Think about health coaching in the same you might think of a personal fitness coach or life coach.
Fitness coaches help clients develop, sustain, or excel in a specific sport or physical fitness routine. Life coaches focus on clients’ lives focused more on career issues, executive coaching, and professional coaching.
A health coach will overlap to some extent on both these areas depending on their specific areas of expertise; however, a health coach’s unique focus is to work with clients to develop an individualised strategy to excel at living their life in the most balanced and healthy way. This approach can be particularly effective in avoiding chronic diseases, managing stress and anxiety.
Health coaching is a combination of talk therapy where the health coach and client collaborate on ideas and issues, set goals and challenges aligned to your goals.
Coaches train clients in behaviour change and motivational techniques, rather than acting as expert c
oaches, partner with clients creating an environment that gives the client freedom to take the lead. It’s imperative clients determine their own unique goals through a process of self-discovery, transformation and accountability; health coaches facilitate the change.
To support and help clients identify and navigate their health goals, health coaches do provide insights and education on critical topics relating to the clients’ goals, including but certainly not limited to:
- Taking action on improving self-care without guilt
- Building strategies unique to you and your life around food planning and preparation to ensure you and your family consistent get a well balanced nutritious meal
- Gaining control with time management
- Building strategies unique to you and your life around food planning and preparation to ensure you and your family consistent get a well balanced nutritious meal
- What is the correct family balance for your family (device time, parent alone time, …)
- Unravel the confusion around what to feed your family eating.
- Clients are held accountable for their definition of what healthy means to them, whilst guided and support by the health coach.
“Health coaches are ‘change agents’ who help their clients set and achieve health goals and build new sustainable habits that align with their beliefs and lifestyle.”
Health Coaches are NOT and how they compare with out health and wellness professionals
Health coaches are not trained in diagnosing, treating, curing, or healing any disease or condition like a Medical Doctor. They are, however, taught in the science of behaviour change; they have unique and valuable skills that other health professionals either don’t have or don’t have the time to dedicate to patients and clients.
Physicians core training is in how to diagnose and treat diseases. The doctor-patient relationship traditionally follows the principle that Doctors are experts in their field, and patients will typically listen to their advice. Doctors can educate patients on health and lifestyle changes to support a medical treatment plan, but their skill sets generally don’t include initiating behaviour change.
Suppose a patient must manage stress and overhaul their diet to support and treat some disease or condition. Doctors often don’t have the behavioural change skills to initiate this behavioural change. Many Physician appointments are 10 – 15 minutes long. Even if the doctor does have the skills, this is not enough time to implement a sustainable plan and a strong relationship with the patients to build and support that behavioural change needed.
Health coaches have the time, tools and training to motivate clients to make new behaviours become second nature.
Health coaches work for 45-60mins sessions over the course of a 3-12 months timeframe with clients to educate them on various health parameters. Together, they create an action plan based on realistic goals unique to that client’s lifestyle and needs.
This approach increases their success rates in sustaining healthy behaviours, including diet and physical activity.
Great content! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.