r/HealthCoaching

Hi everyone! (TLDR: any advice to a newbie coach who wants to offer more than client lead accountability check ins?)

I am getting my start in health coaching while maintaining my full time job. The hope is to transform my health coaching into a career. My coaching focus is on women, survivors of cancer and/or living with autoimmune, looking to re-balance their life.

I am currently working with a few beta clients to gain my footing. However, I can’t help but to think I could offer more. So, looking for some advice from some more experienced coaches.

Right now, my sessions are primarily accountability/behavior-change focused. I let the client lead with what they want to work on, we explore what’s getting in the way, identify what feels realistic for the upcoming week, and then check in on progress during our next session.

I’m comfortable with the coaching side of this, but I keep feeling like I could offer more value between/around those conversations. And, this is where I’m struggling with the line between coaching and education/advice.

I know the importance of staying within scope. I’m not trying to become someone’s dietitian, therapist, personal trainer, or medical provider. I also don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that “good coaching” means I can never share useful information. My understanding is that there is room for sharing information/educational resources when appropriate, particularly when the client asks or gives permission.

So I’m curious:
- What does your actual coaching package/session structure look like beyond the conversation itself?

- What do you provide clients between sessions, if anything?

- Do you encourage the use of worksheets, reflection exercises, habit trackers, educational handouts, resource libraries, etc., even without the client requesting them?

- How do you incorporate health education without crossing into advising?

- Are there any genuinely good free resources for continuing to learn beyond your certification?

- If you’ve been coaching for a while, what does your service look like now compared with when you first started?

I’m interested in both becoming a better coach and eventually creating an offer that feels genuinely valuable rather than just “a weekly Zoom call where I ask how your goals went.”

Any advice to a newcomer??

Hi everyone, I was all set on applying for Duke’s program that starts in October. Some of the big selling points for me were the name recognition and reputation, the class schedule fitting easily into my full time work schedule, the cost is reasonable and the option to get the ICF credential using the portfolio application process if I eventually want to do that.

However, when I watched their marketing video and read over their course syllabus I felt very uninspired. It seems very bland, basic, and rigid. Does anyone have experience with this program? What do you think of it?

I am now considering FMCA, but goodness it is expensive and takes longer. But their approach really excites me and resonates with me. Does anyone have experiences with this program? What do you think about it?

A little background on me. I have a master’s in social work but not a clinical social work license. I hope to eventually get that. I am a certified trauma professional. I currently work full time in social services with older adults. I am really interested in health prevention, holistic health, mind-body approaches, food as medicine, behavior change, and trauma-informed approaches. I see myself doing private practice one-on-one sessions and group workplace webinars.

Any feedback anyone has on those two programs or how to go about choosing the best program fit would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

I see Many coaches provide courses as a supplementary, “taster” or a way to scale. Curious to know if this has been worming out for your coaching practice?

Health coach programs that incorporate herbal medicine? I am also interested in hormone health. Any suggestions?

Does anyone need help?

I am studying life coaching and looking to practice with a few people.

if you're feeling stuck with a decision, transition, or recurring pattern, I'd love to have a chat and help you

Hey guys,
I’m trying to lock in and get into proper lean shape over the next 3 months. I do better with some accountability and structured guidance, so I’m looking for a local coach or a short-term intensive program around Swindon.
If you’ve worked with anyone great locally for fat loss or body transformation, let me know who you'd recommend. Thanks in advance!