I understand. Wellness Coaching is a fairly new concept, and it can be difficult to wrap the mind around. The usual response I receive when I say, "I'm a Wellness Coach" is, "Huh? What is a Wellness Coach?", so I've compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions. Enjoy!
Question 1: What is Wellness Coaching?
Wellness Coaching can include discussions about anything that impacts your health, fitness, and general well-being. The eight main areas a Wellness Coach can help with are: Energy, Sleep and Stress Management, Life Satisfaction, Life Balance, Weight, Exercise, Nutrition, Health Issues. The main focus with Wellness Coaching is to make long-lasting healthy lifestyle changes, not to provide quick fixes.
Question 2: How is that different than any other health industry person (Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, Doctor, Therapist)?
Basically, these health industry are like fruits: an apple is fruit, and a banana is fruit, but not all fruits are apples or bananas. But they're all good for you and your health.
Although many Wellness Coaches are personal trainers, nutritionists, therapists, etc, not all personal trainers, nutritionists, therapists are Wellness Coaches.The biggest difference between a Wellness Coach and other allied health practitioners is in the approach that they take towards helping you to achieve your goals. A Wellness Coach won’t tell you what to do. Instead, we will ask you where you want to go with your wellness, why it matters to you, and how you want to get there.
Question 3: Why would I work with a Wellness Coach?
Look, the fact of the matter is we know what to do for our own health and wellness.
Yet with all the information and education around us:
95% of adults are not engaged in the top 5 health behaviors
65% are overweight or obese
75% aren't thriving or engaged at work
58% of adults are 'addicted' to technology
80% of adults are not thriving, but merely surviving.
So where's the disconnect?
Coaching can help you when you don’t know where to begin, feel stuck in your current state, or just need a nudge. A coach can help you with the follow through part by creating a plan that inspires you and gives you hope because it’s YOUR plan based on what you WANT to achieve.
Question 4: What do I have to do?
In the first session with a Wellness Coach, the client and coach go through a questionnaire to establish a baseline of where the client is on his or her “wellness journey.” This is followed by the coach asking the client to come up with a very detailed “wellness vision”: a picture of exactly what he or she imagines their best self to be in one year, 3 months, one month and one week from the day they start working together. After that, motivators and obstacles are identified, and long-term behavioral goals are set that align with this vision. After the client and coach establish the “why”, then the “how” is addressed in great detail. Finally, at the end of this and each subsequent session, weekly, realistic and well-defined goals are set by the client. The magic and success lies in having a vision and creating the mindset to get you where you want to go.
If you're wanting more information, check out this post from WellCoaches - the certification body from whom I"ve received my education.
Also, there's an interesting article from WebMD that gives a real testimony/example of the outcomes of Wellness Coaching. You can find it here.
Finally, if you're interested in learning more, send me a message and I'd be happy to discuss Wellness Coaching with you!