FNA Curriculum
The Funk’tional Nutrition Academy™ is a 14-month functional nutrition certification program.
FNA bridges the gap between functional nutrition knowledge and clinical application to help you create a transformative experience for your clients, leverage yourself as an expert, and grow your business.
Modules include thorough lab trainings so you understand how to analyze specific functional lab testing, when to apply them in your practice, and how to create protocols for your clients based on their symptoms and lab results AND what to do if these protocols don’t work! FNA takes training a step further by weaving live case studies throughout modules so you learn how to communicate with clients, help with application, and learn how to think outside the box to troubleshoot tough cases—when you’ve done everything right, and it’s still not working.
The curriculum gets DEEP into high-level functional medicine nutrition education concepts.
There’s more to owning or starting a successful practice than just clinical knowledge. This is why FNA also includes business trainings specifically curated for health practitioners to support steady growth in your practice AND personal transformation…all while avoiding burnout.
FNA was created in response to the gaps in the functional nutrition space. Many practitioners spend a lot of time and money on different “functional” trainings, yet are still unsure how to take what they’ve learned and put it into practice effectively—at FNA, you’ll learn just that, from instructors who’ve already done it.
Help your clients on a deeper level.
To become an excellent functional medicine practitioner, you must do more than order functional lab tests and hand out protocols.
Monthly Curriculum
The Base 6
Month 1
Where every solid case begins. This month lays the foundation for Intuitive Functional Medicine™ with The Base 6™ framework - our signature starting point for every client, regardless of complexity. You’ll walk away with intake forms, assessment tools, functional lab interpretation frameworks, and the exact clinical flow Erin uses in her practice.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Know how to actually start a case (beyond just getting a health history) - including intake forms, your first appointment flow, and what it really means to identify root causes
Integrate the Base 6™ pillars of healing: Mindset, stress, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, and digestion - not just theory, but how to teach, sequence, and personalize each one for your clients
Understand when and how to incorporate functional lab testing (spoiler: it's not always the first step)
Know how to read and interpret basic bloodwork through a functional lens (including CMP and cholesterol panels)
Implement trauma-informed care throughout your work, including discovery calls, client onboarding, and beyond
Lab Spotlights: Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), Micronutrient Panel, Cholesterol Panel
Neuroendicrine 1 & HPA axis
Month 2
Stress is one of the most misunderstood and under-addressed drivers of chronic health issues, and this month is dedicated to helping you truly understand its physiological impact. We delve deeply into the HPA axis and explore how chronic stress impacts cortisol, DHEA, energy levels, weight, hormone balance, and overall health. You'll walk away with the tools to confidently analyze DUTCH test results (including advanced cortisol patterns), make sense of adrenal dysfunction, and begin building simple, effective protocols to support real-world clients. This is where functional testing meets real-life application.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Clearly explain how modern stress and burnout impact adrenal function and overall health
Understand and interpret HPA axis dysfunction
Navigate DUTCH test results, including Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), cortisone, and DHEA markers
Support clients through dietary, lifestyle, and supplement-based protocols for adrenal health
Integrate HRV and other wearable data with your clients
Confidently apply adrenal support in both female and male clients using functional lab data
Lab Spotlight: DUTCH Test Part 1 (Adrenals)
Neuroendocrine 2 | Thyroid Health
Month 3A
This month focuses on unlocking the complexities of thyroid health beyond the conventional model. You’ll dive into the physiology and function of the thyroid gland, understand why typical testing, such as TSH alone, often misses underlying issues, and explore the critical connections between thyroid function and other systems, including blood sugar, liver, adrenals, gut, and sex hormones. You’ll also learn to interpret a comprehensive thyroid lab panel and approach conditions like hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s with clinical nuance, helping your clients with effective nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement support.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Explain thyroid physiology and the expanded functional model of thyroid health
Identify the limitations of conventional thyroid testing and how to leverage comprehensive lab panels
Understand and interpret lab patterns across the hypothyroid spectrum and autoimmune thyroid disease
Connect thyroid health to blood sugar regulation, liver function, adrenal support, gut health, and inflammation
Apply nutrition and supplement protocols tailored to thyroid support – in practical language, your clients can understand
Lab Spotlight: Complete Thyroid Panel
HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis)
Month 3B
The second half of this month introduces you to Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as a powerful tool for assessing mineral imbalances and toxic metals exposure in clients. You’ll learn how to properly set up and interpret HTMA testing, focusing on optimizing mineral status, as well as understanding metabolic typing through mineral patterns. You’ll gain practical insights into foundational treatment protocols and work through real-world case studies to apply your knowledge.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Set up and navigate HTMA testing for client assessment
Understand the role and importance of key minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium
Learn how mineral levels can influence digestion, blood sugar, and thyroid symptoms.
