Individuals striving to be healthy may not know where or how to start. Can hiring a health coach help individuals start their wellness journey and reach their goals?
Hiring A Health Coach
It's easy to get caught up in the desire to make changes, but it is another thing to actually set a consistent plan in motion. Hiring a health coach can help individuals understand the information, develop an effective wellness routine that suits their lifestyle, and achieve health and wellness goals. A primary healthcare provider could be a resource and have referrals to reputable health coaches in the area.
What Do They Do?
Health coaches are experts in helping individuals reach health and wellness goals. This can be:
- Reducing stress
- Improving self-care
- Focusing on nutrition
- Starting exercise
- Improving quality of life
A health coach helps create a plan and makes it happen.
- Health and wellness coaches use motivational interviewing and evidence-based approaches to empower individuals in their wellness journey. (Adam I Perlman, Abd Moain Abu Dabrh. 2020)
- They help identify areas that need improvement, develop a plan, and encourage the individual all the way like a personal fitness trainer.
- Health coaches work with physicians and/or other health professionals in a clinical setting or as individual providers.
- Their role is to provide a holistic approach to health and wellness.
Services Provided
Health coaches can provide and assist with: (Shivaun Conn, Sharon Curtain 2019)
- Diet and nutrition
- Exercise, movement
- Sleep
- Mental and emotional health
- Occupational wellness
- Relationship building
- Social skills building
A health coach is someone who helps organize and balance various aspects of an individual's life so they can learn to maintain optimal health.
- They will help overcome barriers when struggling.
- A health coach listens and provides support for whatever an individual's goals may be.
- A health coach is there until the goal is reached.
Qualifications
It is important to ensure the providers being considered have the necessary qualifications. Because some certification programs offer a focus on specific areas like nutrition, it's recommended to identify what is needed before choosing a health coach. Health coaches do not need a university degree, however, many certifications are affiliated with colleges and have educational partnerships that qualify coursework and award college credits. Training to become a health coach consists of: (Shivaun Conn, Sharon Curtain 2019)
- Health
- Fitness
- Goal setting
- Coaching concepts
- Nutritional concepts
- Motivational interviewing
- Stress management
- Changing behaviors
Health Goal Examples
Health coaching is not a one-size-fits-all approach. A primary healthcare provider or physician provides a diagnosis and medical plan, and a health coach helps guide and support the individual through the plan. However, hiring a health coach does not require a medical condition to employ services. A few examples of health goals that health coaches address include:
- Improving quality of life
- Reducing stress and management
- Lifestyle habits
- Weight loss
- Exercise
- Physical activity
- Emotional and psychological health
- Quitting smoking
Finding a Health Coach
A few things to consider.
Health Goals
- Determine goals and expectations.
- There are many types of health coaches and some may specialize, therefore try to determine the expertise needed to achieve the goals.
Budget
- Determine how much money will be invested, as many insurance providers do not cover the cost of a health coach.
- Health coaches may charge between $50 to $300 per session.
- Some will offer packages, memberships, and/or discounts.
Certifications
- Look into their certification.
- Is it accredited?
- This will ensure choosing a coach who has received the training and expertise needed to provide quality care.
Compatibility
- Consult with potential coaches.
- Ask questions and see if they are compatible with specific health goals.
- Interview as many as needed.
Availability/Location
- Virtual sessions, in-person meetings, and/or a combination?
- How long are the sessions?
- Frequency of meetings?
- Finding a coach that is flexible and convenient will help maintain a healthy coach/client relationship.
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please contact Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*
References
Perlman, A. I., & Abu Dabrh, A. M. (2020). Health and Wellness Coaching in Serving the Needs of Today's Patients: A Primer for Healthcare Professionals. Global advances in health and medicine, 9, 2164956120959274. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956120959274
Conn, S., & Curtain, S. (2019). Health coaching as a lifestyle medicine process in primary care. Australian journal of general practice, 48(10), 677–680. https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-07-19-4984
