With all of the health issues swirling in our society, health and wellness coaches abound. In fact Health & Wellness Coaching is one of the fastest growing industries- and with good reason.
Studies show that people who work with health and wellness coaches not only improve in the short term but are able to maintain their results for the long term-which has significant benefits for life quality and longevity.
Not only that, studies show people who work with great coaches improve in all areas of life, not just the specific health issue they came to the coach needing to resolve. In my own experience, clients may come to me because they want to learn how to manage a specific situation, ex. binge eating. Clients stay with me because they see improvement in managing not only the binge eating, but also concerns such as sugar addiction, emotional eating, fatty liver, and all white restoring confidence, hope and purpose. The coaching process ignites improvement in mental health, spiritual life, family life and work life… and this just scratches the surface of the victories my clients experience.
With all of these benefits, how do you know if a health coach is legit? Anyone who has read a book on intermittent fasting can put up a website, or advertise on Instagram, right? Correct.
Unqualified, and multi-level sales health and wellness coaches abound and there is a risk that unqualified coaches can do more harm than good.
Is there any way to know that your health coach is not only right for you, but also qualified, properly trained, experienced, held accountable and vetted… just to be sure?
Yes.
Find a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC.)
What is a NBHWC Certification?
The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) collaborates with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to provide a rigorous and comprehensive certification process and examination which tests coaches in the areas of healthcare standards, knowledge, training, and experience in ALL aspects of healthcare and wellness.
Speaking as someone who has taken the exam and passed on the first try… this exam is serious business and requires coaching experience, training and months of study and preparation even for the most seasons coaches. Many do not pass, but those who do, you can be sure, are qualified to coach.
Coaches have unique experiences, specialties and personalities just like other health care professionals on your health care team. Finding the right coach for you means finding someone who specializes in your specific need (overcoming depression, managing diabetes or migraines, losing weight and keeping it off) and is someone you can talk to and trust.
Knowing that your coach is NBC-HWC (Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach) is an important indicator that the coach you choose is also qualified and approved to help you reach your health and wellness goals.
Written by Julia Fikse, NBC-HWC, FMCHC
Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach NBC-HWC
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach FMCHC
Accredited Mental Health and Emotional Eating Health Coach
Accredited Weight Loss Health Coach
How did you like this blog? Are there other topics you’d like to hear about? Need more support or or want to say hello? Contact Julia here: https://www.onesteptowellness.com/contact-us/
Julia Fikse is a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, specializing in Functional Medicine, Emotional Eating and Mental Health and Weight Loss. Julia has personally experienced the frustration of weigh gain, weight loss, weight related health issues and emotional eating challenges. Learn more about her journey here: https://www.onesteptowellness.com/julias-story/
Julia is a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, but is not a therapist or a doctor and this blog cannot and should not in any way replace doctors advice.
