Locations:
A health coach is a trained professional who helps you make changes that support your health. Through regular check-ins, your health coach talks to you about the changes you’d like to make and what’s getting in the way of you reaching your goals. Health coaches work in healthcare providers’ offices and for workplace wellness programs.
A health coach (sometimes called a health and wellness coach) is your personal health guide, mentor and supporter. They help you make lifestyle changes to improve your physical and emotional health. Your primary care provider may suggest working with a health coach to support you in reaching certain goals. Or you might decide to sign up for health coaching through a workplace wellness program.
No matter how you get started, health coaches help you stay accountable as you make meaningful changes related to:
If one of those areas is out of balance, the others may be as well. If you’re not getting enough sleep, you might not have the energy to work out or focus on meal planning. Combined, it might feel like too much to solve. Together with your health coach, you’ll sort out where to start and find ways to make small changes that grow over time.
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A health coach helps you set reasonable goals and develop a plan for reaching them. They also help you figure out what might keep you from reaching those goals. For example, maybe you don’t think you’re capable of making the changes your doctor is suggesting. Or maybe you don’t think any changes you make will matter. Perhaps you’re working two jobs and can’t imagine squeezing anything else into your day.
Your health coach helps you take a look at all the factors that might be affecting your health-related behaviors. And together, you come up with a manageable plan for working toward your goals.
Your health coach regularly checks in with you through email, phone, virtually or in-person meetings, usually over the course of at least three months. During these conversations, your coach asks questions to get you thinking about how you can overcome challenges.
For example, say your primary care provider has suggested you eat more fruits and vegetables. A health coach might start by asking questions like:
Your health coach won’t tell you what to do. That’s not what health coaching is about. Instead, they’ll help you reflect on your current situation and guide you toward making changes that feel right to you.
Health coaches also recognize that personal choices are just one piece of the puzzle. Simply wanting to eat more fruits and veggies isn’t enough to make it happen. You might have other factors in your life — called social determinants of health — that affect your food choices and many other choices related to your health. And it can be very hard to overcome these barriers.
For example, you might have limited access to nutritious foods (food insecurity). Or maybe there aren’t sidewalks on your street, so popping outside for a quick walk isn’t a safe option. Perhaps you don’t have access to reliable childcare, so it’s hard to make self-care a priority.
Your health coach may suggest resources to help manage these factors so they have less of an impact on your health. Keep in mind that your health coach’s goal is to support you. Their role isn’t to cast judgment or blame. Having open and honest conversations with your health coach about what’s going on in your life can help them find and offer the best solutions.
Working with a health and wellness coach may help you:
But the benefits extend beyond your attitudes and beliefs. Research shows that health coaching can lead to measurable improvements in things like:
These benefits can vary according to the health coaching program. You’ll typically get the most benefits out of an evidence-based health coaching program. This means scientific research proves the program works. In general, this is what you can get through your primary care provider’s office or a workplace wellness program. Privately hired coaches may or may not use evidence-based practices.
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There are two main steps to becoming a certified health coach:
In the U.S., several professional organizations set standards for health coach training and certification. Here are some examples:
There aren’t U.S. government regulations for who can call themselves a health coach (or any variation of the term). This means someone might go by the title of health coach or health and wellness coach and sell their services without having proper training. Health coaches available through your doctor’s office or workplace are more likely to be reputable and reliable. But if you’re shopping around on your own, it can be hard to know who to choose.
Here are some questions to ask if you’re hiring a health coach on your own:
If you feel uncomfortable with any of the responses you receive or if someone is unwilling to share information, you may consider looking elsewhere. You can also check the verification/directory pages of professional organizations (like the NBHWC or others listed above). These pages allow you to search for health coaches and confirm someone’s credentials.
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A health coach can be a great complement to working with other healthcare providers, such as your:
While these other providers may offer medical recommendations and treatment plans, a health coach helps focus on the behaviors it takes to put those plans into action.
A health coach specializes in behavior change, helping you:
With the right permission, your health coach can work collaboratively between you and your healthcare team.
A nurse health coach is a registered nurse (RN) who completes additional training in the nurse coaching field. They learn strategies for coaching people and supporting them in changing their behaviors. Nurse health coaches work in a wide range of settings, including hospitals and corporations.
Those mornings when you wake up feeling like you could move mountains? Those are awesome. But what about those days when it feels impossible to kick a pebble out of the way? As you try to manage your health, it’s common to have plenty of those “pebble” days. And you might not know how you can muster the motivation to keep pushing forward.
That’s where a health coach can step in. They understand how trying to make changes can feel more overwhelming than exciting. And they know that all the willpower in the world isn’t always enough to overcome some barriers. They want to help you cultivate your inner strength while also making use of all available resources to reach your health goals.
If you’re interested in working with a health coach, ask your healthcare provider to refer you to one or make a recommendation. They can point you to health coaches who are reputable and well-trained so you can get the most out of this journey.
Last reviewed on 07/03/2024.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy