I am a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. You probably don’t know what that means.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you are aware of health coaching, and maybe you even have an idea of what a health coach does, but no offense, chances are your best explanation is vague and inaccurate.
Throughout my years as a coach, I have encountered a recurring problem. I experience it with clients as well as health professionals, such as personal trainers, nutrition professionals, and even medical doctors.
People who are aware of the health coaching profession have a vague, yet confident understanding of what coaches actually do, and, in turn, behave in one of two ways:
They assume the coaching role themselves, without any knowledge of, or training in conversational interventions, and oftentimes do not help their clients succeed
Or
They do not believe coaching to be an effective and useful intervention, imparting their opinion on clients and people who may benefit from coaching
My views were further validated when I posted the following polls on social media:
Can a 25 year old be a good Life Coach?
Can a 25 year old be a good Health Coach?
Why or why not?
The majority of people deemed a 25 year old to be an inadequate life coach, yet the majority also deemed a 25 year old to be an adequate health coach.
The most common reason was that a 25 year old is not experienced enough to give life advice but can obtain enough knowledge to provide health advice. For those who voted in favor of 25 year olds, their opinion was that a 25 year old can be wise enough to give good life and health advice.
This data and feedback illustrates my point. People assume a coach’s job is to give advice, and this inaccurate representation of coaching causes people to inappropriately determine who can be a good coach, what constitutes good coaching, and if it’s even effective.
In a nutshell, health coaches help people set the right goals, and establish the perspectives, habits, and routines that align with those goals.
As per my experience, the general public views coaching as a listen and prescribe process, similar to a conventional doctor/patient exchange. The coach listens to what the client wants to achieve, shares with the client all the information they know about the topic, and then provides the client with advice on how to proceed. This is a big misconception.
“..the coach is primarily an investigator and question asker.”
In reality, health coaches take a client-centered approach to coaching. This means we collaborate with clients, as opposed to instruct, to figure out what goals are important, and how to accomplish those goals in a sustainable, enjoyable, and realistic manner.
The client-centered approach makes perfect sense. Who is best suited to determine the goals and actions that are most realistic for the client; the coach (who is usually a stranger in many ways), or the client themself?
When client-centered, the coach is primarily an investigator and question asker. Their job is to be curious about their client's situation, ask powerful questions, and respond with reflections, affirmations, and feedback that provoke critical and progressive thinking by the client.
“To bypass the client and go straight to the coach’s opinion rarely results in client action and sustained efforts.”
There is a time and a place for coaches to give advice, but it is almost always after first exploring the client’s knowledge, skills, and personal vision. To bypass the client and go straight to the coach’s opinion rarely results in client action and sustained efforts. There are times when the coach’s advice is not needed at all. And times when the coach doesn’t have an answer when the client needs one. At that point, the coach has to find additional resources.
A coach does not need to be personally experienced in what the client is going through in order to effectively help that person overcome their challenges. With all the things people experience in the world, how could that even be possible?
So with that being said, can a 25 year old be curious about their clients situation and needs?
Are 25 year olds capable of asking thought provoking questions, and responding in ways that promote further thinking and problem solving?
Can they help their clients establish action plans, accountability systems, and provide support?
I certainly think so.
For those who still think 25 year olds are too young to be a good coach (brain development is just coming to a close), I somewhat agree. Time spent on this planet is incomparable. With age comes wisdom and compassion, especially as it pertains to client outcomes and tendencies, but is it a requirement to be able to listen and respond with curiosity?
Personal Trainers, if your clients improved something about their stress, nutrition, sleep, or NEAT, how would that impact your training results? How might collaborating with a health coach help your clients and your business? CLICK HERE and let me know what your clients struggle with, and what I can do to help.
If you’re interested in signing up for coaching, what do you envision for your health in the future? How can working with a health coach help you be successful and maintain that success over time? CLICK HERE to learn more about how my 8-week coaching program can help you achieve more.
Comment below and let me know what you think about this topic. Does a 25 year old have what it takes? Tell me why you agree.. or why not!
Thank you for reading!
Gerard