Identify toxic metals and their impact on client health
Develop foundational treatment plans based on HTMA results
Apply HTMA insights through case study analysis for practical clinical use
Lab Spotlight: HTMA
Hormones | Part 1
Month 4
This month focuses on female hormonal health, cycle tracking, common issues such as estrogen dominance, and hormone testing methods, including the DUTCH test. You’ll also learn about dietary and herbal supports, the effects of stress on hormones, and how to use the menstrual cycle diagnostically. This month also offers modules and insights into optimizing male hormones.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Understand female reproductive anatomy and cycles
Help clients track their menstrual cycle
Address common period issues and hormone imbalances
Educate on birth control and endocrine disruptors
Recommend dietary and herbal hormone supports
Grasp key hormone physiology basics
Interpret DUTCH and serum hormone tests
Use menstrual cycles as a diagnostic tool
Optimize male hormones and fertility
Lab Spotlight: DUTCH Test Part 2 (Hormones Overview), Hormone Serum Testing
Hormones | Part 2
Month 5
This month dives deeper into complex hormone-related conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and menopause. You’ll explore the connections between the gut and immune system, hormone detoxification, and insulin resistance. There’s a strong focus on reproductive health challenges, including infertility, postpartum, and hormonal migraines, plus advanced DUTCH testing modules. Expert-led sessions add clinical depth on bioidentical hormones, melatonin, and pregnancy considerations.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Assess and support estrogen clearance for your clients
Understand endometriosis and its links to gut & immunity
Address and create protocols for PCOS
Recognize progesterone and hormone roles in PMDD and beyond
Manage insulin resistance and hypothalamic amenorrhea
Guide clients through perimenopause, menopause, postpartum, and other endocrine transitions
Interpret advanced DUTCH test markers
Use cycle mapping for hormonal migraines and birth control insights
Lab Spotlight: DUTCH Test Part 3 (Progesterone, Estrogens, Androgens, Methylation, OAT markers, Melatonin)
Functional Practice Builders | Strategy, Support & Skills to Grow a Functional Practice That Aligns with Your Purpose
Month 6
This month marks the official launch of our business curriculum:
Functional Practice Builders™, a full-spectrum business training experience created exclusively for functional medicine practitioners. Month 6 is dedicated to providing you with the strategic tools, mentorship, and mindset shifts necessary to build a thriving, values-aligned practice. Whether you’re starting from scratch or scaling what’s already working, this is where you learn how to confidently grow your income and impact, without burning out or selling out.
By the end of this month, you will be able to:
Clarify your niche, messaging, and market position
Design offers that solve real problems (and sell with ease)
Confidently price and package your services for sustainability and profitability
Create simple, aligned marketing strategies that attract ideal clients
Understand what drives growth at different phases of business
Launch offers without stress, pressure, or bro-marketing tactics
Shift your mindset from “practitioner” to “practice owner.”
Module Highlights: Access to Erin’s proven frameworks, including Energetics of Expansion, The Boundaries Course, and Manifest Your Wealth
GI 1 | Digestion & Gut Protocols
Month 7
This month dives deep into digestion and gut health, focusing on how to address digestion from north to south. You’ll explore common issues such as leaky gut, gluten sensitivity, and digestive disorders, along with practical strategies and case insights to support your clients’ digestive wellness.
By the end of this month, you’ll be able to:
Confidently explain the roles of the stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder in the digestive process.
Identify and address root causes of leaky gut, including how to support mucosal barrier integrity.
Navigate gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, and appropriate dietary interventions.
