Jessica Matthews

Dr. Jessica Matthews serves as an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Master of Science in Kinesiology, Integrative Wellness within the College of Health Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). Concurrently, she holds the position of Director of Health and Wellness Coaching at UC San Diego Health, leading the integration of health coaching into clinical practice and research while overseeing a team of national board certified coaches in the Centers for Integrative Health.

Her academic credentials include a Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) with emphasis in clinical integrated care from Arizona State University, a Master of Science in Physical Education from Canisius College, and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education Teacher Education from Coastal Carolina University.

Dr. Matthews is a pioneering advocate for lifestyle medicine and holistic health approaches. Her expertise spans evidence-based lifestyle medicine interventions, health and wellness coaching methodologies, integrative health systems, behavioral health applications in clinical settings, exercise science foundations, and therapeutic yoga practices. She founded PLNU's graduate program that uniquely synthesizes lifestyle medicine principles with professional health coaching competencies to address chronic disease prevention and management.

Among her distinguished honors are the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) Fellowship designation awarded in 2021 for exceptional contributions to advancing the field, and the 2017 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year recognition celebrating her global leadership and instructional excellence in health promotion.

In her academic capacity, Dr. Matthews mentors graduate students through the Kinesiology program's capstone and internship courses while directing curriculum development for integrative health education. Her clinical leadership at UC San Diego Health involves operational management of health coaching services across multidisciplinary teams, implementing evidence-based protocols for patient engagement and behavior change within academic medical settings.