on it some more (I've been interested for the past 2 years). I'm glad I called and spoke with the admissions person - but it felt like a really hard sell. She was nice, but not sure if it is the place for me. The speakers look excellent but I am also looking at University of Bridgeport distance nutrition program. I'm jealous that you are a town away from Southwest school - I'm on their mailing list but live in CT.

Interesting to hear from someone in Clayton's program as that is another avenue I've looked at.

[lapis]

I went to IIN in 07/08 and do not recommend it. If you'd like to know more or have specific questions please feel free to pm me and I'd be happy to share.

[Periwinkle]

Quick update - IIR is definitely a multi-layer marketing scheme (MLM). I looked into it further and spoke in depth with someone who was "certified" from their program and a.) the degree is completely meaningless and doens't actually give you any recognizable certification/qualifications at all and b.) it costs a lot of money and you have to sell sell sell it to other people. Sadly so are SO MANY of these businesses being targeted at stay-at-home moms are MLM these days - baskets, jewelry, candles, make-up, home products, cookware, health supplements, I could go on. My kids are in elementary school now and we get bombarded with "jewelry shows" and "eco-cleaning workshop" b.s. all the time. It seems half of American moms are selling something (and recruiting) for an MLM these days.

[LeslieB]

Glad I did a search for this thread. I was close to signing up for the school, as well. I think I'll skip it. Thanks!

[lapis]

yep! exactly what periwinkle said... I was so put off some of the weekends and they were often painfully "off" in so many areas that I literally was just dumbfounded and walked out.... just thinking about it makes me fume... and I'm not generally a very heated kind of lady!!!!

[jess1456]

LAPIS I keep trying to PM you but it wont let me:( Anyway here is what I tried to send you:

Hi, i saw that you said you don't recommend the IIN program and I am literally on the verge of signing up (as in possibly tomorrow) so I was wondering if you'd mind answering a few of my questions. First off, I'm curious why you don't recommend it? Did you graduate from the program, btw? Since leaving/graduating from that school do you work in the industry at all, do you work as a health coach or have you tried it in the past?

I'm sort of thinking that it might be a good fit for me, but I feel like I am basically paying for the certificate itself.....I already know a lot about nutrition already and continue to learn but cannot spend the time in a university getting a degree or anything...so basically I just want to have something, a certificate or something so I can have a "title" to work as a health coach. I don't think I can find any clients if I haven't had any kind of "formal" training or any certifications. I do want my health coach career to my my primary source of income, but I don't want to be a "salesperson". What are your thoughts? Thanks so much.