Understand how (and why) we need to rethink the 5R Protocol
Design personalized gut healing plans that reflect a client’s unique history, symptoms, and functional lab data.
Integrate trauma-informed care into your approach, especially when working with chronic gut dysfunction.
Effectively support clients dealing with common digestive concerns, such as constipation, GERD, reflux, and bloating.
Lab Spotlight: Wheat Zoomer
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Month 8
This month focuses on SIBO and related digestive conditions, such as IBS, covering their causes, testing, and treatment strategies. You’ll learn about different types of SIBO, dietary protocols, and symptom relief strategies, plus real case studies and expert interviews to deepen your clinical insight.
By the end of this month, you’ll be able to:
Understand the various types of SIBO, their associated risk factors, and the underlying mechanisms that drive overgrowth.
Confidently interpret SIBO test results, including breath testing for hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide.
Develop effective treatment strategies using targeted antimicrobials, therapeutic dietary protocols, prokinetics, and more.
Avoid common treatment pitfalls and troubleshoot when protocols don’t go as planned.
Apply real-world clinical insights through case studies that highlight complex or stubborn SIBO presentations.
Incorporate supportive techniques such as abdominal massage and gut-directed hypnotherapy for symptom relief.
Lab Spotlight: SIBO Testing
GI Pathogens & Microbiome Restoration
Month 9
This month dives into the gut microbiome, stool testing, and pathogen management. You’ll explore how to improve microbiome diversity, key bacterial players, stool test interpretation, and protocols for common gut pathogens like H. pylori and parasites. Expert insights and case studies help you master microbiome restoration in clinical practice.
By the end of this month, you’ll be able to:
Explain the fundamentals of the gut microbiome and strategies to support and improve microbial diversity.
Identify the roles and clinical significance of key bacterial strains, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia, and others.
Confidently interpret stool testing, including GI-MAP results, and use the data to inform clinical decisions.
Assess the impact of pathogens, opportunistic organisms, and potential autoimmune triggers in gut dysfunction.
Design targeted protocols for Candida, H. pylori, gastritis, ulcers, and more using functional and root-cause approaches.
Understand the role of parasites in chronic gut issues and apply effective treatment strategies.
Use probiotics with precision, including how to select strains, develop dosing strategies, and determine the optimal timing within a protocol.
Explore the gut-skin connection and learn how to integrate this knowledge into your treatment approach, drawing on insights from expert interviews.
Lab Spotlight: GI-MAP Comprehensive Stool Analysis
Real World Case Studies | Erin Working with Clients
Month 10
This month, dive deep into clinical application as Erin Holt leads with real client case studies. Watch Erin work live with complex, diverse cases, showcasing her signature Intuitive Functional Medicine™ approach. You’ll see the mind-emotion-body connection in action, practical strategies, and how Erin adapts protocols for individual clients.
Featured case studies include:
Dana: Managing Hashimoto’s & the critical impact of gluten-free
Briana: Endometriosis & health anxiety integration
Rebecca: Hormonal migraines, rosacea, and eczema protocols
Cariker: Complex Lyme, mold exposure & hydrogen sulfide SIBO
Sally: IBS & nervous system downregulation
Alana: Thyroid, gut, and childhood health complexities
Monica: SIBO relapse with migraines & weight gain
Each case includes multiple videos, offering you an immersive learning experience with Erin’s clinical decision-making and patient coaching.
Autoimmunity, Immune Tolerance & Food Sensitivities
Month 11
Autoimmunity doesn't develop in isolation. In this module, you’ll explore how gut health, food sensitivities, immune dysregulation, trauma, and restrictive eating patterns all contribute to chronic inflammation and loss of immune tolerance. You’ll learn how to move beyond symptom management by supporting immune regulation at the root. From clinical tools like food sensitivity testing and elimination diets to nuanced approaches such as exposure therapy, intuitive eating, and mindset support, this month provides a comprehensive framework for addressing complex immune presentations with confidence.
By the end of this month, you’ll be able to:
Understand the root causes behind the rise in food sensitivities and intolerances, including the role of gut integrity and environmental exposures.
Differentiate between food allergies, sensitivities, intolerances, and histamine-related responses, and understand how to assess each clinically.
