HEALTH COACHING
WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT TRANSFORMS LIVES
What is Coaching?
‘…coaches aid clients in creating visions and goals for ALL aspects of their lives and in creating multiple strategies to support achieving those goals. Coaches recognise the brilliance of each client and their personal power to discover their own solutions when provided with support, accountability, and unconditional, positive regard.’ ~ Patrick Williams
‘Coaches honour the client as the expert in his or her life and work and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole. ……. ‘The underlying philosophy behind coaching is that we humans have immeasurable resources of energy, wisdom, ability and genius waiting to be set in motion. We can create the life we want faster and more easily by partnering with a coach who helps us utilise these resources to facilitate change and realise our potential.’ ~The Institute for Life Coach Training
What is Health Coaching?
Health coaching connects the dots between Your present situation and Your wellness vision and helps You bridge the gap by taking results-focused, measurable steps that work for You.
Your coaching program evolves with You. It is not a cookie-cutter template plan that is set in stone. Quite the opposite. The sessions reflect Your current life and situation, taking into account Your habits, desires, vision and areas that You need more support with. Every session ends with You having clear, low-stress points to action that build upon one another. It’s the small, sustainable actions that create momentum and facilitate the big changes over time.
What does holistic Health Coaching cover?
Relationships, career satisfaction and spirituality (for some) also form a big part of the puzzle, but they can also fall into some of the main categories above. Unreleased trauma from past events also puts a huge strain on the body.
What type of Health Coaching do you offer?
I practice a holistic, functional and sustainable approach to health and wellbeing.
Holistic – our body functions as a whole organism. Yes, we do know about the different organs & systems and their specific functions, but they all work together in synergy. This means that most of the time imbalances do not just concern one particular area (despite us feeling discomfort in that particular area). Mind, body and emotions are super tight buddies too.
Functional – it’s important to find out why we feel unwell, unhappy & unbalanced and get to the root cause, rather than just address surface level symptoms. Putting a plaster on the problem will only ever bring temporary relief whilst the issue continues to persist and/or get worse.
Sustainable – the best results, that last, are experienced when changes happen gradually and with minimal stress. Our body and mind need time to integrate the new and let go of the old. There is not much point in making drastic changes for 2 weeks, then crash (get fed up, exhausted, fatigued, overwhelmed etc.) and go back to our old habits. The pull of the old structure, aka the path of least resistance, is strong!
Does Health Coaching focus only on food?
No way! We are dynamic human beings and there is much more to optimal health than physical food.
Food can be a great starting point for most people and it is a very important piece of the puzzle, but solely focusing on it is never enough. There are plenty of people eating healthily that are sick, miserable, unwell and unhappy.
What foods can I eat if I choose to work with a Health Coach?
This is and will ALWAYS be up to You.
We are aiming for the ‘sweet spot’ with food. That oasis where your body feels nourished, energised and works at its best thanks in no small part to the foods you eat. You know what they are (or will find out). They serve you well and you’re at peace. Your mind is not occupied with meals, diets, calories, shoulds and should not’s. You have the mental clarity, zest & vitality to focus on what’s truly important to you in life. And you have the physical strength to match it. Yes, this is the sweet spot and it is different for everybody.
Does Health Coaching promote a specific diet?
There are plenty of foods, tools and lifestyle rituals that would be perfectly suited for You at this stage of your life journey.
Will I be asked to follow advice, plans, programs etc. I may not agree with?
Absolutely not. In fact, you will never be ‘asked’ or ‘told’ what to do. The coaching sessions are a safe and nurturing environment to:
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- Fully focus on You, Your needs and Your way of wanting to do things
- Explore different ideas and suggestions that may work for You
- Think without any distractions
- Get in touch with Your needs
Do the coaching sessions follow a specific coaching program?
Not at all. Unlike group programs, one on one coaching is fully tailored to You and what You need at any specific moment in time. There are no rules. If you want to focus on finding ways to successfully deal with stress three sessions in a row then that’s what we are doing.
