Health Coach

There's been some recent press around Health Coaches, so much so that the director of my school, the Institute of Integrative Nutrition has decided to change our title from Health Counselors to Health Coaches. This has created a great deal of discussion among my classmates. I'm taking it all in, but I'm not yet sure it makes much difference to me. Essentially, because whether my title is "coach" or "counselor" I still provide the same service for my clients. However, I thought you might be interested to see and read some of what is being said about health coaches/counselors:

• Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks on CNN about the need for health coaches in America http://media.integrativenutrition.com/uploads/marketing/media/oz_clip.mov

• ABC News reports on health coaching - what it is and how it can help you: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9493792.

• Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing magazine reports: "When athletes want a competitive edge, they hire a private coach to monitor their progress. When it comes to your health, using this mindset could also be beneficial. Health coaches are increasingly being hired by corporations to help employees stay healthy and by individuals seeking to improve well-being. For some, these coaches offer assistance in managing dietary constraints (due to conditions such as celiac disease or diabetes), and for others, they might focus on teaching stress-reduction methods. In some ways, the health coach picks up where your physician left off, helping you implement wellness strategies suggested after a check-up or diagnosis." In the article, Integrative Nutrition graduate Christi Collins recommends finding a coach who has received training from a reputable program, and whose personality resonates with your own.

• CBS News reports: "Congress will miss the boat if it ends up perpetuating a system that reacts to illness rather than preventing it. Chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes wreck our quality of life and cost a fortune. In recent years, a new and intriguing concept has emerged in the prevention and treatment of chronic illness: the health coach."

• NY Times article on coaches: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/business/yourmoney/22food.html?_r=3&scp=1&sq=nutrition%20coach&st=cse.