WHAT IS A
HEALTH COACH?
Many medical doctors and functional practitioners in particular now understand the importance of physical, mental and emotional wellness to support the healing of their patients, instead of simply eliminating symptoms.
They often encourage lifestyle changes but generally don't have the time to sit down with their patients and to provide the personalised support they would need to detangle and work through behaviour patterns that no longer serve them.
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Health and wellness coaches can do exactly that. While they do not diagnose, treat or cure, they can empower their clients and help them achieve self-determined health and wellness goals. They support them in making lasting changes and hold them accountable.
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Rather than assessing a problem and giving advice, health coaches work with clients in a more collaborative way and encourage people to come up with their own solutions.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
Please find below the scope of practice of health and wellness coaches as described by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC):
"Health and wellness coaches work with individuals and groups in a client-centred process to facilitate and empower the client to develop and achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellness. Coaches support clients in mobilising internal strengths and external resources, and in developing self-management strategies for making sustainable, healthy lifestyle, behaviour changes.
While health and wellness coaches per se do not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatments, or provide psychological therapeutic interventions, they may provide expert guidance in areas in which they hold active, nationally recognised credentials, and may offer resources from nationally recognised authorities such as those referenced in NBHWC’s Content Outline with Resources.
As partners and facilitators, health and wellness coaches support their clients in achieving health goals and behavioural change based on their clients’ own goals and consistent with treatment plans as prescribed by individual clients’ professional health care providers. Coaches assist clients to use their insight, personal strengths and resources, goal setting, action steps and accountability toward healthy lifestyle change."
clear
goals
trust
