Question 1

What is health and wellness coaching?

Accepted Answer

Wellness coaching focuses on your whole-person health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” According to the American Medical Association (AMA), a health coach is a “non-physician health care professional certified by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) or the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc, (NCHEC).”

A health and wellness coach collaborates with you to explore your physical, mental, and/or social well-being within the context of your professional, academic, or personal goals.

These experts in habit and behavior change bridge the gap between your healthcare professional’s recommendations and the challenges and circumstances of your real life to support you in sustainably integrating your health vision into your current reality so you can experience the lasting health changes that are important to you.

Question 2

How should I choose a health and wellness coach?

Accepted Answer

Currently, coaching is an unregulated field. This means that anyone can call themselves a “coach” with absolutely no training or experience! For your protection, and to ensure that the coach you hire is trained in evidence-based best practices for truly supporting you in health and behavior change, look for these credentials:
ICF: The International Coaching Federation (ICF) sets ethical standards and core competencies for the field of coaching. Coaches with an ICF credential have completed ICF-accredited training, logged actual coaching experience under the supervision of trained mentor coaches, and passed a comprehensive exam. (Learn more here.)
ICF credentials include:
ACC (Associate Certified Coach)
PCC (Professional Certified Coach)
MCC (Master Certified Coach)
Find an ICF coach here: https://coachingfederation.org/find-a-coach/verify-a-coach.
NBC-HWC: A National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) has completed rigorous training requirements, logged actual coaching experience under the supervision of trained mentor coaches, and passed a comprehensive exam by the National Board of Medical Examiners. (Learn more here.)
Find a NBC-HWC coach here: https://nbhwc.org/find-a-certified-coach/.

In addition to confirming the above credentials, evaluate your “fit” with your coach. Expect to try out a few different coaches before you find one that is right for you. Look for feelings of safety, comfort, partnership, and rapport as you explore your wellness goals. To experience breakthroughs and lasting health and behavior change, it’s important for your psychological safety that you feel comfortable honestly exploring your situation–and taking risks as you design experiments for yourself–as you collaborate with a wellness coach.

Question 3

What can I expect from a session with a wellness coach?

Accepted Answer

Each coaching session:
Is client-driven: you decide which overall goal you want to pursue through coaching, and you choose the focus of the agenda for each coaching session.
Is progress-oriented, with a tangible, measurable outcome: you create an action step to experiment with.

I reserve time to collaborate with you on your goals and vision for optimal health–whether physical, mental, professional, spiritual, or relational. Together, we will explore the resources and support you need to integrate your health vision into your real life. We will experiment with measurable action steps to create sustainable systems and accountability that actually work within your current reality.

Because I value your privacy, I will never reveal the existence of our coaching relationship, details of our coaching sessions, or any identifying information about you (including your name or contact information) without your written permission–except when required to do so by law enforcement, the courts, or a government agency. NOTE: Since I am a mandated reporter, if I believe you might be in danger or cause harm to yourself or to others, I will report my concerns to the appropriate personnel.

On my website, I display only pictures or reviews you have given permission for me to share. I will never–under any circumstances–sell your name or information.

I coach alone in a private room, and I wear headphones during our sessions so no one can hear what you’re saying. I ensure that no smart technology (e.g. phone, watch, virtual assistant, etc.) is in the room during our sessions.

To experience coaching, schedule an Exploratory Session here ($150).

Question 4

What should I NOT expect from a wellness coach?

Accepted Answer

A wellness coach is a bridge between your healthcare professional’s recommendations and the challenges and circumstances of your real life; I am NOT a licensed psychologist or a medical professional.

Wellness coaches DO NOT
Diagnose or treat mental disorders or medical conditions
Interpret medical test results
Make medical recommendations

Wellness coaching is not intended as a substitute for counseling, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, professional healthcare advice, consulting, mentoring, tutoring, or other professional advice by legal, medical, or other qualified professionals. It is your exclusive responsibility to seek such independent professional guidance as needed.

The scope of my relationship as an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)/National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) is to partner with you to identify your desired outcomes, challenge your capabilities, explore your available resources, process your insights, and design action steps and accountability.

Results from coaching cannot be guaranteed, since outcomes from coaching depend on your level of engagement and follow-through.

