What Is a Health Coach and Why You Need One

In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining good health can feel overwhelming. Between navigating endless information, conflicting advice, and the demands of daily life, it’s easy to feel lost. While doctors are essential for diagnosing and treating medical conditions, they often lack the time and resources to fully support patients through the day-to-day changes necessary for lasting health improvements. Sometimes, the information on daily tasks a patient needs is like looking for a needle in a haystack. This is where a health coach steps in.

What Exactly Is a Health Coach?

A health coach is a trained professional who helps bridge the gap between what you should be doing to improve your health and what your doctor can actively assist with. Doctors provide invaluable expertise, diagnosing conditions and prescribing treatments, but their limited appointment time means they can't walk you through every aspect of implementing lifestyle changes. Additionally, because most doctors accept insurance, they are limited to the rules set by those companies as well. What this means often times is the testing and treatment plans your doctor is willing and able to provide is dependent on the insurance companies’ allowance and guidelines. Health coaches complement medical care by offering personalized support, accountability, and guidance tailored to your unique goals and challenges.

How Health Coaches Bridge the Gap

Most people leave their doctor’s office with a list of things they need to do: improve their diet, exercise more, reduce stress, and get better sleep. However, without a concrete plan and ongoing support, implementing these changes can be daunting or downright impossible. Health coaches provide that missing link by:

Breaking Down Goals Into Actionable Steps: Health coaches help you take big-picture health goals and turn them into manageable daily actions that fit your lifestyle.
Accountability and Motivation: Regular check-ins ensure you stay on track and make consistent progress, helping you push through setbacks and celebrate wins.
Personalized Guidance: Everyone’s health journey is unique. A health coach tailors advice to your specific needs, preferences, and circumstances.
Education and Empowerment: They equip you with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about your health.

What Does Working With a Health Coach Look Like?

A health coach typically starts by assessing your current health status, goals, and any obstacles standing in your way. From there, they create a customized plan that focuses on:

Nutrition: Helping you choose the right foods to nourish your body and support your goals.
Exercise: Developing an activity plan that fits your schedule, sex, age, stage of life and fitness level.
Stress Management: Teaching effective techniques to reduce stress and improve mental well-being.
Sleep Optimization: Guiding you towards better sleep habits to support overall health.
Behavioral Changes: Helping you break unhealthy patterns and establish sustainable habits.

Who Can Benefit From a Health Coach?

If you've ever struggled with:

Digestive issues like bloating, IBS, or food intolerances
Hormonal imbalances, including PCOS, PMS, or thyroid issues
Fatigue, poor sleep, or chronic stress
Confusion over conflicting health advice
Difficulty maintaining a healthy lifestyle despite knowing what to do

...then a health coach can provide the support you need to finally take control of your health.

Health Coach Certifications

Health coaches can undergo specialized training and certification programs to ensure they provide evidence-based guidance and support. While it’s still an unregulated industry, these certifications do qualify individuals who want to work as coaches and allow health coaches to work alongside qualified organizations, such as those providing functional labs. When determining whether a coach is the right person for you to work with, it’s important to feel aligned, comfortable and inspired by that person. If a qualification is also important to you, ask the coach about their educational credentials. Most coaches will have their credentials listed on their website. Some of the most recognized certifications include:

National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC): A gold standard certification that ensures health coaches meet rigorous professional standards.
Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN): A comprehensive program that covers a wide range of nutrition and lifestyle topics. This is where I began my certification.
Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA): A program that integrates functional medicine principles into health coaching.
American Council on Exercise (ACE) Health Coach Certification: A science-based program that focuses on behavior change and holistic wellness.
Wellcoaches Certification: A program endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) focusing on evidence-based coaching methodologies.

These certifications equip health coaches with the skills to support clients in making sustainable lifestyle changes, ensuring they receive credible and professional guidance.

Going Beyond the Basics: Addressing Root Causes

Some health coaches go beyond the basics of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction to truly address the root causes of health issues. For example, I take a comprehensive approach that includes an in-depth intake questionnaire covering over 280 questions, addressing all aspects of a client’s current and past life that may be impacting their health. This thorough assessment goes beyond physical well-being to explore spiritual and mental health factors as well. Additionally, I leverage my expertise to determine the necessity of functional lab testing. I utilize a variety of advanced functional labs, such as microbiome testing (stool & SIBO breath test), DUTCH hormone & hormone metabolite testing, mycotoxin testing, organic acids testing, bioenergetic testing, and mineral and heavy metal testing (HTMA). Often, one or more of these tests is needed because I specialize in working with clients who have been battling chronic health issues for many years—issues that their doctors have struggled to resolve long term. It is not unusual for us to identify exactly what’s been doing on ‘underneath the hood’ with the help of these specialized labs. If you are interested in working with me, you can apply by filling out this form.

Why Doctors and Health Coaches Work Best Together

Doctors and health coaches have different but complementary roles. While your doctor provides medical oversight and treatment, your health coach helps you implement those recommendations into your daily life. This partnership ensures you receive both expert medical care and the hands-on support needed to make meaningful, lasting changes.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you feel overwhelmed by your health goals or frustrated by a lack of progress, working with a health coach could be the missing piece of the puzzle. By providing accountability, structure, and personalized support, a health coach empowers you to take charge of your well-being and live your healthiest life.

Your health journey doesn’t have to be a solo effort. With the right support, lasting change is possible!

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