We often get asked why health coaching is an effective mental health solution for clients, patients, employees and members of our Industry Partners. While health coaches are not typically therapists, psychologists or physicians (unless they happen to hold both backgrounds!) and therefore do not provide clinical mental health support, the impact they have on mental well-being is undeniable and irreplaceable. It’s also been scientifically proven.
Part of what makes health coaches so effective is that their flexible, personalized approach makes it possible for them to support clients across a variety of health and wellbeing goals. Whether it’s lowering blood pressure; reducing stress; exercising more regularly; or enforcing boundaries between work and life; health coaches tailor their strategies to meet individuals where they are and help them more effectively achieve their health goals. What truly sets health coaches apart is their holistic approach. Though some goals seem like a purely physical feat, every health and wellbeing goal requires some level of physical and mental strength and growth.
They address the mental health foundations of any health goals.
Change can be mentally gruesome, bringing about feelings of self-doubt, fear, and frustration as we work to make progress towards our goals. Health coaches take time to understand these challenges. They know that behavior change starts from within, and that the mental and emotional barriers can be just as impactful as the physical ones.
Health coaches play a crucial role in helping individuals identify limiting beliefs, overcome mental barriers, and reframe negative thought patterns that might stand in the way of progress. They create a safe and supportive environment where clients can explore these internal challenges and build the resilience needed to navigate obstacles. This approach not only helps clients achieve specific health outcomes – like reaching a healthy weight or implementing a healthy sleep routine – but also fosters a sense of empowerment, confidence, and self-efficacy, which are essential for long-term success. This foundational mental strength and resilience is not only the keystone to achieving health goals, but also makes for more success and happiness personally and professionally.
They work collaboratively with health and care teams.
While health coaches don’t provide clinical mental health support, the work they do with clients is so important because it focuses on health change that happens beyond the doctor’s office. That said, health coaches don’t work in a silo. They often collaborate with patient care teams, including doctors, nurse practitioners, therapists, and psychiatrists, to collaborate on behavior change that supports mental health and wellbeing.
For example, a YourCoach Health coach might support a client whose physician has prescribed a GLP-1 medication for weight management. As part of the care team, the health coach plays a vital role in helping clients adhere to their medication and treatment plan, tracking progress, and celebrating milestones along the way.
While a therapist may focus on deeper emotional aspects, such as self-confidence, anxiety, and other mental health concerns related to weight changes, a health coach reinforces positive strategies that build self-confidence, reduce stress, and support sustainable lifestyle changes. By bridging the gap between clinical care and daily behavior change, health coaches help clients feel empowered, supported, and set up for long-term success, and in turn, decrease resulting anxiety around the future.
They help implement habits that support ongoing mental health.
Health coaches have proven to be highly effective in implementing long-term healthy habits that support mental health each and every day. They guide clients in developing daily routines and practices that reinforce positive mental health. This might include developing a healthy and sustainable sleep routine, introducing a healthier diet, or teaching stress reduction techniques that clients can use when they need them most. In fact, a recent study on nearly 1,500 participants in the US suffering from moderate levels of anxiety and depression showed a marked decrease in symptoms when working with a mental health coach.
What truly sets YourCoach Health coaches apart is their ability to personalize evidence-based, science-backed strategies to fit each client’s unique lifestyle and preferences. There’s never any one-size-fits-all approach in REAL health coaching, which means the healthy habits health coaches help clients focus on are expressly designed to catalyze better physical and mental health outcomes (and sustainable ones, at that!).
Health coaches are crucial partners in the journey to overall wellbeing. Their holistic and personalized approach is what makes them unique and exceptional. Every health and wellbeing goal is addressed at multiple levels – meaning health coaches always consider the mental health components of any health goal and simultaneously build more optimal mental health through science-backed methodologies. Every human deserves access to truly effective, non-clinical mental health support. If you’re an organization that’s interested in learning more about how we can provide this type of support for your clients, employees and members through health coaching, send us a note to team@yourcoach.health.