Question 5

What will a wellness coach expect from me?

Accepted Answer

To get the most value from our time together, I expect you to reserve the time and energy to participate fully in the coaching relationship, and to be in a safe, quiet location with minimal distractions during coaching sessions.

For your safety, I expect you NOT to operate any motor vehicle during a coaching session.

I expect you to treat me with courtesy, professionalism, and respect, and to communicate honestly with me about any hesitations or frustrations you experience in our professional relationship.

Please expect that I may ask questions or leverage resources or activities that you have never considered before. This is where the best growth occurs. For your own benefit in developing a system that actually works within your current reality, I expect you to answer all questions honestly, knowing that I am not judging you or your responses. I also expect you to engage wholeheartedly in each session, in order to experience the most growth.

Because both success and failure are useful feedback as we experiment to create sustainable systems that align your actions with your values, I expect you to show up for coaching session(s) regardless of whether you have completed your chosen action step(s).

At least 24 hours prior to each session, I expect you to reflect on the status of your action steps, and to submit your insights through this form.

Realize that progress and change happen at rates that are unique to each individual, and that you are responsible for your own commitment to take action in achieving desired success and results. What you receive from coaching is directly correlated with the energy you put into the coaching partnership.

Since much of the success of behavior change occurs outside of the coaching session, I expect you to experiment between sessions with the action steps you have selected during each session to progress you toward your overall coaching goal.

Know that you will get out of sessions what you put into them, and that as a collaborative partner in the coaching relationship, it is your responsibility to come prepared with insights regarding what you are learning about yourself and the situation. It is also your responsibility to share what is working and what is not working–both in your action steps, and in our coaching sessions–as you experiment to create a sustainable system that supports your chosen life changes.

Question 6

How long is a coaching session?

Accepted Answer

An individual coaching session with me is usually about 45 minutes in length. My group coaching sessions are 1 hour. We meet on a HIPAA-compliant online video platform. I email your meeting link to you after you sign the “Consent & Services Agreement” and submit payment.

I typically start with 12 weekly 45-minute individual sessions, then we re-evaluate what would be most useful for you (e.g. meeting weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.).

Question 7

How should I prepare for a session?

Accepted Answer

1) At least 24 hours prior to our scheduled session, take a few minutes to review your actions and insights since our last coaching session, and then submit this Pre-Session Reflection Form.

2) Also think about what would be most useful for us to focus on during our time together; come prepared with this session agenda. Our coaching session is reserved for you to process through something that you might not have space to thoroughly explore in the midst of your daily responsibilities.
What is currently a pressing issue on your mind (e.g. a health challenge, a difficult conversation, an upcoming presentation, etc.)?
What is something that you have been tossing around in your mind, but haven’t yet fully explored?
What needs to happen next on your journey toward your coaching goal?

Question 8

What if I don’t complete my chosen action step, or reach my coaching goal?

Accepted Answer

I understand that life happens, and that sometimes even our most careful plans get tossed aside in the chaos. Please show up for your scheduled coaching session regardless of whether you completed your chosen action step (“experiment”); our reserved collaboration space is your opportunity to troubleshoot what did work, what obstacles you encountered, what additional support or resources would be useful, and what backup plans and alternate routes will enable you to reach your destination–regardless of any unexpected roadblocks that appear.

Also, please realize that you really do get out of coaching what you put into it. Any progress depends on how much effort you are willing to put into achieving your goals, and on how willing you are to vulnerably share what’s working and what’s not as you collaborate with your coach to create a sustainable system for avoiding burnout and achieving wellness. I’m serious about wanting to help you create a system that actually works in your real life–and I need your help to know what’s still missing!

Question 9

What does a coaching session cost?

Accepted Answer

Individual coaching sessions are $150/session. Group coaching sessions vary, depending on which package you choose (click on each package to see price details). Installment plans are available.

Question 10

What is the cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

Per the Consent and Services Agreement, full payment of $150 is required for each missed session, and for canceling or rescheduling a coaching session less than 24 hours prior to our scheduled coaching session. No refunds are provided for a missed coaching session. Our session will be canceled if payment is not received at least 48 hours prior to our scheduled appointment.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions