In my pre-mom life, I was a health coach.
I worked for a local company, then went on and opened my own nutrition company (read more about it here). I play with the idea of returning to it when the kids are older, but until then, I get my fix by talking health and life with y’all and other side projects I pick up along the way.
Lately I’ve gotten quite a few emails inquiring about tips for becoming a health coach, so I thought I’d chat about my personal experience and the things that surprised me the most as a health coach.
5 Things You May Not Know About Becoming a Health Coach
1. You don’t have to be a registered dietitian (RD).
I’m certainly not suggesting that anyone give out health advice willy nilly and there are laws you must abide by (non-RD health coaches cannot prescribe nutrition), but if your passion is for helping people with non-serious health issues get healthier, you can work WITH a registered dietitian instead of becoming one yourself.
I know this is a sensitive subject, so let me say that I have GREAT respect for the knowledge and experience RDs have. However, committing to 4-5 years and student loans isn’t for everyone. There are certifications and schools available to help develop skills necessary for being a health coach, such as Integrative Nutrition, ACE, Dr. Sears Wellness Institute and Duke Integrative Medicine.
[Tweet “5 things you may not know about becoming a health coach”]
2. You have to meet people where they are.
When you have a passion for chia seed pudding and green monster smoothies, it may be difficult to imagine the day where you’d be suggesting a Chick-fil-a biscuit to someone, but that’s just where I found myself.
When a client was eating 3 chicken biscuits every morning and refusing to cut them out, we worked towards 1 chicken biscuit, a banana and a yogurt. Eventually the client moved onto homemade oatmeal breakfasts, but it’s unrealistic to expect people to make big changes overnight that stick.
3. It helps to be a people person.
Health coaching is more than meeting with a client face to face; it’s sales. If you want clients, you have to go out and find them. Health fairs, booths at gyms, cooking demos, doctors lunches, networking events… it’s up to you to get your name out there and connect with people. Self motivation required.
4. You end up being part counselor.
True psychologists are invaluable and it helps to develop a relationship with a good one to refer to because, no surprise, for a lot of people the issue isn’t just eating the wrong foods. You may be prepared to talk macronutrients or the importance of drinking water all day long, but what happens when someone sites their high stress job or cheating spouse (I ran into both) as reasons why they overindulge?
Be prepared to talk emotions and be prepared to refer out when it’s beyond your scope of practice.
5. You won’t change every life.
If only your enthusiasm could rub off on everyone, but prepared that it won’t. Some clients I had were there only out of obligation to their spouse or trainer and weren’t truly open to or ready to change. My goal with working with them was just to have them learn something new every session. I provided the most pertinent information I could for their situations, then it was up to them to do with it what they wished.
[Tweet “It’s a hard lesson to learn when you’re a health coach, but you won’t change every life.”]
…but when you do get a breakthrough and help someone change their life, there is NO feeling like it in the world! I still keep in touch with a few old clients and to hear them succeed with their goals and continue down a healthy lifestyles path is indescribable. It reaffirms that working in a field your passionate about always pays off!
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Are you in a career you are passionate about?
What is it?
Madeline @ Food Fitness and Family says
LOVE this girl. I definitely think that health coaching goes so far beyond just what people eat and that creating a collaborative team to help people would be awesome!
Kimberly @ Healthy Strides says
Love, love, love. I’m trying to transition from my current career to something more health oriented, and I’ve been curious about health coaching. I definitely want to go the no-school route as my husband will get his masters in the near future and we don’t need four sets of student loans. I’m getting my ACE personal training certificate and it’s good to know they have a coaching certificate as well!
Sarah says
What a challenging and rewarding career! I worked as a job coach and teacher. Seeing your students succeed is such a blessing.
jodi says
brittany! great post! i love my career as a physician, but it’s amazing how little training (ie NONE!!) in nutrition and the very little we get in psychology (instead we get trained on meds…). My job is soooooo much psychology and nutrition! And given I work in a small town in North Carolina, I have lots of talks about cutting back on BoJangles, sweet tea and sun drop!! So funny, looking back I guess I didn’t need formal training for my nutrition counseling!!
