What is behavioral health coaching?

At its core, health coaching is a client-based approach, as a knowledgeable health coach understands and honors that each client is the expert of their own life. Health coaching utilizes a technique called motivational interviewing to draw out the client’s unique strengths, values, and capacity for change. It is a collaborative approach in which the coach works side-by-side with the client to assist them in setting weekly goals that help them move toward their overall, unique vision of optimal well-being. Health coaching is done completely virtually, and can assist individuals who are looking to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, practice more mindfulness habits, better manage stress, and more!

Numerous studies have shown that regular physical activity, proper nutrition, tobacco cessation, and reduced alcohol consumption decrease the risk of developing chronic disease. In some cases, these lifestyle modifications have even been shown to reverse existing disease.  Yet western culture still fails, for the most part, to acknowledge the autonomy we have over our own health, and therefore our human experience as a whole. By making simple lifestyle modifications, we can delay the onset of, and sometimes even prevent, many chronic illnesses that plague our society today. Health coaching has been shown to enhance motivation and positive action, leading to healthy lifestyle changes such as dietary fat reductions, improved self-efficacy, BMI reductions, physical activity increases, improved body image, and more.

 Health coaching is not being told what to do or being given a strict plan to follow. It is not instructing, scolding, or managing. As the client, you have full responsibility for your health. As the coach, I am here to assist you by asking you the right questions to help empower you to take full responsibility for your health and well-being.