When I first tell people that I’m a health and wellness coach, I often get responses like “Oh, so you’re into nutrition!” Or “I’m sure a lot of people need you – so many people don’t know how to eat well!” Or with a laugh, “I could use a coach to make me exercise more!”

Health and wellness coaching often brings about images of things like meal plans and exercise regimes. It’s a new field; most people don’t quite know what it’s about. And on top of that, there’s a lot of variety in terms of both how health and wellness coaching is perceived, as well as how it is practiced.

Almost every time I introduce myself to someone and tell them what I do for a living, I spend a lot of time saying, “Well, actually…” and go on to debunk myths about health and wellness coaching. “Yes, I absolutely am into nutrition, but I’m not a nutritionist and that’s not all that coaching is about.” Or “Yes, some people choose to focus on implementing an exercise plan, but not everyone I work with chooses that path.” I could go on and on with examples – it happens almost daily.

I actually really love these conversations. I get to share my super strong passion for what I do, and I get to share what coaching is really all about. It’s pretty clear when I start talking about coaching that I am really excited about the whole thing.

I just want everyone to know that it’s not all about kale and going to the gym (although I do really love one of those things – I’ll let you guess which one :) ). Coaching can be so much bigger and more profound than that.

The big questions: what coaching is really about

While coaching can absolutely approach things like diet and physical activity (and often does), what I’m really here to do is to help you grapple with life’s big questions.

Questions like:

-What do I want my life to look like?

-How can I be the best version of myself?

-What is standing in the way of me being the happiest and healthiest I can be?

-If nothing was holding me back, what would I be doing right now?

Health and wellness coaching, in my book, is about taking a step back and looking at your life as a whole. It’s about assessing the state of balance between all the important parts of your life. In what ways do you feel fulfilled, and in what ways do you not? Where are you strong, and where do you easily lose your footing? What do you really want, and how are you going to get there? What’s one thing you can change right now that will start you in the right direction?

One of my main goals as a coach is to help you build self-awareness, so that you can live intentionally and cultivate a healthy, happy, fulfilling life for yourself.  

We work together so that you can take manageable, realistic steps one by one towards your greater goals.

What do people actually choose to work on in coaching?

In the coaching process, you might decide you want to lose a few pounds and focus on improving your diet, because you know you had more energy when you were at your ideal weight. You might also decide you want to get back on track with your regular yoga practice, which helped you to feel stronger in your body and your mind.   

But you might also decide that your biggest area of concern is that you don’t have enough fun and creativity in your day-to-day life. Or that you need to find a way to fulfill your lifelong desire for continual personal learning – something you’ve gotten away from since starting a new, hectic job.

Something I love most about my work is that I can never guess what will be most important to a coaching client, and what will rock their world the most. Clients are continually surprising me.

Clients have done everything from decluttering their closets to joining a book club to reach their goals. From taking a 5-minute meditation break after work to journaling about food cravings. From developing personal mantras to setting aside one night per week to speak with their significant other.

Action steps can make many forms, but they all share a common goal: to help you reach your best, happiest, and healthiest self.

Is coaching right for you?

So even if you aren’t looking to eat more kale or go to the gym more (but that’s perfectly fine too!), coaching might just be what you need to take a step forward. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a free consultation with me today.

You can read more about my approach to coaching here, and if you still have questions, please reach out!