What is Coaching?

We all have preconceived notions about what a “coach” is. Before I became a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, I assumed the role of the coach was to tell the client exactly what to do to accomplish their health and wellness goals. While the idea of someone instructing or telling us how to feel less anxious, drink less wine, lower our cholesterol, or lose weight sounds enticing, evidence suggests that this “expert” approach isn’t very effective in helping us grow, change, or meet our personal health and wellness goals.

Don’t get me wrong, a certified health and wellness coach should be knowledgable and experienced in their field, but the “coaching” approach is actually a collaborative partnership that promotes growth and change by enhancing the client’s own self-motivation and self-regulation, leveraging the client’s strengths, providing evidence-based resources, tools, and education, and building other psychological resources, such as mindfulness, self-awareness, hope, self-efficacy, and resilience.

Coaching is for anyone that feels “stuck”, whether it’s in anxiety, burnout, a job, numbing (with drinking, food, social media, t.v., video games, etc.), the busy trap, a chronic medical condition (i.e. hypertension, diabetes, etc.), and more. And while a cornerstone of coaching is setting clear and challenging (yet attainable) goals to foster growth and change, it is more process-based than outcome-based. Simply put: growth and change are about the journey as much as the destination.

If you want to learn more about the coaching process and if coaching might be a good fit for you and your needs, check out this Wellcoaches PDF and Harvard Health article. This quick video and interview are great too! Or, schedule a free initial consult with me below :)