Who is a health coach? How can a board-certified holistic health coach help in stress management and chronic diseases? Check out the several evidence-based benefits of working with a board-certified health coach for your health and wellness.
Coaches are used in many areas of life. A coach is, not necessarily an expert, but rather someone who is focused on helping individuals unlock their potential. Whether it be in life, sports, health, etc.
Health and wellness coaching has become increasingly popular over the years and for good reason. With all the conflicting and confusing health and wellness messages, it is important to have an advocate to help sift through all the information. Having a Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach can be invaluable in helping you achieve your health goals and to maintain a quality lifestyle.
A Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach is a trained professional who supports clients in activating internal strengths and external resources to make sustainable and healthy lifestyle changes. Using a client-centered approach, where the clients decide their goals, to engage their clients in self-discovery and/or active learning processes. Promoting self-monitoring behaviors to increase accountability, all within a coach/client relationship context. Providing guidance, support, and additional accountability, and working with the client to create a personalized plan that fits their unique needs and goals.
Whatever goal the client sets, whether it’s to achieve a better quality of life while dealing with cancer, or Alzheimer’s, or just wanting to lose those few extra pounds before the summer and keep them off, the health coach ensures that they are supported. This is until the desired outcome is achieved. Board-Certified Holistic Health Coaches display an unconditional positive regard for their clients and have trained to the highest standards in the profession. This means that they have the skills and knowledge to walk alongside you on your path to your healthiest self, whatever that may be.
Some of the Key Benefits of Working with a Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach
There are several benefits to working with a board-certified holistic health coach:
Personalised Support
A Health Coach works with their client one-on-one basis to understand their specific needs and goals. They tailor their approach to meet the client’s individual needs and preferences, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Accountability
Also, a Health Coach provides additional accountability and motivation to help the client stay on track and achieve their desired goals. A health coach can also help clients overcome any challenges or barriers that may arise.
Education
A Board Certified Holistic Health Coach can help clients understand the latest research and evidence-based strategies for improving their health and well-being. They can help cut through the confusion and conflicting messages about health and wellness.
Holistic Approach
Further, a Health Coach takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, which means they look at the whole person, including their physical, emotional, and mental health. They help clients focus on using their natural strengths to help overcome weaknesses. This can help clients achieve a more balanced and integrated approach for greater overall health and well-being.
Long-term Results
Additionally, a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach focuses on helping their clients make sustainable changes that will last a lifetime, rather than quick fixes that may not be sustainable in the long run.
While most think of a Health Coach as a weight management practitioner, a Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach can be a tremendous support system for other ailment conditions and chronic diseases.
A Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach can be an effective ally in helping individuals manage stress. Although they are not Psychologists, stress management by a health coach can involve a range of interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, and lifestyle changes, including exercise and nutrition.
Board-certified Holistic Health Coach and Stress Management
Several studies have investigated the effectiveness of a board certified holistic health coach in stress management.
Here are a few examples:
1. A pilot research study published in Nursing Reports observed that health coaching improved stress management among nurses. Participants who received health coaching through the transtheoretical model reported a significant difference between Pre- and Post-test scores (1).
2. Another study, published in the Journal of American Medical Association Internal Medicine, examined the effectiveness of health coaching intervention in reducing emotional exhaustion and burnout among physicians. The intervention included a total of 6 coaching sessions with a professional health coach. Results showed a significant improvement in emotional exhaustion and burnout. Also, an improvement in quality-of-life scores was observed (2).
3. An article published in the Journal of The American Association of Nurse Practitioners found that health coaching using mindfulness can be an effective tool for improving stress management. The review identified several studies that showed improvements in stress management outcomes following health coaching using mindfulness-based interventions (3).
4. A systematic review published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that health coaching was effective in improving psychological well-being among veterans. In a pilot study of post-9/11 veterans, there was an observation of a significant improvement in mental health measures (4).
Overall, these studies suggest that health coaching can be a valuable tool for individuals seeking to manage stress. By providing personalized support and guidance, a board-certified health coach can help individuals develop effective coping strategies and make lifestyle changes that promote resilience and well-being.
Board-certified Holistic Health Coach for Acute and Chronic Diseases
Health coaching has also been shown to be a promising approach for supporting individuals with acute and chronic diseases.
Here are a few examples of studies that have investigated the effectiveness of a board-certified holistic health coach in supporting people with acute and chronic diseases:
1. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that health coaching was effective in improving outcomes among patients with diabetes and family support. Participants who received health coaching had significantly greater improvements in HbA1c levels (a measure of blood glucose control) and blood pressure than those who received usual care (5).
2. A systemic review and meta-analysis published in the Systemic Reviews Journal examined the effectiveness of health coaching in improving outcomes among patients with multiple chronic conditions. It was found that, based on a growing body of evidence, a board-certified health coach can help improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic conditions (6).
Overall, these studies suggest that health coaching can be an effective approach for supporting individuals with acute and chronic diseases along with their current care. By providing personalized support and guidance, health coaches can help individuals develop the skills and confidence needed to manage their conditions effectively and improve their overall health outcomes.
Health Coaching in Alzheimer’s Disease
There are also studies to show the benefits of health coaching for Alzheimer’s disease. A study was published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
To address the limited use of risk reduction in Alzheimer’s Disease, the study aimed to explore the feasibility of community-level implementation.
The health coaching sessions were framed to provide Alzheimer’s Disease lifestyle risk reduction education, goal setting, and support: motivations and self-efficacy.
Participants provided positive anecdotal feedback and stated the need for continued health coaching (7).
The Final Words
In addition to the above benefits, working with a Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach can also be a lot of fun!
They can help you explore new foods, activities, and lifestyle changes that you may not have considered before. Further, they help you develop a greater sense of confidence and empowerment in your own health and well-being.
If you’re interested in learning more about how a Board-Certified Holistic Health Coach can help you achieve your health and wellness goals, don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact me today to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn more about the benefits of working with a Health Coach.
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Sources
- https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/13/1/19
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2740206
- https://journals.lww.com/jaanp/abstract/2014/09000/mindfulness_an_effective_coaching_tool_for.8.aspx
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-016-4677-2
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2798389
- https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-016-0316-3
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8966848/