What is a Wellness Coach? Depends on who you ask, but you’ll likely hear many different descriptions.
I personally, like to think of myself as a health and wellness professional that can deploy a variety of skills and services when I’m working with someone.
The 4 main ways I can help people are as…
- Consultant
- Teacher
- Facilitator
- Coach
Each is a bit different.
When wearing a consulting hat, I attempt to understand the situation thoroughly and then recommend my best advice for how to move forwards. Consulting works best when someone has motivation and resources and just needs some expertise or perspective to help guide them in the right direction.
When wearing a teaching hat, I attempt to explain a concept or share new information. If someone is curious or interested in an area, teaching may reveal options that inspire you. And if lack of knowledge is a major limiting factor than learning something new can help to generate progress.
When wearing a facilitator hat, I would simply guide you through a process. Personal trainers facilitate workouts. Meditation teachers facilitate meditation practice.
When wearing a coaching hat, I attempt to listen attentively to your story, reflect back to you what I’m seeing and hearing in your story, hold space for you to process what you’ve said, and ask questions that may lead you to clarity or personal insights.
Coaching evolved from therapy, and has many similarities.
Coaching is very client centered, which means that at the heart of coaching is your vision, your values, your motivation, your resources, your challenges, your desires. Since you are at the center of a coaching relationship, what I think and know is less important than what I can help you to tap into that’s already within you.
Most people don’t expect a therapist to solve all of their problems or to tell them what to do about major life decisions. But if we approach the relationship from a purely consulting or teaching perspective then the expectation is that the other person will solve our problems and tell us what to do.
There is nothing wrong with consulting and teaching and sometimes they are the most effective way to help people. But if someone is stuck or is having trouble finding motivation, simply telling them what to do doesn’t often bring about change. And this is where coaching can make a huge difference.
Coaching = Questions!
Why is that change important to you?
What do you view as the challenges?
How does this strategy make you feel?
Who can help support you?
When trying to solve a problem, it’s natural for us to want to draw a straight line from behavior to outcome. If our goal is to lose weight, then we instinctively jump straight to what strategy and plan will work! But asking questions like the ones above might help to clarify your motivation and barriers so that you pick a strategy with a higher chance of success.
All of us are unique and our lives are vastly different, so there is no 1 best answer to any health question. Your best solution is going to be deeply personal, and may be completely different from someone else’s best solution. The benefit of a client centered coaching relationship, is that it’s more likely to create alignment between your thoughts, life, and actions. And we are more motivated when we experience alignment!
Certified Wellness Coaches can sometimes be very particular about what a coach does. But the reality is that many wellness professionals, like myself, that call themselves Wellness Coaches have vast experience and a variety of skills.
As a Wellness Coach, I want to help you reach your personal health and wellness goals and I can deploy many skills to help you do that. I’m a consultant, teacher, facilitator, and coach rolled into one, and at different times in our relationship one skill might be needed more than another. Sometimes, multiple skills will be used in the same session as I may go from coach to consultant back to coach.
If you’re curious to learn more about how I can help you as your Wellness Coach, click here–> to set up a discovery call<– so we can discuss if we’re a good fit to work together.
I just scratched the surface, but I hope that started to help answer the question, “What is a Wellness Coach?”
Yours in Health
Charles
P.S. Health and Wellness Coaches differ in 3 primary ways.
- Credentials and Health Experience
- Personality and Style
- Services Offered