What does “Evidence Based Health Coaching” mean?
Evidence based health coaching operates on two levels. The first is evidence based communication, and the second is evidence based health behavior.
As a health coach, I am trained in Motivational Interviewing, a communication style that is clinically proven to support health-related behavior change. Further, my health and wellness philosophy and practice emphasizes interventions that have been proven, through rigorous scientific study, to promote lasting health and wellness.
Whether you are looking to lose weight, move more, sleep better, or reset your personal relationships and sense of self, we’ll focus on strategies that have a proven track record as safe and effective.
What can I expect to gain from health coaching?
Health coaching is a positive relationship built on mutual trust and respect. You can view me as a consultant, helping you strategize your way to your own best vision of yourself. As my client, you are the expert on your own life, and my role is to accompany you on the path to enhanced health and wellness.
I will listen to you without judging you, and I’ll empower you to set your own goals in accordance with your own values. I’ll offer encouragement, insight, and accountability in an affirming environment. I’ll expect you to invest time, energy, and resources into your own wellness plans, and help you find creative solutions that work for you.
How is health and wellness coaching different from seeing a mental health professional, a physical therapist, a personal trainer, or a registered dietician?
Working with a health coach can have a positive impact on your health and wellness, even if you already work with a therapist, a personal trainer, or a registered dietician.
Most other health care professions operate on a “diagnose and treat” model, in which they identify issues and prescribe treatment. For example, mental health therapists can diagnose mental health disorders, unpack previous traumas, and perhaps prescribe pharmaceuticals. Physical therapists and personal trainers can identify weakness or injury in the body, and prescribe exercises to strengthen and heal. Registered dieticians can prescribe diets to address specific health concerns such as high cholesterol, blood sugar, or overweight.
All of these professions have vital expertise, and health coaches may refer clients to these professions in the client’s best interest.
The health coach has a complementary role. The spirit of health coaching is to engage with the client across nutrition, movement, stress management, and sleep, ensuring sustainable behavior change that fits into a client’s unique profile of family and career, strengths, motivations, and goals.
Further, the health coach can accompany clients even without formal diagnoses, who are seeking enhanced wellness and preventative health care.
