Assistant Professor
Behavioral Medicine
Director of Master of Kinesiology in Integrative Wellness
Point Loma Nazarene University; University of California- San Diego
Dr. Jessica Matthews, DBH, NBC-HWC is assistant professor and director of the Master of Kinesiology in Integrative Wellness program at Point Loma Nazarene University. An award-winning and innovative educator, she has created and implemented graduate degree and professional certificate programs at several colleges in Southern California, in addition to teaching a variety of graduate courses in areas such as lifestyle medicine and integrative health.
A national board certified health and wellness coach (NBC-HWC) and board member of the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), Dr. Matthews serves as director of integrative health coaching in the Centers for Integrative Health at UC San Diego in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health. She also serves as lead faculty in the area of health behavior change for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum as well as founding chair of the ACLM health and wellness coaches member interest group.
A trusted resource for evidence-based wellness information, for over a decade Dr. Matthews has regularly contributed to numerous media outlets, including, but not limited to, CNN, The Washington Post, Women's Health, The New York Times, NPR, and Doctor Radio. She has authored and edited several books, including The Professional's Guide to Health and Wellness Coaching, and in 2019 delivered a TEDx talk aptly titled "Reclaiming Wellness."
Dr. Matthews is genuinely passionate about inspiring others to thrive in their lives—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and socially—while simultaneously serving the greater good. As such, for years she led donation-based oceanfront yoga classes in which 100% of proceeds were donated to various non-profit organizations which speak to her heart. For her superior instructional abilities and positive influence within her local community and the global health and fitness industry as a yoga educator, Dr. Matthews was honored as the 2017 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year.