What the Heck Is a Health Coach Anyway?

 A health coach helps you turn health recommendations into habits you can sustain. Your physician provides the “what” of the plan. Your coach helps you figure out the “how.”

Fitness coach. Business coach. Life coach.

And now a health coach?

When I explain what I do, I sometimes get the look that says, “Is that someone who follows me around and confiscates my cookies?”

No. Your cookies are between you and your nutrition plan.

A health and wellness coach helps you make the lifestyle and behavioral changes needed to work toward your health goals.

Sounds easy. Hard to do.

That's where coaching comes in.

What a Health Coach Does

A trained health coach works with you to identify what matters to you, understand what is getting in the way, and develop practical ways to move forward.

Your goals guide the process.

We take time to listen. We help you recognize your strengths, work through obstacles, and build the skills and confidence to make changes that last.

Sometimes the obstacle is a crowded calendar. Sometimes it is conflicting advice. Sometimes you know exactly what to do, but doing it consistently has become a daily wrestling match.

A coach helps you understand the struggle and experiment with solutions.

We bring structure, encouragement, and accountability. You bring your priorities, circumstances, and knowledge of your own life.

No whistle required.

The Physician Provides the What. The Coach Provides the How.

Your physician evaluates your health, addresses medical risk factors, and recommends appropriate treatment and lifestyle changes.

Your coach helps you put the lifestyle recommendations into practice.

A recommendation to exercise still needs a place on your calendar. A nutrition plan still needs to survive grocery shopping, travel, and dinner with the family.

Knowing what to do and knowing how to make it work are different skills.

Coaching helps bridge that gap. It gives you dedicated time to work on implementation, troubleshoot difficulties, and adjust your approach as life changes.

Your coach is part of your support team, working alongside your medical care.

What Coaching Looks Like for Brain Health

At Bloom Again Health, my work focuses on dementia risk reduction and supporting cognitive health, daily function, independence, and quality of life.

Your healthcare practitioner addresses known modifiable medical risk factors. I help you work on the lifestyle factors you can influence, using your practitioner's guidance to shape our work together.

We identify meaningful priorities and turn them into routines that fit your abilities, responsibilities, and circumstances.

This takes more than a list of instructions.

It takes practice, problem-solving, and support when a perfectly reasonable plan encounters a perfectly unreasonable week.

My work begins where watch-and-wait ends.

I work with adults who have a family history of dementia, genetic risk, cognitive concerns, or Mild Cognitive Impairment. I also help PreCODE and ReCODE participants implement their healthcare practitioner's recommendations.

Apollo Health describes the role of coaching in supporting habit change and helping members navigate the program.

You do not need to be enrolled in either program to work with me.

Where Coaching Ends and Medical Care Begins

According to the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching's scope of practice, coaching itself does not include diagnosing illness, interpreting medical test results, prescribing medication or supplements, or providing psychotherapy.

Some coaches also hold other professional credentials. If so, they should explain which role they are using and each role's boundaries.

A coach should recognize when your needs require another professional and help you find appropriate support.

Knowing a role's limits is part of doing it well.

What About Insurance or HSA Funds?

Before hiring a coach, ask about fees and payment arrangements. If you plan to use insurance benefits, confirm coverage with your plan before you start.

HSA or FSA eligibility is a separate question.

The IRS's information on health and wellness coaching expenses distinguishes qualifying medical care from services that benefit general health. Coaching is not automatically an eligible expense.

Check the requirements with your benefits administrator or tax adviser before using those funds.

One Simple Action

If you are wondering whether coaching could help you, bring that question to a conversation.

Visit my private brain health coaching page to schedule a complimentary 30-minute initial consultation.

We will discuss your goals, the medical guidance you already have, and the support you are looking for. Sessions are virtual, so I work with clients nationwide.

For help evaluating qualifications and finding the right fit, read What to Know Before Hiring a Health Coach.

You don't need to arrive with everything figured out.

Figuring out the next step is a good place to begin.

This article is for educational and informational purposes. It does not replace individualized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. See the complete Disclaimer.