What is a health coach?

I know there are a lot of confustions and questions about what the hell is a health coach? What do they do? What differs them from a doctor, a nutritionist, a physician, …? Why are they there? How can a health coach help me? Why would I need a health coach? ….. Aaaand so on.

Well, welcome to a place with all the answers – here I will explain it all 🙂

A health coach is neither a doctor, nurse, physician, dietitian, nor are they psychologists, therapists or healers. They have a very unique and special role:

Health Coaches are meant to bring lasting lifestyle changes in the lives of an individual, living in a world with millions of people suffering from preventable lifestyle related diseases.

A health coach does not diagnose, treat or prescribe, rather does he or she guide and support the client through the progress toward a personal wellness goal/goals.

Sometimes health coaches work together with wellness professionals to assist and help clients develop strategies to build real and lasting changes that enhance overall wellness – and therefore bridge the gap between health professionals and patients.

Often clients benefit from both, a certain licensed professional and  a health coach.

Health Coaches usually work with people who are generally healthy with small concerns such as suggar/caffeine cravings, fatigue, lack of energy, wanting to loose weight, incorporating more physical activity…

Also do they “crowd out” certain troubling foods – by incorporating other, more healthier foods – rather than excluding major food groups or recommending extreme detoxes or diets.

They are there to support you, hold you accountable and listen to whatever comes up. Never do they push anything on you or give you crazy long lists of things to do or change.

They develop a very individual program tailored to the clients needs, goals and desires he or she wishes to work on.

But even within the title of a Health Coach, people do and offer different things:

• Wellness Coaches

A Wellness Coach is usually someone who works hand in hand with a program or company. They usually offer different products and you will be able to join a community of like minded people working on the same things as you do.

They don’t necessarily need to have a certificate or background, but often are really health & wellness inspired people with a strong urge to help others improve their overall health & wellness.

Of course are there hundreds of different options and even more coaches out there, so the experience may really depend on where, when and whom you join.

My career as a health coach actually started as such. I worked (and still do) together with a great program called The Healthstyle Emporium. I really enjoy the vibes and support in this group and am truly amazed by all the great coaches and resources we have available there.

• Health coaches

A Health Coach is (generally speaking) an individual who may work with a health, nutrition or mental professional to support and coach his or her clients very individually, all tailored to their needs and desires.

Everything explained above (about what a health coach is and does) is perfectly true and very accurate for this type of coach.

Usually they have a degree or certificate and unterwent some kind of training or schooling.

The length, pricing and details of a program vary from coach to coach (and probably also depend on where they studied at).

As I said above I started as a Wellness Coach and then went further to obtain a certificate and call myself a Health Coach.

We work together with people from all around the world for a period of 6 months to really dig deep and be able to specify on whatever it is the client wishes to work on.

I am super excited to be able to announce that I opened up my doors and started to offer my 6 month program 😉

I hope I was able to clearify a little what a Health Coach is, offers, does and doesn’t do. Yet I totally understand how confusing and overwhelming this all can be.

Because of this I decided to offer a