There is a reason well-renowned, and established hospitals worldwide are interested in health coaching and recruiting the services of professionals in the niche. Some even go as far as selecting health practitioners in their establishment so they can be trained and well-versed in healthcare leadership coaching. This practice has been the norm for many years. However, the question is why do selected doctors willingly agree to embark on the learning journey given the years they spent to achieve their doctor’s medals and certification.
Well, we can say it is because of the health-related results that health coaching pulls and attracts. Health coaching involves using unorthodox approaches to help patients’ health improve as they can overcome health conditions that traditional health treatment cannot budge and resolve. Plus, the success of health coaching has significantly impacted general health, which is why many healthcare providers and employers are interested in it.
For the healthcare industry, having trained practitioners with health coaching skills translates to improved healthcare services and a better understanding of patients’ behaviors. For employers, their interest and having health coaches in their ranks translates to improved employees’ health and reduced healthcare costs.
Moreover, the reviews from people who welcomed the idea of being trained in health coaching are widely positive, as many professionals like how it helps them form deeper connections with their clients and how they worked with their clients to resolve and improve on health conditions they struggled with.
What Is Health Coaching?
Health Coaching involves two parties, the patient/client and the coach, where the patient discusses challenging health conditions and problems, and the coach advises on how to overcome them. The advice spawns from understanding why the client struggles to overcome the health condition or problem.
This form of coaching can be compared to sports coaching, as both involve giving advice and guidance for development and improved performance. However, the sports coach develops routines and advice aimed at athletic success, healthcare coaching develops routines and advice aimed at healthy living and excellent quality of life, and the health coach adopts indirect approaches. Hence, the clients have a sense of anonymity and control because clients are more comfortable when they feel responsible for their growth and improvement.
There are many health conditions and problems that require a health coach’s intervention. However, it is vital to distinguish a life coach from a health coach, as the former deals with a broadened scope of clients’ lives, like career choices. Some health conditions or problems that demand the intervention of a health coach include fitness problems, weight loss, diet control, diabetes, hypertension, and more.
Motivational Techniques and Health Coaching
Coaches have learned to use motivational techniques to inspire patients, where open-ended questions are employed. This causes patients to realize and understand why change is in order. The technique utilizes indirect approaches for questions and statements made during consultations where the statements and questions are presented as suggestions instead of directions.
This approach was derived after studies showed that people are motivated to change for their reasons; thus, indirect approaches give them the power to implement change by not telling them what to do. This technique also presents an avenue for doctors and coaches to understand their patients’ and clients’ perspectives, as only through understanding can helpful, and valuable suggestions be made and yield results and successes. They also build relationships with patients and clients, creating a suitable foundation for growth as the patient and personnel work together to develop ideas and more.
Positive Psychology is a Cornerstone for Health Coaching
Health Coaching philosophy is significantly different from traditional coaching philosophy, as it focuses on clients’ weaknesses, where clients are made to see what is wrong and work to fix it. This approach often breaks the clients before they can even get to the fixing stage; thus, health coaching uses another approach.
It focuses on the strengths, where clients harness their strengths so the weaknesses become non-existent, enhancing results and overall health conditions.
Evidence That Health Coaching Works
Health coaching has proven efficient in solving various health conditions and problems; thus, it has resulted in clinically suitable advancements across multiple biomarker risk factors, such as LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and cardiorespiratory fitness.
It increases the quality of living, as coached individuals have reduced hospital admissions and visits. This is why many hospitals, private companies, and employers have adopted health coaching for patients and employees alike. Evidently, health coaching reduces health costs, and insurance companies are paying for it.
How Are Health Coaches Trained and Certified?
Truthfully, certification is not a criterion for practicing health coaching, as health coaching is a new field. Still, certification provides an edge over other practitioners, as it provides the confidence that you are a tested and recommended health coach.
However, there is no grounded description of health coaching, which makes it confusing as anyone can claim to be a health coach without generating any arguments. Still, some programs make up for the lack of grounded descriptions, as these programs train and certify practicing personnel as professional health coaches. These programs are available online and in-person, and some of them include The National Society Of Health Coaches, The American Council on Exercise, Doctors Sears Wellness Institute, and more.
Furthermore, given the availability of many health coaches, trained and untrained, you are advised to opt for certified coaches because they ensure better results and have the training and experience to prove it.
What Is the Time Commitment and Cost of Health Coaching?
Every time and money invested in health coaching is valuable and positive. Still, the coaching time varies for different health issues. It depends on the coach’s skill set and experience, with some coaches addressing and achieving success for specific health problems in a single session. Others use months to years to achieve success for challenging health issues like weight loss, diabetes, depression, and hypertension.
The coach’s skill set and experience are significant determinants when it concerns the cost of coaching service. Still, health coaching significantly reduces healthcare costs. Unlike other coaching forms, health coaching does not demand face-to-face consultation to achieve progress and success. It can be done over calls, videoconferencing, and other media provided by the internet.
How to Find the Right Coach for You?
As mentioned earlier, many health coaches are available, but you should work with a certified and professional health coach. These are tips for finding the ideal coach:
- Opt for coaches with a solid background in health and wellness.
- Check reviews as they provide a better insight into past clients’ experiences and if the coaching service covers your health issues.
- Use insurance companies in your search, as they can make better recommendations.
Conclusion
Health coaching can be many things, but its primary goal is to help people achieve an excellent and healthy quality of life. Hence, reducing hospital visits as there are reduced chances of health risks. Also, its application of indirect approaches (mostly motivational techniques) helps provide solutions to various health conditions, as patients are motivated to achieve success in their health goals, with some even surpassing their health goals.