Danica @ It's Progression says
Health and wellness is something I’m extremely passionate about, but that’s not the career I have a degree in (if only I’d discovered this passion years earlier…). I don’t think going to school to become an RD is possible for me right now (for many reason, finances, location, etc.) so I’m looking into other routes. I’m so thankful you did this post!
Adrienne @ Happy Ramblings says
I’m currently working on changing my career and moving in to the health and fitness industry. I am studying for my CPT right now, and was think of personal training while going back to school for RD, but this may have changed my mind a little. I’m already paying for that first degree I don’t use, so why get another one. Health coaching sounds like the way to go!
Erin @ The Grass Skirt says
This is fantastic advice. I definitely found all of this to be true when I was health coaching- before I became a full-time mommy too. I think the biggest thing was not trying to turn everyone into a health food nut. For most people, I focused on moderation, so they could still eat the foods that they loved- even if they were fried in lard. LOL.
Irina S. says
Great post! It will definitely help me when I switch careers in the hopefully-not-too-distant future.
Katie says
Thank you for sharing! I started reading your blog within the last year…or so, can’t really remember. But its great to read about someone else’s choices and experiences.
Jen@HealthyFoodandFamily says
Pre-mom I was a legal assistant and at first couldn’t wait until my youngest started Kindergarten (which will be this September) so I could come back…even though I left in 2008. I have changed a lot these past 5 years and I have 0 desire to go back to that job now. I’m currently studying my booty off so I can take my Certified Personal Trainer exam this summer. I’m so excited for what the future holds and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Amanda Perry @ Sistas of Strength says
Great tips and advice. It can absolutely be hard work when you’re working with unmotivated clients who clients who are un-willing to change. Like you said, you have to learn to meet them halfway sometimes. 😉
I am in a career I LOVE finally (gym owner, personal trainer and nutrition coach)….after 10 years in a cube! Whoop!
Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says
I’d love to do something like this! I’ve always been worried about the qualifications though.
Liz @ iheartvegetables says
I’ve been looking into the Dr. Sears wellness institute!!! I think it sounds like an awesome program and I just really want to help people! Thank you for sharing all of this!
Zina says
hey Liz! I wanted to ask you if you ended up joining dr. sears institute and how did you like it? I am still contemplating my options between dr. sears wellness and IIN
Paige says
how do you measure metabolism? I think mine is slow but I want to know for sure…should I just find a health coach in my area (Gainesville, Fl) or is it possible to do it on my own?
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
I really enjoyed reading this post, because I think that we hear a lot about health coaching as a career, but I, for one, don’t really understand what it is, exactly. 🙂 I know the health and helping people is my passion, but becoming an RD is not for me. I hope that I use my teaching career right now to help others, but maybe one day I’ll transition into something more health educated full time.
Shelly says
Thank you for the great advice. Meeting people where they are is a very important tip and I need to remind myself that I was once in “their” shoes and small changes over time need to take place 🙂
Linda says
Thank you, all good information to know. I am transitioning to/in training for health coaching, after 12 years in nonprofit health services. It helps to know others experience, to know what you’re in for. Thank you!
Roy Patterson says
I am a senior exercise-fitness coach with the Senior FIT program of Alliance Rehab and am studing to become a CPT and would like to add health coaching to my program.Any suggestions on what program I should look at?
Erin says
I know it’s a little late to find this post – but I have just committed to get my ACE Health Coach certification and really value what you have to say. I’m a working professional, personal trainer, fitness nutrition specialist, and fitness instructor and do not see myself going back to school at this stage of my life, but want to help make a difference. I appreciate your perspective!
Erin says
I am very interested in becoming a health coach but I’m not sure how to get started with getting my certification. I noticed some of the programs you mentioned cost around 5 thousand dollars while ACE only costs 500. Naturally I want to go with the cheapest option but it strikes me as suspicious that it is so much less than the others. Any advice on which program to choose?
Brittany Dixon says
I’m certified through ACE and have found it to be great at instruction and support. I can only speak from personal experience, and through that, I’ve found that people care a lot more about if you can help than about your specific training. I’m not saying if that is right or wrong, but if you are passionate, moral, informed and always looking to learn more, than I think which certification you go through is of less importance than what you can do with it, staying within your scope of practice, of course.
