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In light of enrolling in nutrition school 5 months ago, I have a lot of people asking me two questions:
What even is a health coach.. what can you do with that?
How did you find the guts to change your career like that?! That is my dream.
So let's answer them.
The Role of Health Coaches
Health coaches support clients in figuring out where to start the change process and how to make sustainable shifts to achieve their wellness goals. They’re also uniquely positioned to bring lasting change to those living with preventable nutrition- and lifestyle-related diseases.
The support they offer is both evidence- and experience-based; it’s a combination of traditional and modern approaches catered to each bio-individual client
Health Coaches empower clients to choose health-promoting behaviors that work for them
They raise awareness and offer support as clients move on their own terms toward the greater health they want for themselves
Coaching can lead to long-term behavior change, but only because Health Coaches help clients do the meaningful work that forms a strong and mindful foundation for achieving goals.
My definition of a health coach:
A guide to your holistic health
To help you nourish your mind, body, and spirit
To help you work through unique barriers
To help you meet personal health and life goals
Health coaches can provide services independently or for employers.
Independent coaching is bio-individual. It can be niche-specific (hormone health) or general nutrition and lifestyle-based. It can entail:
1:1 coaching with clients in your niche
Group coaching
Workshops
Collaboration with professionals, brands or organizations
Educating, webinars, books
Health coaches in healthcare bridge the gap between wellness professionals and patients.
Health coaches can help clients develop strategies for lasting lifestyle changes that improve overall wellness and daily quality of life. They play a key role in helping clients maintain doctor-recommended preventative practices by guiding clients in meeting lifestyle goals to reduce the risk of disease. Health coaches can work with doctors, therapists, and other professionals in multiple settings such as:
Primary care office
Medical specialist office
Therapists office
Wellness facilities, like float studios and IV infusion centers
Corporate offices
Spas
Gyms
Why we need more health coaches
Being a health coach makes you a better person. You are in control of your own health and life. You can be your own boss, make your own schedule and make of it whatever you feel passionate coaching about. By playing a crucial role in improving your own health and happiness you create a ripple effect that transforms the world. Health coaches have the potential to reverse the global healthcare crisis with education and prevention AND it is one of the quickest-growing careers! They are seriously in demand, so much so, that the industry has grown to 7 billion dollars.
Why I chose IIN and changed my career
To make a long story short, I was overweight as a child, anorexic as a teen, and just completely screwed up as a college student, I was lost for a long time. When I finally graduated and got my first big girl job as a bedside nurse in Pittsburgh ~ in the midst of a pandemic ~ I had a lot of realizations come to me. First, I had a lot more free time to pursue my own interests (going to the gym, cooking at home, reading, etc.) so I started to feel more me... I lost weight - the healthy way and I felt more balanced. But something still wasn't right. Six months in as a bedside nurse, I felt so unfulfilled and burnt out. Work was emotionally and physically draining and some of the meds and care plans I was carrying out just didn't sit right with me. Passing out medicine cups filled to the brim with pills every day, I kept thinking to myself, this is not “healthcare.” I was always passionate about nutrition and exercise, I knew I needed to make a change one day.
So I left my staff job to travel after a year because, if I had to do this nursing thing, I might as well get paid fairly and get a chance to explore the states too. So I lived it up for a couple of months, making good money and traveling across the country, but I still wasn't happy at work. It brought out the worst in me. I just couldn't see myself in this profession for much longer.
My second assignment really did me in, and after that, I was SOOOO ready to be done. I started looking into other career options. I considered nurse practitioner for the longest time, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse instructor, midwife, and the list goes on. But all these professions still had the conventional medical model of care that I did not agree with. So I started looking at functional medicine and naturopathic schools, but MAN is that expensive. So eventually, I fell upon health coaching. I thought, the least it could do is provide me with a side income if I ever decide to go to these outrageous grad schools. And after a couple of months of researching and almost committing to another, less established, health coaching school, I found IIN on Instagram one day and it had everything I was looking for, I didn't even need time to think about it. I met with an admissions advisor and enrolled within a week.
I chose @nutritionschool because it’s fully remote, I had the option to do the 6 or 12-month program, they’re the only accredited nutrition school in the US and have been in the business for 30+ years, they teach personal and professional growth, AND they had a 40% off nurses discount. I really didn't need any more convincing LOL.
Currently, I am 96% through the program and I am very impressed and grateful for the experience. I am full of knowledge and wisdom from some of the top professionals in the field, I have grown so much in awareness, and in professional business planning.
I am not fully done with the security of nursing but I am making huge strides to start my own coaching business thanks to IIN's curriculum and integration lab... Lots of change to come :)
So that's why I am changing my career and how IIN is helping me do it!!
If you're interested to learn more about my journey, subscribe to my blog to keep up to date with my brand! If you have any interest or questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram or email me at organicnursern@gmail.com and I can hook you up for more information about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition!
If you related to this post and you're ready to enroll click here!!
Trusted your gut feelings and look where it's been getting you 😀