And why it’s time to rethink what that means in 2025.
Health coaching has come a long way from where it started several decades ago. Once seen as a “nice-to-have,” more and more organizations are recognizing the unique role REAL health coaching plays in helping people achieve lasting health change. First and foremost, we’re so proud of the progress this industry has made. But with greater awareness sometimes comes more misinformation, inconsistency, and, unfortunately, lower quality service.
The truth of the matter is, not every organization that says they provide health coaching actually delivers real health coaching. Even those that do, still lack the quality and consistency needed for guaranteeing actual results. Here at YourCoach, we’ve made a point to specify we deliver REAL health coaching. That’s precisely because the term “health coaching” has become overused, misused and ultimately, watered down. And it’s time for a rebrand.
From nutrition-first, to holistic support rooted in mental health.
When health coaching first began to gain traction, it was primarily focused on diet and nutrition. That made sense at the time — early coaching models often mirrored nutrition counseling more than they did behavior change science. But today, modern health coaching is built to leverage evidenced-based methodologies that enact behavior change and address diverse health concerns. This might range from managing stress and reducing A1C levels to navigating cancer treatment.
Modern health coaching recognizes that real health change is holistic. It starts with mental health support, the kind that helps individuals feel heard, seen, and safe enough to explore what’s really driving their behaviors.That could mean helping someone build self-trust after years of yo-yo dieting. It could mean guiding someone through burnout as they work to establish healthier boundaries. Or it might mean supporting someone with a chronic illness who’s feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do next.
Food still matters. But lasting health change requires addressing the emotional and mental landscape first in order to inspire lifestyle shifts that stick. This shift — from food-focused to whole-person — is where the true power of health coaching lies today. And yet, not every organization has caught up, which continues to limit the perception of what health coaching actually is and what it can truly offer when done right.
Nudging is NOT health coaching.
In the last few years, we’ve seen a flood of organizations take advantage of health coaching as a trending topic. While we love that big companies are finally recognizing the value of coaching, too many are slapping the label on services that barely scratch the surface. Often what’s being offered is a watered-down version of health coaching, one that recycles canned scripts in response to real human issues; one that uses “nudging” through automated tools instead of empathetic responses; and one that checks boxes instead of changing habits.
Let’s be clear: nudging is not health coaching. Some companies are well known for pushing a model that pairs users with “coaches” who often send messages based on behavioral algorithms. REAL health coaching requires a personalized approach to tailor behavior change in a way that’s actionable and effective. There’s a reason many of these organizations have seen a decline in support in recent years. This sort of service is not effective and it’s certainly not health coaching.
Some institutions are teaching outdated models — and we’re doing the work to unteach them.
We’ve seen a growing number of certification programs backed by well-known institutions pop up over the years. Again, we love that more individuals are passionate about becoming health coaches and that there are more programs available to make this possible. But not every certification program produces great health coaches. Too often, these programs teach rigid frameworks that prioritize structure over humanity. Coaches are taught to “mirror” clients rather than engage meaningfully. They’re instructed to provide resources, but not how to follow up with empathy.
Over the past several years we’ve worked with coaches from across institutions and have spent more hours teaching them to un-learn ineffective practices than we have teaching them new techniques. We help them rediscover the heart of coaching, not as a service that tells people what to do, but as a relationship that supports people in discovering who they want to become.
So what does a “health coaching rebrand” look like?
We’ve been very intentional about qualifying that we offer REAL health coaching in all of our recent content. This is an especially important distinction considering the rise of misinformation around health coaching and the rampant misuse of the term across organizations. What we offer here at YourCoach is truly holistic, personalized health coaching from trained humans. Not only that, but we also provide continuous quality management to ensure high-quality health coaching, always. It’s why we’ve maintained a 98%+ customer satisfaction score and statistically significant results (check out our latest Observational Outcomes Study for data).
We’ve been very passionate about furthering the “Health Coaching Revolution.” Several years ago, this meant generating more awareness about health coaching. Today, it’s about protecting the integrity of the profession and raising the standard. We’re very excited to be rolling out something very soon that will be the cornerstone of this next chapter.
Want to bring REAL coaching to your organization?
Whether you’re working with clients, employees, or members — your people deserve coaching that works. Email us at team@yourcoach.health and we’ll show you what REAL health coaching can really do.