The Terms and Conditions of your purchase from Dr. Sears Wellness Institute are listed below. Please read them in full as they include:
- REQUIRED READING that you will need to purchase before starting your course
- REFUND AND TRANSFER POLICY
- PAYMENT AGREEMENT
- …and other essential information.
Equipment & Materials Needed
Technology and equipment needed for each participant to complete the course includes a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. For the best experience during a live class, a high-speed Internet connection (1mbs or faster) is recommended, as is a webcam and microphone. Master Health Coach Certification course assignments will require recorded coaching sessions with volunteers; participants will need to be able to provide recordings with clear video and audio. Participants are encouraged to close unused applications and programs on their desktop or mobile device during the session. A microphone headset is recommended for interactive class activities.
Master Certification only: NOTE: all tablets and mobile devices including, but not limited to Chromebooks, iPads and phones are incompatible with this Course. It is recommended that the participant review the technical specifications provided on the Adobe Connect website: https://helpx.adobe.com/adobe-connect/tech-specs.html and ensure participant’s computer equipment complies.
Participants will be required to purchase the following book(s) on or before week one of the training(s) in any available format.
- Health Coach Certification (Certification), Adults & Seniors (Self-study and Instructor Led):
- Prime-Time Health: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Feeling Young and Living Longer (ISBN-13: 978-0316035392) –2010, by Dr. William Sears, MD
- Health Coach Certification (Certification) Pregnancy:
- Healthy Pregnancy Book (ISBN-13: 978-0316187435) – 2013, by Dr. William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
- Master Health Coach Certification (Master Certification):
- Motivational Interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness (ISBN-13: 978-1462524181) – 2016, by Dawn Clifford and Laura Curtis
- Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (ISBN-13: 978-1609182274). 3rd Edition – 2013, by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick
- Appreciative Coaching, A Positive Process for Change (ISBN-13: 978-0787984533) – 2007 by Sara Orem, Jacqueline Binkert and Ann Clancy
- Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life (ISBN-13: 978-1892005281) – 3rd Edition – Sept. 2015, Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD
- Mastering Change: A Coach’s Guide to Using the Transtheoretical Model (This resource will only be available through the online classroom.)
Some courses include the opportunity to receive feedback on actual coaching sessions. These assignments are required to complete all courses. For each Certification course, the participant will need to recruit a minimum of three volunteers to participate in coaching sessions. For the Master Certification, the participant will need to recruit a minimum of five volunteers to participate in coaching sessions.
Attendance and Course Completion Requirements
Course completion criteria for the Certification and Master Certification(s) includes completing all required content and passing the quizzes, assignments, and exam(s). Please refer to your course syllabus to understand the passing criteria for your course. The Master Certification additionally requires attendance and participation in the twenty-four (24) live virtual class sessions. A maximum of three absences is allowed. If the participant misses all or part of a live virtual class session, the participant must view the recording of the missed class session and submit make-up assignments as provided in the instructions in the online classroom. Make-up assignments may require practice with a volunteer. If the maximum absences is exceeded, it may result in participant’s removal from the Master Certification with no right to a refund or transfer. Master Certification parts one and two must be completed by the completion date(s) indicated in the online classroom. Missing this deadline will render the course Incomplete with no opportunity to proceed to the end of the training. Any exception to the Attendance and Course Completion Requirements policy for extenuating circumstances is at the instructor’s discretion.
Note: To be eligible for the Master Certification, participant must successfully complete an initial DSWI Health Coach Certification: Families, Pregnancy or Adults & Seniors, or ACE Health Coach Certification prior to the Master Certification start date.
Participant Reschedule/Refund
Reschedule/Transfer of Live Course Cohorts
Certification courses: Any participant who is registered for a live course and wants to transfer to another course cohort can do so up until twenty-four (24) hours before the original course start date and time. Only one transfer is allowed per student and a fee of Two Hundred US Dollars (US $200.00) will be assessed. There are no transfers or reschedules allowed within twenty-four (24) hours of the first class or after the class has started.
To execute a one-time only transfer, participants MUST contact Dr. Sears Wellness Institute (DSWI) support staff to verify that a reschedule date is available.
Master Certification: The Master Certification does not allow transfers to a future Course date.