Michelle says
I am a Registered Dietitian and a health coach…and I don’t use much (if any) of my masters in nutritional science for coaching. Understanding the concepts of Motivational Interviewing, Positive Psychology, and Appreciative Inquiry are the tools that made the most difference for my clients. I find that most people pretty much know what they need to do – eat more vegetables, cut back the processesd foods and sugar, and get more active. The hard part is making that happen consistently, and that is where coaching can help.
Thanks for post!
Audrey @ In Shape Cupcake says
I loved reading this! I’m going to be a health coach soon and I’m a little nervous, but excited!
Annette says
Great post! I was looking into programs for becoming a certified health coach and was wondering about the institute of transformational nutrition. Have you heard about that?
Brittany Dixon says
I haven’t, but I’m sure many programs have popped up over the past few years that I don’t know about. Wish I could help!
Michelle says
Beware because there are a lot, and I mean A LOT of programs available that “Certify” health coaches without really providing the training and tools to help you succeed. I found WellCoaches to be really excellent for giving both the theoretical and practical knowledge you need to be great health coach. Through their online program, they offer plenty of opportunity to hear coaching sessions by professional coaches, and they really re-iterate everything you learn through the written materials.
They are not cheap, but less expensive than colleges and universities, and a great investment in my experience.
Jayni @ Fit and Lively Mom says
Thank you! My background is in education, but I’ve recently gotten fitness after my changing my own unhealthy habits. I’ve been thinking about becoming a CPT and certified Health Coach through ACE, and then run my own business from home. Trouble is – I’ve had no idea how to get started! I’m glad to find other people out there who doing what I want to do!
Rebecca Lara says
Thanks so much for sharing your journey! I really loved what you said about meeting people where they are. I think it is important to have a person-centered approach to coaching that empowers people to find their own internal wisdom and motivation. It is so powerful to see someone have that “ah ha” moment where they no longer think “Oh, this is something I have to do to be healthy” to “Yes! This is something I WANT to do.” I have discovered Linda Bark’s Wisdom of the Whole coaching model (www.wisdomofthewhole.com) which is an integral perspective to coaching and am so amazed by how it allows for a rich partnership to develop between coach and client, fostering more joy, health, and success for both. From reading the other posts, for those who are looking for a holistic program focused on health and wellness, I would definitely recommend the Wisdom of the Whole Coaching Academy. You can get a full 60 hours of training that are good towards both ICF coach certification and also Nurse Coach Certification (for licensed RNs).
Brittany says
Hey Brittany,
Brittany says
For some reason that posted! I am interested in working on becoming a health coach, but am still trying to figure out specifics on what is/isn’t allowed. I loved your article, but I know part of being a health coach is working on nutritional goals also. Are you saying without being an RD, you can’t ‘tell them’ what to do nutritionally, but rather give them advice and lead them in the right direction?
Thanks,
Brittany
Brittany Dixon says
Correct- my understanding on North Carolina’s laws (they differ by state) is that you can give generalized advice but not ‘prescribe’ nutrition. I also found it helpful to contract with a RD that helped me with plans and making sure I stayed within the legal guidelines. Good luck!
Bobbie Jo Ferrell says
I’m in NC and looking at becoming a health coach. I have looked at several different programs but did not see allot in the classes that I thought would really help. I’m currently doing intermittent fasting with one meal a day and love how it makes me feel like I have control over healing my body. I Love watching the videos from Dr Berg and I know he has a health coaching program but it’s not accredited. My question is once you go through a program do you have to take a test in NC to start a business. I’m a Paramedic and I’m looking to changing fields to something less stressful and more in line with what I feel God put me on earth for.
Brittany Dixon says
You will need to check and see what the latest laws say, but when I was a coach I did not have to take a test to start my business. Best of luck to you in your new venture!
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Tamara says
Ya a nurse is great also& help people and now myself studying. As a H.c 6Mthe into in and loving it already and just gotta get my Niche now & help others like I’m doing with network marketing on how to live a healthier life with great products we have etc