FAQ

Health coaching is a process in which a trained professional works with individuals or groups to help them achieve their health and wellness goals. The coach provides support, guidance, and accountability as clients work to make lifestyle changes that can improve their health.

Health Coaches use a forward-thinking approach. The support they offer is both evidence- and experience-based; it’s a combination of traditional and modern approaches catered to each bio-individual client. In addition to supporting clients with specific dietary and lifestyle goals, Health Coaches empower clients to choose health-promoting behaviors that work for them. They raise awareness and offer support as clients move on their own terms toward the greater health they want for themselves. Coaching can lead to long-term behavior change, but only because Health Coaches help clients do the meaningful work that forms a strong and mindful foundation for achieving goals.

The goal of Health Coaching is to empower clients to take charge of their health and wellbeing, by developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make healthy choices and maintain positive habits over the long term. Health coaching can be a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their health, from those with chronic health conditions to those seeking to prevent illness and optimize their wellbeing.

Transformational Health Coaching is a holistic approach to health and wellness coaching that aims to help individuals achieve their goals by addressing not only physical health but also emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of their lives. ​ Transformational Health Coaching focuses on empowering individuals to make positive changes in their lives by encouraging them to tap into their inner resources, identifying their values, strengths, and limiting beliefs, and creating a vision for their future. It also involves setting specific goals, developing action plans, and tracking progress over time. Transformational Health Coaching is based on the principle that each person is unique and has the capacity to create their own solutions to their health and wellness challenges. It also acknowledges that true and lasting change requires a shift in mindset and a willingness to take responsibility for one's own health and well-being.

Based on the method learned from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), food, intended in a broader sense, is used as a key to transform the clients' lives. In fact, the concept of Primary Food recognizes that our lives are made up of more than just the food we eat (Secondary Food). Our relationships, career, spirituality, and physical activity, among others, are all important interconnected aspects of our overall health and well-being. By focusing on these areas and making positive changes, individuals can improve their overall health and happiness.

Primary Food refers to the non-food sources of nourishment that are essential to our well-being, such as relationships, career, physical activity, and spirituality. Secondary Food, on the other hand, refers to the actual food we eat.

Integrative Optimal health sometimes requires a blend of conventional and alternative modalities that work together to maintain wellness and heal and prevent illness in mind, body, and spirit. Multidimensional Health is holistic and extends into all aspects of the individual – from your physical body to your mental health and felt emotions to your deepest spiritual needs. These aspects of health – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – are interconnected and influence one another in many ways along the journey to whole-person health. Bio-Individual Everyone has different needs and is unique in what supports their individual health and happiness. These needs will change over time, so continually adjusting your approach to health and lifestyle is necessary.

No. Health Coaches bridge the gap between wellness professionals and patients by helping clients develop strategies for lasting lifestyle changes that improve overall wellness and daily quality of life. Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches focus on the relationship between food and lifestyle and how they each affect health. They support clients as members of integrated larger integrated support teams involving other healthcare professionals, like doctors and therapists. Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches can also play a key role in helping clients implement doctor-recommended preventive practices by guiding clients in meeting lifestyle goals that can help reduce the risk of certain lifestyle diseases. An Integrative Nutrition Health Coach is different from a doctor, nutritionist, registered dietitian, counselor, or consultant. But by working with other providers, they can offer more comprehensive and meaningful support than any one profession alone.

Although Health Coaches and Life Coaches may share similar approaches and skills, they are separate professions that specialize in different areas. Life Coaching helps clients achieve personal and professional goals by overcoming obstacles, navigating decisions, and making changes in various areas of their lives. The focus of Health Coaching is to help clients achieve their health and wellness goals by aligning and balancing the contributing physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and environmental factors. The two professions complement each other in addressing all aspects of an individual’s life. The relationship between food and lifestyle and how each affects markers of health is the primary focus of a Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. In exploring these areas, Health Coaches help their clients develop bio-individual strategies for implementing lifestyle changes that improve health and wellness, such as in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and emotional well-being. As a result, Life Coaches often refer to Health Coaches when clients require intervention in these areas.

Both nutritionists and dietitians help people find the best diets for their health needs, but they have different qualifications. In the United States, registered dietitians (RDs) must meet certification standards of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. RDs can treat specific health conditions by providing food recommendations. The term nutritionist, on the other hand, is not regulated in the United States, so anyone can use it. Nutrition training can occur at various education levels – obtaining a bachelor’s in nutrition, a master’s in nutrition, or a master of public health in nutrition. Nutritionist licensing can vary by state, but some nutritionists are certified by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists (BCNS). Many people don’t have intensive medical conditions but may still want or need guidance with their health. This support doesn’t have to come from a nutritionist or RD, especially because often what people need is accountability, goal setting, and coaching to live their healthiest lives and become their best selves. Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches know how to create sustainable shifts related to nutrition and can help people find balance according to their bio-individual needs.

While Health Coaches, therapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals all specialize in listening and providing support, their approaches to working with clients differ. Unlike therapists, who use mental health tools to analyze, diagnose, and treat mental health symptoms, Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches serve as active and supportive listeners, utilizing coaching skills that allow clients to discover their own challenges and solutions. While a therapist often explores a person’s past to examine unproductive behavior patterns, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach focuses primarily on the present and future. Health Coaches highlight strengths and help clients make lifestyle changes to work toward their goals.

Here's a comparison of the different types of Health Coaching services offered: