Start a Career As a Health Coach
The incidence of preventable illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain types of cancer continues to skyrocket. Many people around the world have these diseases and even pass away due to them. A health coach does important work all over the world in order to help people treat these diseases and be healthier. You, too, can help with this work.
Steps
- Reflect on your decision to become a health coach. Is health coaching a good match for you? Being a health coach requires a unique combination of knowledge, skills, enthusiasm, and compassion. When coaching your clients, your role is multi-faceted. You act as a coach on the latest nutrition science and offer objective advice on how to eat, exercise, and relax for optimal health. Beyond that, you are your client's emotional ally, and you're there to listen and respond to the challenges, problems, and concerns that affect their overall wellness. Your passion for nutrition and wellness should be balanced by patience and true compassion for people of all backgrounds.
- Think about your choice of becoming a health coach. Is self-employment a good option for you? While a health coach can find employment in gyms, spas, companies, doctors' offices, and wellness centers, most health coaches are self-employed and run their own private health coaching practices. Many health coaches love the flexibility of being their own bosses, setting their own schedules, and forging the path of their own success. However, owning your own practice requires significant initiative, marketing savvy, discipline, organizational skills, and business knowledge. It is often crucial for health coaches to get ongoing business training to create and develop a successful practice.
- Research all programs that are offered(either online or not), to find the right health coach training program. Once you've decided that health coaching is the right career path for you, it's time to research programs. Some questions to consider when researching a health coach training program are: Does the program require prerequisite courses? Are the courses online or in a live-classroom setting? What certifications and affiliations does the school have? How long does the program take to complete? Does the program offer education in a wide variety of health topics? Does the training cover counseling skills? Does the curriculum include business training? Will you receive ongoing support after you complete the program? What do other graduates have to say about the program? When making your decision, ask for references and testimonials. A program that boasts an especially loyal student base is doing something right.
- Enroll in a school that teaches you to become a health coach. Start your studies and begin your practice. Strive to build your health coaching practice while you're still in school. A good health coaching program will help you establish an “earn while you learn” practice so that you can start building a client base and gain experience even before you finish your studies.
- Once you graduate, be sure to take advantage of every opportunity your school has to offer to alumni. Go to web-inars, training sessions, conferences, and take other online courses. These will definitely be of great help.
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