Health Coach 101

What is health coaching?  This is the question in some form that every client asks during our first session. 

Most people are familiar with the concept of mental health counseling or therapy.  As a society, we are conditioned to believe that when life gets to be too much, we can call on a mental health professional to help us find some answers, and that is invaluable. Having said that, how does a health coach support your health?  Let’s unpack that now.

As a Certified Health Coach, I work in tandem with your mental health professional to support your health goals.  Generally speaking, when we are experiencing a life event that prompts emotional support, it impacts our health as well. The image that I like to give my clients is that of a ripple in a pond after a rock has been thrown in.  The ‘rock’ is the life event, and the ripples are the disruption caused by the event. The ripples can be lack of sleep, stress, poor eating choices, or other health-impacting behaviors that you wish to shift.

As a Health Coach, I uncover issues through a series of questions that allow the client to lead the conversation and uncover their needs.  Throughout a session the client is in the drivers seat, and I am the passenger, acting as a loving navigator. Most of us know what to do, but we rarely have the ability to focus or muster up enough motivation to clear or see our stumbling blocks.

Having a coach that can skillfully walk you through evocative questions magically provides clarity and allows the work to begin.  During our journey together, we are focused on behavior change and habit formation, which are driven by short term goals.  We will meet weekly to assess progress and readjust goals as you see fit. I offer a complimentary discovery call to try on coaching, to see if it is a fit.  Reach out and let’s chat!