Trying to figure out more about Health/Wellness Coaching?
What is health/wellness coaching?
Health coaching is the process of a client and a coach working together to create a plan for the client to optimize their well-being through lifestyle change. This might look like wanting to eat healthier, move more, sleep better, stress less, or even just adjusting how they think about everyday life. With the coach, the client identifies the issues they want to work on, and through regular sessions, they create and implement a step-by-step plan to achieve that goal or more.
Health coaching requires a willingness from the client to explore reasons for change and what will work in their own personal situation. Honesty and some vulnerability are needed and essential to making the relationship a success. The coach may serve as a reflective mirror, someone who pushes the client to the next difficult choice or step, and a cheerleader all in one.
What is a health/wellness coach?
A wellness coach walks alongside you to make lifestyle and behavioral change to increase your joy and wellness in life. Maybe it’s losing a few pounds, maybe it’s becoming a bit more active, or reducing stress over a day’s to-dos.
Changes happen one [small] step at a time, and a coach helps a client determine those steps and create a plan for lasting lifestyle transformation. With a health coach, you, the client, are in the driver’s seat, and I, the coach, am sitting next to you. In my role, I ask you questions, encourage you on your journey, and am ultimately a sounding board for you as begin to take steps toward changing your lifestyle. Over time, one leads to another and then life feels just that much better.
The coach is not a doctor, nutritionist, or a fitness instructor, but someone who helps explore and evoke motivation and change. As one expert put it, a heath coach is a “guide on the side” and walks with the client to a new, best-possible lifestyle all of their own choosing and one that is able to last a lifetime.
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine is a philosophy of medicine that looks at root causes of health issues rather than focusing on diagnosing and treating the symptoms. A functional medicine physician will look at the issue from a systemic point of view and address the cause. Often an issue is rooted in inflammation and frequently lifestyle changes can help to reduce the issue – changes such as healthy food, good sleep, adequate exercise and movement, stress reduction. This is where a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach can help. A coach, as discussed above, can help a person choose and implement sustainable lifestyle changes that create a holistic approach to well-being and potential improvement in health.
What education do you have?
I am a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC) trained through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, a partner of the Institute of Functional Medicine. I also have a MBA and BS in Business Administration.
What kinds of programs do you offer?
I offer one-on-one coaching sessions that can be purchased one at a time or in packages of five or eight sessions. During these times, we work together to identify issues specific to you and co-create a plan that works to help you improve your lifestyle and well-being.
Click here to sign up for a free exploratory session to find out if this is right for you.
How can I get started?
I’d love to talk to you about it. The first step is to schedule a free 15-minute meet and greet session. During this time, we will chat about what you’d like to glean from wellness coaching and how it could work for you. After deciding which package is a good fit, we can schedule your first session and get started!