You’re in the driver’s seat. I’ll run with you, but you set the pace.
Do I need to invest in pre-prepared shakes and powders so I can achive optimal health and weight?
In fact, most of these so-called ‘healthy’ shakes, bars and concoctions are far from healthy – think processed ingredients our bodies don’t recongnise and unnecessary additives – and they can do a lot of harm to our physical and mental health when taken long-term.
What happens during the coaching sessions?
Sessions content vary and it is unique for everyone. It depends on where You are at and what is important for You. The sessions loosely follow a structure of addressing your concerns, identifying your ideal end result and together coming up with ideas for practical, sustainable and effective changes that are low stress and easy to implement.
You leave the session having chosen one or two areas to focus on.
Do I need Health Coaching if there is a lot of information available online and in books?
We live in a world of information – articles, blog posts, books, interviews, podcasts, social media shares, programs, You Tube videos etc. And a big chunk of it is free. We all have access to knowledge, more than we’ve ever had. Yet we are all overloaded and quite confused about what to do with it.
We don’t need more information, but more insights, tailored support and loving communities.
Health coaching, at the core of it, is not about information sharing. Health coaching is about creating transformation.
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- Creating a safe space for being, thinking, exploring what matters to You
- Offering a loving, supportive environment
- Setting up a structure of support and accountability
- Building awareness about all things health and wellness
- Helping You navigate through information important to You
How long do the coaching sessions last?
A one-off coaching session lasts 45-75mins, depending on the topic.
Where do the coaching sessions take place?
What can I expect to achieve with Health Coaching?
Health coaching helps You create a foundational structure for optimal health for You. You feel empowered and in control of Your health. As a general outcome you can expect to:
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- Create a way of living and eating that hits the right spot for Your unique body and life
- Deepen Your understanding of Your body’s nutritional needs and how food affects You
- Gain clarity and knowledge around food – how, what, when etc.
- Discover lifestyle habits that work for You and those that are not so helpful
- Uncover what stress means for You and how to deal with it
- Become aware of areas in Your life that you need to bring more balance in
- Understand what safe movement can do for You and Your body
- Find out more about how You can achieve optimal sleep
- End the confusion around health and learn how to navigate health information with ease
Read here and here about some results that can be achieved with health coaching. Or head over to the testimonilas page here.
Can you guarantee that Health Coaching will work for me?
Health Coaching transforms lives. It can transform anyone’s life. That’s a fact. Read more here.
The catch? Coaching (as with all things in life) only works if you do. You get out of it what you put in.
As most of the changes happen outside of the coaching sessions, I can’t guarantee that you will take action towards creating your desired outcomes. You are the one in driver’s seat.
What I can guarantee is that during our time together you will have everything you need in the form of resources, support and accountability to make changes happen. If you choose to play full out and take action, you will see results. The results will be specific to You and based on Your unique goals.
What happens between the coaching sessions?
You get continuous email support from me between the sessions – questions you may have on what was covered in the session, extra encouragement or clarity. Feeling stuck, unmotivated or unsure what to do next? I’ve got your back. You are never on your own.
Does Health Coaching replace my doctor’s advice?
Not at all. You should always continue to work with your medical practitioner (if you have one) and bring any doctor’s recommendations to the sessions so we can find out the best way (for You) to implement them.
Health coaching helps You create a foundational structure for optimal health for You. Illnesses & diseases thrive in a compromised environment. Health coaching helps You create the right internal and external environment for You to thrive in in the form of lifestyle habits and practices so You don’t need to seek medical help as often.
In that sense, Health Coaching partly acts as a preventative measure, whereas medical treatments and advice happen after You get sick (Health Coaching helps with implementation here along with lifestyle changes).
‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ Benjamin Franklin
‘If a fish is sick you change the water not the fish.’
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