How to Become a Health Coach
If you’re a hardworking person who cherishes your downtime, you may be struggling to find time for yourself and your health. You may be trying to lose weight or gain muscle, eat healthier, reduce your stress, and exercise more but feel like you’re hitting a wall because the constraints of your current lifestyle don’t match who you really are. A skilled health coach helps you find and adopt healthy habits that feel more authentic to you.
Health coaches are trained to listen compassionately and support clients in taking action on their goals. Their work is not to lecture, direct, or prescribe. It requires the ability to abandon personal agendas and emotional triggers related to client topics, and to learn how to listen from a neutral and nonjudgmental place. It also calls for a deeper understanding of the psychological principles that underlie self-management and behavior change.
Many people who become Health Coaches have some prior experience in the wellness field, such as certified personal trainers and yoga instructors. They also have a strong passion for wellness and want to help others make positive changes in their lives. While some choose to pursue a health coaching certification program on a full-time basis, other people seek part-time or online training programs to fit their busy schedules and career goals.
Most health coach training programs include internship/practicum and/or clinical hours in addition to classroom instruction. Students are encouraged to explore majors in fields such as exercise science, health education, and nutrition so that they can better understand the underlying principles of their coaching practices. This knowledge will be valuable as they build their own wellness businesses and support their clients in creating new, healthy habits.
During the course of a typical day, a Health Coach will meet with individual clients for one-on-one sessions that last 45 minutes or less. These sessions can take place in person, over the phone, on SKYPE or Zoom, or via email. Health Coaches may also conduct what are called Group Coaching Sessions, which involve several clients at once.
The health coach industry is growing rapidly, and it’s important for prospective coaches to research the various options available to them before making a decision. A good place to start is with a health coaching school that offers multiple options for students, including online and in-person courses, and provides post-graduation support in the form of business mentoring, continuing education, and professional development opportunities. The International Health and Wellness Coach Association (IHWC) is a leading school, offering an online Health Coaching training program that can be completed in six or 12 months. Hälsocoach