We Knew There Had to Be a Better Way
When SAFM was founded in 2011, we recognized a critical gap between learning functional medicine and applying it effectively in practice.
We believed practitioners deserved more than disconnected education and one-size-fits-all protocols. They deserved the knowledge, guidance, and community to help people truly get well and stay well while building more fulfilling careers.
That's why we created SAFM.
They Saw the Gaps, Too
Every practitioner brings a different experience, but many share the same realization: there has to be a better way. These are the moments that inspired them to seek something more.
Knowing Patients Deserved Better
“I just remember standing in the pharmacy thinking, ‘We are just not doing them justice.’”
Debra B., PharmD
Wanting More Than Surface-Level Education
“I was actually doing an integrative medicine fellowship. I found that I wanted more information. And I asked the professors, and they said, ‘Oh, this is just an overview. You have to take another course for that.’”
Lori M., MD
Searching for Greater Purpose
“That actually gave me the opportunity to stop and ask myself what I want to do with my life.”
Corina V., FMCHC
OUR MISSION
Instilling the Capability and Confidence to Apply Functional Medicine.
At the School of Applied Functional Medicine, our mission is to equip healthcare practitioners with the capability and confidence to apply functional medicine in real-world clinical practice.
Through evidence-informed education, deliberate case application, and systems-based clinical reasoning, we help practitioners move beyond learning functional medicine to confidently using it to address the complexity of chronic disease.
Everything we create is designed around one objective:Developing practitioners who can think differently, apply confidently, and create meaningful patient impact.
CAPABILITY
Practical application expertise in using functional medicine science.
CONFIDENCE
Continuous case practice that develops real-world clinical confidence.
COLLABORATION
A multimodal learning environment where practitioners learn alongside one another to amplify impact.
What Became Possible
For practitioners who wanted something more, SAFM opened the door to new possibilities. Their experiences reflect what's possible when deeper learning meets meaningful support, connection, and opportunity.
Expanding Impact and Opportunity
“We create those great pathways for people, like for ourselves as a career pathway, and on the other hand, for our patients and clients.”
Corina V., FMCHC
Finding Deeper Fulfillment
“It helped me basically fill something I didn't even know was missing. So real satisfaction in helping people is transformative, I have to say.”
Karin M., HC
Creating a Career That Fits Your Life
“Helping women to trust their bodies again and address root causes has brought me a level of fulfillment and alignment I had never experienced before. I feel like my professional and personal lives are finally integrated.”
Dee Ann V., RPh
Transforming Healthcare Requires a Meaningful Standard
Education develops practitioners. Standards advance professions.
That’s why SAFM’s mission extends beyond education.
Through the Applied Functional Medicine Certification (AFMC), we’re helping recognize applied clinical competency, strengthen professional credibility, and support the advancement of functional medicine.
SAFM Education
Evidence-informed education designed for real-world clinical practice.
Applied Clinical Competency
Develop the capability to apply functional medicine with confidence in practice.
AFMC Certification
A credential that recognizes practitioners who demonstrate applied clinical competency.
Advancing the Profession
Elevating professional expectations, strengthening credibility, and fostering collaboration.
Transforming Healthcare
Working together to create a future where functional medicine becomes the standard of care.
A Shared Standard. A Stronger Profession.
As more practitioners earn the AFMC credential, we are building a community committed to excellence, collaboration, andthe advancement of functional medicine.
The Visionary Behind SAFM
The School of Applied Functional Medicine was founded in 2011 by Tracy Harrison, a scientist, systems engineer, clinician, and educator whose vision extended beyond creating another educational program.
After leaving the high-tech corporate world, Tracy built a successful multi-modality practice grounded in functional medicine principles. Along the way, she recognized a critical gap in practitioner education: healthcare professionals didn’t need more information alone, they needed the capability and confidence to apply functional medicine in real-world clinical practice.
That realization became the foundation of SAFM.Today, Tracy’s systems-based approach continues to shape every aspect of the school, from our case-based curriculum and emphasis on practical application to our commitment to advancing professional standards through the Applied Functional Medicine Certification (AFMC).
Her vision continues to guide SAFM’s mission to develop practitioners who think differently, apply confidently, and help shape the future of healthcare.
Trusted by Diverse Practitioners Around the World
Nurse Practitioners • Physician Associates • Pharmacists • Physicians • Nurses • Health Coaches • Nutrition Professionals • Rehabilitation Professionals • Integrative & Wellness Practitioners
20+
Healthcare Modalities
5,000+
Practitioners Trained
75+
Practitioner Countries
Since 2011
Shaping Healthcare
CME/CE
Accredited Education
An estimated collective impact of over one million lives, and growing!
