Opportunities abound out there for careers in wellness coaching. Wellness coaches work with individuals and groups in supporting them to engage in healthy living. This includes areas of health such as weight management, fitness, diabetes management, nutrition, and others that impact an individual’s health. You can work individually with clients and support their healthy lifestyle changes; or work for a coaching company that contracts wellness coaching to corporations; or you can work directly for a corporation as their Health & Wellness Coach.

As a trained coach there is one thing you already know about working with clients. No matter what the focus is, they benefit most from an approach that’s holistic, builds on their strengths, acknowledges what they’ve already accomplished, and celebrates when they reach a goal.

This is where alchemy comes into play. It’s recognizing that each person is already whole, not full of holes…helping them find their greatest assets, focus on those, and replace the bad habits and behaviors that have hindered their health.

What Qualifications Are Needed for Careers in Wellness Coaching?

Regardless of whether you’re interested in wellness as an individual coach or as part of a company, it’s important to establish your credibility in the industry. Most of those who have careers in wellness coaching have experience in providing health-related programs and a degree in one of the following fields:

• Exercise Physiology
• Physical Therapy
• Nursing/Health Care
• Health Education/Health Promotion
• Nutrition /Dietetics
• Personal or Athletic Training
• Kinesiology

Got the Degree, Love Healthy Living, and You’re an Excellent Coach

What are you waiting for? These careers are out there for you. Decide if you want to work for yourself or for someone else. Questions to consider when making the decision to take up a career in wellness coaching are:

• Am I trained as a coach and have a special interest in health and wellness?
• Do I want to work for a coaching company that specializes in careers in wellness coaching?
• Would I rather work as a contractor and market my program to businesses that are interested in keeping their employees healthy and happy?
• Do I enjoy group work as well as individual coaching?
• Do I have certification from an accredited wellness coach training program?

Process to Use With Clients

Because it’s important to approach the client as a whole person, you can begin by taking him/her on a self discovery journey. Helping the client find their innate values, talents and strengths allows them to clarify what it is they truly want in their lives.

Then you can work with your client to develop a focused wellness plan that is in alignment with his/her core values. The plan includes realistic goals, action steps to reach the goals, and integration of new behaviors into their life. You provide support and understanding in a non-judgmental way, and celebrate when they achieve results.

There are a variety of careers in wellness coaching available to those who have experience in the wellness industry and the desire to work with individuals who are ready to become healthy and live more fulfilled lives.

Marti Hess
Life Coach
Writing team, Coaches Training Blog Community