Health coaching is an emerging profession in New Zealand and around the world. Although not health professionals, health coaches play an important role in supporting people with behaviour change that is crucial to reaching health goals, and sustaining them.
Before you think that health coaching is an airy-fairy life coach kinda deal, hear me out. Health coaching is shown in credible research to be effective in improving health outcomes. It’s so effective that the New Zealand Government has arranged to train hundreds of them to work in general practices in the last few years. These coaches, and hundreds of health coaches trained through private educators, are working with Kiwis every day to address general health and mental health and addiction issues.
How health coaching works
Health coaches work in partnership with clients, walking alongside them to work on their health goals. We believe that clients are the experts in their own lives and are there to meet them where they’re at, and work on their agenda. This is a really different experience of care for many people, who might expect health professionals to tell them what is wrong, and what they have to do about it.
Coaching is highly effective in driving behavioural change because it connects with the emotions and values of clients. Most of us will agree, strong emotions drive our motivation and are behind most of the decisions we make in life.
In a nutshell, working with a health coach can help build motivation and capability to manage many of your mental, emotional and physical needs.
A health coach is like a cheerleader in your corner
Have you ever come out of a doctor’s office, perhaps newly diagnosed with a health issue, with a prescription and a list of things to do, and not to do? It’s probably a familiar scenario, because this is the way our health system has worked … up until now.
These days, health coaches can work alongside health professionals and their patients to support them in the behavioural change that is needed to reach their health goals.
An example of this could be: Lisa has just been diagnosed with depression. Her GP has told her a bit about the condition, prescribed her some antidepressants, and referred to a counsellor. The GP stressed that lifestyle management was an important part of Lisa managing the depression, and suggested a few websites for her to find out more information.
Lisa arrives home from the doctor’s feeling exhausted. The anti-depressants will take 6 weeks to kick in, and there’s a long waiting list to see the counsellor. She checks out some of the information about lifestyle changes that she needs to make, but she’s overwhelmed and still very much in the grip of a low mood. She doesn’t feel great and can’t yet see the light at the end of the tunnel - there’s so long to wait and helping herself feels really difficult.
This is the treatment gap where a health coach can step in. Built on a relationship of trust and respect, the coach could work with Lisa by supporting her to set regular, manageable health goals on her agenda, even when she is not feeling great. The coach will help Lisa explore her own values and resourcefulness, share evidence-based information when appropriate and hold her accountable.
With coaching, Lisa feels like she is capable of managing lifestyle issues that are going to help build her mental fitness. In conjunction with working with other health professionals, and some medication, she moves toward good health and mental resilience.
Positive psychology in mental health coaching
Health coaches don’t diagnose, prescribe or treat clients – we’re not health professionals. We work on behaviour change by using lots of different methods, like positive psychology. This method is about developing psychological flexibility that can help you through every stage of life.
A popular therapeutic approach in the positive psychology basket is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT can help people live with unhelpful thoughts and feelings while committing to doing what’s important to them. For example, a university education may be important to you but perhaps you’re anxious that you might not be smart enough to complete a degree. ACT helps manage anxious thoughts so you can get on with what’s important to you, and live a full, meaningful and productive life.
Private health coaches
You can refer yourself to a private health coach - you don’t need a referral from a GP or other health professional. Once we’ve had a Discovery Call, I can advise whether I can work with you alone, or if I need to work alongside your health professional.
Read testimonials here from people I have helped through coaching.
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