Wellness Coaching Corner

The Who, What, Where, Why and How of Coaching

When describing coaching, I’m quick to the tongue to say coaching focuses on only the present and future with the ultimate objective to set and reach achievable goals. It’s an opportunity to work with a supportive professional who has a background in health and wellness, plus someone who understands what it takes to move forward. The main thing I make sure to mention is that coaching is more action based than therapy or any other support system.

The fact of the matter is Coaching is such a new field that there are so many different methods taught by different training schools, with no governing agency holding standards or setting requirements. Some coaches could be certified in a weekend, while others it can take up to 3 years and hundreds of actual client coaching hours. Anyways, since the inception of coaching as a new profession in the 1980s, coaches continue to try and explain what actual COACHING is really all about?

Today’s coaching corner focuses on the Who, What, Where, Why, and How of coaching to help our readers understand the new field and what the H3 Wellness Coaching has set out to do!

Who (Benefits from Coaching)

-          Narrower client population named by economists as the “Worried Well”

-          People who are doing many things right, but get bored, unhappy, become ready for change

-          Coaching relationship is a partnership and collaboration

-          Clients define their own goals, choices, and decisions

-          Coaches use accountability, motivational strategies, and constructive support

What (Purpose of Coaching)

-          Helps clients set and reach better goals

-          Do more than what they would have done on their own

-          Improves focus to produce results more quickly

-          Prospective, coaching is oriented towards untapped potential

-          Action is the byword of coaching, less about process more about doing

Where (Environment of Coaching)

-          Wellness coaching equals flexibility

-          Takes place over the phone, at the office, a hotel, restaurant or even over the internet

-          Sessions can be regular, infrequent, or packaged (tailored approach)

Why (Intent of the Coach)

-          Coaching intentions for each session vary based off the client’s needs

-          For example, helping the client to set a new goal, stay grounded, take action, create a wellness vision, become more physically active, or become more self-aware

-          Coaches have a game plan, but it’s brought to the table by the client these new professionals stay in the moment ask questions, get silent, or challenge clients at any given notice

How (Skills used by a Coaches)

-          Coaches dig into the tool box of their training program

-          Tools, assessments, checklists, exercises, and full design of the programs

-          Structured approach, but coaches operate in the moment