Why health and wellness coaching is important to me AND you

How health coaching enabled me

Who I am

I have always been someone who enjoyed doing things differently.  I didn’t feel like l fell into one category and hated being boxed in or defined by any one label.  I loved both the art AND the science of the world.  I was a dancer AND an engineer, I was “fuzzy” AND “techy”, I enjoyed being a part of various circles but never really felt like I truly fit in any one place.

When I became a certified health coach in 2016, I realized that I had wanted to be a health coach since before I knew there was a name for it.  Health and wellness coaching is the first thing I have done that has really felt like ME, a true “calling” if I ever had one.    

Why?  Health and wellness coaching gives me the ability to do things differently.  It allows me to tap into both sides of my brain by artfully applying the science of coaching psychology and behavior change.  As an extrovert, I love the opportunity to have rich, engaging, social interactions with clients.  I also love that the interaction is so positive and collaborative in nature.

Who I became

I started my former career in applied technology research and consulting for similar reasons, because I wanted to challenge both sides of my brain, solve problems with creativity, and exercise different aspects of my personality and various skills at the same time.  While both health coaching and consulting allow me to use my intellect, sense of curiosity and humor, the consultant-client process is a directed, prescription-based, glass-half-empty, what’s-wrong-with-this process whereas the coach-client relationship is a guided, collaboration-based, glass-half-full, what’s-right-for-you process.  While most of the answers in consulting are expected to be from the consultant, most of the answers in coaching are supported to be from the client.  After almost 20 years, while a myriad of factors ultimately led to me leaving consulting to pursue health and wellness full-time, I realized the most important was that I wanted to create more direct impact on people’s lives, specifically on the health and well-being of others.  Health coaching enabled me to do just that, in a way that felt impactful for my clients and right for me.

How health coaching can enable you

An art AND a science

Many people don’t know what health and wellness coaching is.  They either think hardcore workout plans and personal trainer OR meal plans and nutritionist (OR don’t know what to think at all LOL).  But the core of coaching is a much more important process.  As certified health coaches, we are required to not only understand health and wellness information and trends but also be able to apply psychological theories and models in practice to support our clients in the process of health behavior change.  There is an art AND a science to good health coaching practice.       

“Unconditional positive regard”

One of my favorite practices and principles of good health coaching is the art and science of holding clients in “unconditional positive regard.”  Over the years, I have come to appreciate the (unfortunately too infrequent) occasions (including personally with my own healthcare professionals) when health-related interactions include a mutual interest in and positive regard for the other’s intelligence, ability and experience, especially with respect to our own knowledge about we feel, when we feel good but especially when something feels wrong.

The reason this concept of “unconditional positive regard” is so important for health coaches is because this has been proven to be a more effective way to enable lasting, meaningful, positive changes in a client’s experience and perception of health.  When you are held in “unconditional positive regard” with respect for your autonomy and expertise on your own life and health, you are more likely to re/discover that same “positive regard” and confidence in your own abilities and more likely to effectively make healthy choices for yourself. 

What health coaching can do (and why you might care)

Given the current state of chronic disease and health today, you need a team that can provide both “this is what you should do” (trainer, nutritionist, doctor) as well as “this what you can do” (coach).  As health coaches, we can help you close the gap between what you know about your health and what you do for your health, where you are and where you want to be health-wise.  We do that by enabling you through “unconditional positive regard.”  The health coach-client collaborative process incorporates and acknowledges the client for being the expert at their own life and what can work for them. 

Health coaching is about supporting you in navigating your specific environment, situation and obstacles to develop a plan that is unique to your lifestyle and works for you to be in your best health.  Yes, health coaching can support weight release as well as management of chronic conditions such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.  But it can do even more than that.  Health behavior change can relate to more than physical activity and eating patterns; it can be about stress, sleep, and any number of other factors in your overall health and well-being.  Health and wellness coaching shifts the traditional paradigm of sickness and what is wrong with you in the short-term to wellness and what is right for you in the long-term, a much-needed shift to bridge the transformation of today’s reactive, acute management healthcare and emergency medicine to tomorrow’s proactive, person-centered wellcare and lifestyle medicine.

It has been one of my greatest pleasures to be a health coach and work with clients to achieve their health and wellness goals.  The truth is, like any occupation, there are good and bad health coaches.  But, when you get a good one, we can help you make powerful shifts in not only your level of health and wellness but also your ability to feel confident in and empowered by your own ability to make impactful, sustainable changes in your overall health and well-being.

If you are interested in learning more about how EmBODY WELL can help you meet your health and wellness coaching goals, schedule a chat with Coach Tanya below.