Wellness Coaching
Wellness coaching is a specialized subset of life coaching. As a sports coach helps athletes achieve greater results by mapping out a plan, helping them discover better ways to improve, and providing support while pushing them, I do the same for you but in your personal arena of health and wellness.
It is amazing how much you can accomplish when someone listens to you, helps you prioritize goals, and weed through conflicting information. With a partner to help you plan and implement keeping your weight off you become an agent of change, and make unbelievable transformations in your health habits. With accountability you experience profound results.
Lifelong, healthy habits can help you:
- stop dieting
- keep the weight off
- feel happier
- sleep better
- exercise effectively
- reduce your stress
- feel more energetic
- lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar
You probably know what you should be doing (like eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep…). Coaching gives you the structure to actually do them. We create a roadmap with small daily steps to get you there. Working as solution partners we look at what motivates and inspires you, what might get in the way, and create a series of successes as your new behaviors become habits.
My Philosophy
Wellness does not simply mean being free from disease or being physically healthy. Being well means something different to each of us and we use different strategies to obtain it. Wellness is like a three-legged stool requiring physical, mental, and spiritual harmony; when one leg is too short or too long we feel off balance.
Your weight is a fluid relationship between interrelated factors such as happiness, sleep, exercise, weight, appetite, mood, stress, eating habits, values and time management.
As tiny children we slept when we were tired, stopped eating when we were full, and played as often as we could. Then we learned how to override our internal cues; we stayed up despite being tired, we ate too much or too little, and we stopped making time for fun. As adults we may not even know the sensation of hunger, what it feels like to be rested, or how to feel peaceful.
My process is about putting you in control and having you re-learn how to listen to your body. I do not make an eating plan for you, that would put me in control. You can learn to trust your body again and listen to your internal cues.
Coaching Services
I offer individual coaching via phone or Skype plus email. I periodically offer group coaching and educational programs by phone or live in the Pittsburgh area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is an ideal client?
I have three ideal clients, but they all want to take back control and make lasting lifestyle changes:
- Experienced dieters (men or women) who want to keep their weight off permanently by shifting their mindset and approaching it from an internal perspective, not an external one. People who are done dieting, depriving, counting points and calories.
- Women in their 40s (perimenopause age) who find their old eating and exercise habits are suddenly no longer working. They have more belly fat, less strength and tone, irritability and are not sleeping as well as they used to.
- People who have had a wakeup call and need to make permanent lifestyle changes to restore their health and wellness. They might have received a diagnosis of diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure or realize they do not want to sit on the sidelines of life; they want to be active and feel great.
What is expected of me as a client?
You are expected to keep our scheduled sessions, to work hard in meeting your goals, to be open to trying new ideas, have a sincere commitment, and be ready, willing, and able to make changes.
What can I expect of you as my coach?
I will keep our scheduled calls, and maintain professionalism and confidentiality. I will really listen to you and point out when I hear your behaviors not matching your stated values. I will listen non-judgmentally and openly. I will support and encourage, inspire and motivate you.
As a nurse, educator, and coach I will help you understand the conflicting medical information available so you can make the best choice for you.
What is the difference between a coach and a therapist?
Coaching is not therapy. Therapy tends to look to the past to fix why things did not work out; coaching looks to the future to create solutions and see that you get there.
Coaching is proactive, forward looking, and solution focused. We look at where you are, where you want to be, and the steps needed to get you there. The goal of coaching is to let you experience the success of meeting your goals while you learn the steps needed to continue making and meeting good goals, and establishing new habits.
A great way to distinguish a coach from an educator and therapist is in the following analogy of someone trying to learn to ride a bike. A therapist would talk about your fears and past failures at riding a bike and try to fix them. An educator would show you a bike and make sure you understand the parts of the bike and the concept of how to balance and pedal. A coach would run along with you, supporting you until you mastered riding.
How do I know if I will like being coached?
Most people who are truly ready to take action and make meaningful changes enjoy the support of a coach. You get inspiration and accountability, as well as goals designed specifically for you. You get structure and a process for achieving what you have been unable to achieve on your own. You enjoy making faster progress as a team than you would alone. Coaching is all about you, but you do need to find a coach you trust and with whom you enjoy working. If you are interested in being coached we will schedule a free call to see if you and I are a good fit as client and coach.
What does it cost?
Coaching is very affordable for those who are truly committed to prioritizing their needs, working hard, and making changes. When considering the cost of coaching think in terms of the powerful changes you will make and how you will grow. You have probably already spent a lot of money on weight loss programs that do not work in the long term and maintaining a closet of 3 sizes of clothing. Coaching is not something you can easily comparison shop; there is more to coaching than just the time spent on the phone. The coach with whom you feel a connection is the one who can inspire you to make transformations you haven’t been able to make alone. If you believe you are a good candidate for coaching please contact me so we can discuss it further.
Can I buy just a session or 2 to try it out?
No. I sell coaching packages because creating new habits takes time. In one or 2 sessions you might feel like you solved a problem by getting information, but coaching goes deeper than that and it takes time to fully understand and utilize the coaching relationship and push yourself to new frontiers. Knowing what to do happens long before actually doing it. You need to allow yourself several weeks to undo old habits and establish new ones.
Will I need to purchase anything else?
No. I sell no products. I promote changing your attitude and behaviors toward food and exercise, creating solutions, discovering what works for you, and creating healthy new habits.
