Ultimate Guide – What Does a Health Coach Do?
Do all therapists see a therapist? I am sure you heard that one before. What does a health coach do exactly and how can they help you. The answer is not that easy.
Just like any profession, there are a lot of variations, especially when health is involved. It’s important to do your research before jumping into anything, not to mention when you are about to give your credit card information to someone.
Do you even need a life coach? Maybe not, it really depends on where you are at in your life. Personally, I had help to get me started. Now, after 12 years of personal growth, it’s a different story, but it doesn’t mean that for the rest of my life I won’t need help again.
Our life should always be growing and changing. It’s okay to ask for help once in a while.
What is a health coach?
Whether you have been having difficulties with your physical health, mental health, relationships or work. You might be considering hiring a health or life coach to help you navigate your life, but what does a health coach do?
Both a health coach and a life coach will work with you on your wellbeing, but they both have a different agenda in the area of your life that will be worked on. You might want to consider a life coach when you want to work on yourself as a whole. From personal growth, relationships, health, work and more, a life coach can help you navigate your stress and help you find manageable goals and actions to help you find a greater purpose.
A health coach will be considered when you want to accomplish your health-related goals like losing weight. They will work with you on weight-management, building an exercise program and providing the best nutrition to help you reach your goal. Remember that a health coach is not a dietician or a nutritionist.
Difference between a Life Coach vs a Therapist
With all the different designations and certifications, it might be hard to find the right person to help with your situation. Here are some of the main differences between a life coach and a therapist.
| Therapist | Life Coach |
| Most require a license from their country | No certification required |
| Some specialty or country require a university diploma | Focus on personal growth and motivation |
| Seen when experiencing mental health symptoms | Unable to diagnose mental health conditions |
| Focus on healing a patient trauma and past | See to help move up in your career or business |
| Seen when experiencing relationship issues. For example couples therapy | Seen for health goal-related issues |
| Able to assist with addiction in a medical setting. For example drug addiction | Promotes alternative-health solutions |
You can read more about the role of a therapist in this article by Very Well Mind.
Why is health coach important?
At any given time in our lives, you might start to feel lost or need help from a professional to navigate the next chapter in your life.
Life is always changing around you, or not changing at all, and it can be helpful to talk to someone about your next step or goal. A health coach can help you achieve your goals and provide you with a different perspective you might not have seen for yourself.
From fitness programs, nutrition plans, weight-management, stress management and more, you can find a health or life coach that can provide you with the necessary foundation to make the best choices for yourself.
Types of Health Coach
It doesn’t mean the first person you find will be the right one for you, solely on personality. You might not “click” with the coach you found online or that someone recommended.
When searching for someone to help you, it is important to consider what does a health coach do and what they specialize in. Every certification has different techniques and approaches to help you achieve your goals.
Some of the most common type of health coaches
Life Coach
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching (CBT)
Neuro Linguistic program (NLP)
Hypnosis Practitioner
Business Life Coach
Personal Trainer / Health Coach
Nutrition Coach
Life Coach
A life coach is a wellness professional who can assist achieve your personal or health-related goals. You will work with this type of coach for your personal growth and evaluate how past behaviors can relate to your current behavioral choices. They will assist you, if you want to see your life objectively and reach your goal or potential.
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Personal Growth
- Motivation
- Stress
- Relationship
- Money
- Goals
- Business
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Life Coaching (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a short term form of therapy, providing you with the tools to help your life at this particular time. In other words, it helps you solve a problem, by changing your beliefs and behaviors to promote a more positive approach. Working on your thought patterns and the affect they have on your behavior.
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Reframing your thoughts and behaviors
- Help view other perspectives
- Confront fear and phobias
- Promote journaling and self-awareness
- Lower anxiety
Neuro Linguistic program (NLP)
NLP will be used to understand and reframe your behaviors, beliefs, way of thinking, and also the language you use. This will assist you in understanding the effect of your behaviors on your life. This practice can help you change how you view the world and the experiences you have.
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Overcoming beliefs
- Promote self-confidence
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Change mindset
- Reframing your thoughts and behaviors
Hypnosis Practitioner aka Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy will be performed by a license/certified hypnotherapist. This practice can be used to create positive changes in your personal life, your family, or even in your community. This method enables you to create a meaningful connection to promote clarity of thought and create awareness to your decision making skills.
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Help with addiction
- Reduce or eliminate phobias
- Help with eating disorders
- Reduce stress & anxiety
- Help with pain management
Business Life Coach
Similar to a life coach, but this type of coaching will help you in a professional setting. Providing you with the right tool to find new career opportunities or to help you advance in your current job. A business life coach can also help a business owner clarify the vision of the business and help bring the business to the next level.
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Help clarify vision and goals
- Promote self-confidence
- Improve performances
- Promote leadership skills
- Help for interviews and job search
Personal Trainer / Health Coach
This type of coach is the typical trainer you might think of. They will help you with your health or fitness-related goals. From starting at the gym wanting to learn to a professional that wants to get a gold medal, there are a lot of choices for what you want to accomplish.
If you want to start your fitness journey today and are looking for a beginner program, don’t miss my other article. Continue Reading
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Achieve your fitness goals
- Promote a healthy lifestyle
- Provide adequate workout
- Assist in weight-loss
Nutrition Coach / Dietician
All dieticians are nutrition coaches. Not all nutrition coaches are dieticians. This just means that it requires a university diploma and the right certification to be a dietician. Nutritionist do not have the same requirement. For a general description, a nutrition coach will assist you to promote a healthier lifestyle and change your behavior to help you. A dietician would work with people with special dietary needs, for example in a hospital setting.
Some of the main common areas this coach can help with
- Assist in weight loss and weight management
- Promote healthy lifestyle
- Change behaviors
- Promote self-confidence
How to get started to find the best health coach for you?
From the list above, it is important to understand what you want to achieve. There are a lot of options and not all of them will apply. From short term goals to long term, mental health to fitness, you need to know what you need.
Yes, a quick google search can help you find someone, but it doesn’t mean that the first person will also work for you. Just like anyone you meet in your life, it doesn’t mean that the coach you find will be the right person for you.
It gets very personal. It is important to like the person you are working with. They shouldn’t annoy you in any way.
As a health coach and a human, I know that everyone has a different style. Some are more spiritual and some or less. I can find some people very annoying and I wouldn’t want to work with them. Not to mention, this goes both ways, and the coach you find should want to work with you.
The price can vary, a lot. Be sure to do your research and understand why the person is charging that price. It’s important to ask question when you first speak with them, and if they don’t want to answer, run away and find someone else.
If you are interested in a life coaching experience to promote your personal growth and reduce your stress, you can book a free call with me. Let’s talk about what you need and what you are looking for!
What to expect from a health coach
It is easy to call yourself a health coach. The required certifications are very broad and some specialty does not even require them. Trust your gut when you are meeting with a coach, if it doesn’t feel right, just keep looking. Understand what does a health coach do and the approach they will use to help you with what you need.
Some of the main characteristic a health coach should have.
- Accountability
- Promote healthy and positive habits
- Non-judgemental
- Trustworthy
Frequently Asked Questions
The last thing you need to know
Where ever you are in your life, remind yourself it is okay to ask for help and you don’t have to wait until you feel lost and stuck to do so. One thing to remember is to do the necessary research for what you want to accomplish.
It’s okay to not like everyone you meet, there are a lot of options out there and some will be better suited for you. When you are ready to make that change for yourself, just do. You won’t regret discovering how much stronger you actually are.
