How a Health Coach Can Help Your Patients and Your Practice

As a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition‘s Health Coaching Program, I wanted to turn my passion for wellness and self-care into a career where I could help people who need support beyond the doctor’s office. It’s not always easy to prioritize healthy eating and staying active, or hold yourself accountable for following your doctor’s orders in between visits. That’s where a Health Coach can really make a difference.

My care areas are pre-diabetic women looking to improve their health and avoid a diabetes diagnosis and young adult cancer survivors who have completed treatment and are ready to build their “new normal.” I know firsthand the struggles of navigating life post-cancer, and how hard it is to lose weight, get fitter, and put your health first after decades of poor choices.

My role as a Health Coach is to listen to a patient’s story, work with them to establish milestones to achieve their goals, and co-create a plan that works for where they are in life. I provide the follow-up and accountability that a patient’s primary care team might not always have the time for, and serve as an ally in our client’s wellness.

I offer 8-week, 3-month, and 6-month programs, tailored to each client, based on their physician’s recommendations and the client’s own personal goals. A sample 8-week program might look like this:

Week 1: Health History review and Goal-Setting

Week 2: The Circle of Life and Healthy Hydration

Week 3: Eating for Wellness

Week 4: Movement (optional Walking Session at Lafayette Reservoir or Iron Horse Trail)

Week 5: Mid-Program Check In and Goal Tuning

Week 6: Mindfulness and Stress Reduction

Week 7: Self-Care

Week 8: Milestone Review and Graduation

For the 8-week program, we would meet for one hour every week, either in person or over Zoom. For the 3- and 6-month programs, we would meet every other week. I also offer “active” sessions, where we “walk and talk” during our check-in, highlighting a safe walking route in a local neighborhood that is 1-3 miles, depending on a patient’s level of fitness (and the weather!).

If you’re ready for more patients who follow their doctor’s orders instead of “never getting around” to them, let’s talk about how I can help you help your patients. Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] to set up a Zoom or in-person visit and learn more.