Live Course Cohort Refund
Certification Courses: Participants can be refunded the cost of the course within thirty (30) days of purchases and until twenty-four (24) hours prior to the start date and time of the first session, less a One Hundred US Dollar (US$100.00) service fee. Cancellations after the start date will not receive a refund, but may be eligible to transfer to a future date.
Master Certification: If requested in writing more than thirty (30) days before the start date of the Master Certification Course, participants can be refunded the cost of the course, less a Two Hundred Fifty US Dollar (US$250.00) service fee. Cancellations after the start date will not receive a refund.
If requested in writing twenty-nine to fourteen (29 to 14) days before the Master Course start date, participants can receive a tuition refund, less a fee of twenty-five percent (25%) of the Master Course tuition.
If requested in writing thirteen days before the Master Course start date and up to seven days after the Master Course start date, participant can receive a refund of fifty percent (50%) of the Master Course tuition.
No refunds will be issued eight or more days after the Master Course start date.
Online Courseware Return Policy
Unused self-study courseware are eligible for a refund within thirty (30) days of purchase (less a One Hundred US Dollar (US$100.00) service fee), unless explicitly ineligible per the product page.
Transfer of Registration
Registration for a live course is valid only for the registered participant. DSWI shall not transfer a participant’s registration to another individual.
Intellectual Property
All intellectual property rights in the course materials, handouts, PowerPoint slides, and comments made by attendees and the instructor(s) are owned by DSWI.
Participants are not authorized to:
Copy, modify, reproduce, republish, sublicense, sell, upload, broadcast, post, transmit or distribute any of the course materials or content, unless specifically designated as a resource for client distribution and use.
Record on video or audio tape, or relay by videophone or other means, any portion of the class sessions.
DSWI reserves the right to discontinue the sale or support of any product at any time, to remove, correct, or update content based on current industry standards, guidelines, or technological advances. Notification will be given to those who have purchased products that will be unsupported or will expire six months prior to that date. No refund will be given for unsupported or expiring products.
Live Events Disclaimer
DSWI reserves the right to record and monitor any live sessions for quality control using video and audio recording. By participating in any live class, all participants are giving their consent for such recordings.
DSWI Participant Code of Conduct
DSWI is entitled, at its sole discretion, and without warning, to remove and/or terminate participants who act in an aggressive, bullying, offensive, threatening, or harassing manner towards any participant or course instructors. Participants removed or terminated from a course will not be eligible for a refund.
DSWI Cancellations of Live Course Cohorts
In the event that the DSWI cancels a live course or fails to fulfill all sessions in a course, participants can transfer to another upcoming session. If a transfer is not feasible, a full refund will be issued to each participant registered for the cancelled class. DSWI is not responsible for any other expenses the participant may have incurred as a result of participation in the class or cancellation of the class.
Web Linking
Links may appear in a course to link to other web sites. DSWI has no control over the linked web sites or other materials, information, goods, or services available or contained on these linked sites. DSWI is not responsible for and does not endorse products or guarantee accuracy in any way of such sites. If you decide to access any of the linked sites, you do so entirely at your own risk. DSWI reserves the right to terminate any link at any time.
Payment Plan
Payment Breakdown
When applicable, your total purchase will be divided into payments as defined by the payment plan selected. The first payment will be due at checkout today, and the remaining in distributed automatic payments to be scheduled and will begin in one month.
Payment Agreement
Participant understands that if full payment is not received on or before the due date, all outstanding payments become immediately due. Participant understands that they are responsible for promptly notifying DSWI of any email or billing changes that may occur. Payment must be in U.S. dollars. DSWI may, at its discretion, immediately suspend Participant from the course until all payments have been received. If participant is suspended from any live course for failure to pay, Participant will be required to pay an additional Two Hundred US Dollars (US $200.00) enrollment fee for transferring to a training course at a later date (applicable only if transfers are permitted) or forfeit all rights to complete the course. Suspension or removal of participant by DSWI from the course does not relieve participant of the outstanding payments due. Participant acknowledges and agrees to be liable for DSWI’s right to assess reasonable collection fees and attorney’s fees incurred in the collection of outstanding fees and include them in the calculation of participant’s total debt obligation.
Continuing Education Credits
Continuing Education Credits and/or Professional Development Units must be requested along with license number and date of birth in writing prior to the conclusion of the first 6-week training course.
