Wellness Coaching
What is Wellness Coaching?
Wellness is the mastery of one’s physical and mental wellbeing – weight, fitness, nutrition, stress, health, and the mindset to sustain wellness. Wellness coaching is a new paradigm for helping people become masters of their wellness.
Coaching is an emerging profession that began about in the early 90’s. It has roots in applied behavioral science, and the evolution that one-on-one coaching is among the most effective approaches to helping people make and sustain improvements in their lives. The relationship between a coach and client offers a profound level of support, guidance, and encouragement to making changes, without being judgmental. A coach enables change by focusing on a client’s stated agenda including needs, values, and goals and helping to bring out his/her personal best.
Through thoughtful assessment and inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and goal-setting, and safe, open and honest dialogue, coaches help their clients become clearer on where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there. Clients feel accountable to themselves and their coaches. They make and honor their commitments to reaching their goals, accomplishing more than they believed possible when they began. Coaches provide instruction and mentoring to their clients, and help them set goals, define an action plan, and navigate the path until they reach their goals. Coaches facilitate learning and help clients put the learning into action.
While psychologist and therapists help clients understand how the past is influencing the present, coaches focus on the present and help the client move towards the future. Coaches do not make diagnoses and may recommend that clients seek a psychologist or therapist for treatment, if appropriate.
Clients think that having a coach can help them move to a new place in their lives, and help them make changes happen. Having a coach is particularly powerful when a client has decided to fully commit to making significant changes in one or more areas of his/her life.