Interpret and apply food sensitivity testing, including peptide-level data and elimination-provocation diet results, with clarity and confidence.
Design personalized immune tolerance protocols using food exposure, supplementation, and gut-immune system support strategies.
Integrate trauma-informed care and mindset work when supporting clients with chronic food reactivity and autoimmune patterns.
Recognize and support MCAS, POTS, and other complex presentations often associated with immune dysregulation.
Help clients shift away from restrictive eating patterns that can harm immune health and work toward more autonomous, intuitive eating.
Confidently educate clients on the connection between gut health, hormones, and immune activation, especially when standard tests come back inconclusive.
Lab Spotlight: Food Sensitivity Testing
The Nervous System & The Brain-Gut Connection
Month 12
Month 12 delves deeply into the intricate dialogue between the gut and the brain, a critical axis for understanding and healing complex, chronic conditions. Erin guides you through the science and clinical applications of vagus nerve function, brain inflammation, trauma, and the limbic system’s role in chronic illness. You'll also explore unresponsive GI disorders and integrative approaches, including trauma-informed care and the cutting-edge potential of psychedelics in functional medicine.
This month also features expert-led masterclasses in physical medicine, covering pelvic physical therapy, hiatal hernia syndrome, and prenatal body balance, underscoring the holistic, whole-body approach to healing.
By the end of this month, you’ll be able to:
Explain the gut-brain axis, including how vagus nerve function impacts digestion, inflammation, and emotional health.
Assess vagus nerve dysfunction and apply strategies for regulation in client protocols.
Understand the inflammatory model of depression, including the role of LPS and endotoxemia in mood and mental health.
Hold space for clients with unresponsive or stubborn GI disorders and know how to go deeper when typical approaches fall short.
Recognize the physiological impact of trauma on the limbic system and how hypervigilance affects both gut and brain function.
Explore the emerging role of psychedelics in functional medicine with an informed, responsible lens.
Incorporate trauma-informed care principles into your practice to support client safety, trust, and nervous system regulation.
Understand how physical medicine and pelvic floor therapy can support gut, immune, and trauma recovery, especially in complex or chronic cases.
Mitochondria, Energy Production, Detox, Mold & Fatigue
Month 13
This month focuses on mitochondrial health and its pivotal role in energy production, detoxification, and chronic fatigue. Erin and expert contributors guide you through the complex links between mitochondrial dysfunction, environmental toxins, mold exposure, and their impact on overall health and vitality. You’ll learn how to support mitochondrial function and detoxification through practical strategies, drainage pathways, lymphatic health, and specific therapies, such as castor oil packs. Deep dives into mold and mycotoxin testing include case studies and expert Q&A sessions.
The month also includes a comprehensive module on Organic Acid Testing (OAT), a powerful tool for assessing metabolic function, detoxification pathways, nutrient status, and microbial markers, accompanied by detailed interpretation guides to empower confident clinical decision-making.
By the end of this month, you’ll be able to:
Explain core detoxification pathways and how mitochondrial function impacts energy, resilience, and symptom expression.
Identify common sources of environmental toxins, including mold and mycotoxins, and understand their clinical relevance.
Apply functional strategies to support clients with mold toxicity and chemical exposure, utilizing case studies to inform real-world applications.
Understand the basics of genetics, epigenetics, and nutrigenomics, and how they influence detox capacity and nutrient needs.
Confidently interpret Organic Acid Testing, including markers for metabolism, neurotransmitter health, oxidative stress, detox pathways, and microbial imbalances.
Explore targeted nutrient therapies, including insights into injectable support, and how to integrate advanced tools when appropriate.
Lab Spotlight: Organic Acids Test
Final Case Study for Certification
Month 14
The purpose of this final case report is for FNA faculty to get insight into your clinical thought process and your ability to apply the principles of Intuitive Functional Medicine™, a whole-human approach to functional medicine nutrition and holistic health.
The goal of FNA is to get you confident working in a clinical setting with actual humans, so our final exam reflects this – we want to see you fly in a real-world setting!
You will have 8 months to complete & submit your final exam case study. We are not looking for “all the right answers,” but instead we are assessing your critical thinking tools since this is how we learn, grow & hone our clinical skills IRL.