Is Wellness Coaching Right for you?

What is health and wellness coaching?

According to the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching, “Health & wellness coaches support clients in activating internal strengths and external resources to make sustainable and healthy lifestyle behavior changes” Translation – health and wellness coaches can offer support in many aspects of our health and wellness journey. They offer a client-centered experience that allows you to identify your health goals and make a plan to achieve them. Many health and wellness coaches work in conjunction with other health care professionals, like doctors, dieticians, and nurses. A big part of a wellness coach’s role is to identify the barriers that are getting in your way of reaching your goals and support you in removing or working around them.

How is a coach different than a therapist or counsellor?

So how is a coach different than a therapist or a counsellor? This is a question we get asked by clients all the time! Coaches and counsellors have a very different skill set, but often overlap in the wellness sector. Counsellors are focused on treatment and support of mental health. They have extensive training and education to support this and are typically required to hold a Masters degree in psychology (in BC this is the requirement for the RCC designation). This background makes them ideal to support you in working on mental and emotional experiences that require processing, new perspectives and development of alternative coping skills. Many of our clients will also work with a coach in parallel to their counselling, utilizing a coach for more directive work on a specific issue such as health and wellness or leadership coaching at work. Having diverse professionals in your life can support a holistic approach to managing our health and wellness, and collaboration between professionals is always encouraged.

What are services that wellness coaches might offer?

Health and Wellness coaches offer a wide range of services including behavior change, motivational strategies, and health education and promotion. They use these to support the client in creating and sustaining change for improved health and well-being.

At Scott Sheere Wellness, while we are focused on our clinical work as counsellors for our individual clients, as counsellors we also have the opportunity to do some coaching and consulting work. This often looks like providing psycho-education through workshops and trainings, typically to a group or organization. This blending of coaching, education and our extensive clinical background allows us to provide unique mental heath and wellness services, making mental health more accessible to all.

For more information on a custom mental health workshop, check out our offerings at Scott Sheere Wellness.