How To Become a Health and Wellness Coach | 7 Step Guide

Do your family members and friends always come to you for advice on how to get healthier? Do you have a passion for wellness? Do you want to support other people make changes so they can live their best lives? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions and want financial security and freedom, you have already taken your first step toward becoming a health and wellness coach. And if you are looking where to start, you are about to find out:

• What exactly do health and wellness coaches do?
• How do you know if you are the health coach or the wellness coach?
• Where does your journey of becoming a health and wellness coach start?
• How do you find your first paying clients? 

What is a health and wellness coach?

You can agree that health and wellness coaching is too broad of an industry. In fact, it is a profitable and rewarding career. But what exactly does a health and wellness coach do? 

 A health and wellness coach is a guide who helps people make healthy changes in their lives. They work with clients to set and reach health goals, such as losing weight, eating better, or reducing stress. They support the clients through regular conversations, encouragement, and practical advice. Coaches in the health and wellness industry also support clients who need help making lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or increasing physical activity.

Depending on the specific niche you choose to work in this vast industry, your duties can include the following:

• Coach on healthy eating habits and meal planning to help clients make better dietary choices.
• Assess clients' current lifestyle habits, including sleep patterns, stress levels, and physical activity.
• Use techniques like motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral strategies to help clients change unhealthy behaviors.
• Adopt a holistic approach to health, considering physical, emotional, and mental well-being during your coaching practice, etc. 

What is the difference between a health coach and a wellness coach? 

Health coaching and wellness coaching are often used interchangeably. One cannot exist with the other, can it? However, the health coach focuses more on physical fitness and health. As a health coach, you often collaborate with other health professionals to make sure that your plan also aligns with any medical treatment your client undergoes. 

Conversely, wellness coaching incorporates all aspects of well-being, helping clients achieve a more balanced life. So, that goes into not only physical but also mental, emotional, and spiritual levels. As a wellness coach, you would be working toward goals such as stress management, work-life balance, personal growth, and similar objectives. For managing client records and ensuring seamless operations, consider using the best EHR for mental health private practice.

Your 7-step guide to becoming a health and wellness coach 

To become a health and wellness coach, you are definitely encouraged to take any kind of educational program, work on your skills as a coach, start networking, and, most importantly, market your services. Now, let’s get into each of these steps in more detail and see what professional coaches in this field advise. 

Find your “WHY”

This is the stage where you take time to assess your passions and abilities. As you do self-reflection, you will find the main reason why you want to become a health and wellness coach. 

Especially if you are at this stage where you think, “Where should I begin?, or “What is my next step?” we recommend reading Simon Sinek's “Start with Why”. The first reason you want to do this is you will understand the true motivations behind your actions. Consequently, you will also be able to understand your future clients better and resonate with them. 

Secondly, you will be able to find your specific niche in this vast industry. Nicching down is one of the most important parts of your journey to becoming a health and wellness coach. As a beginner, you may think that starting with a specific niche can put limitations on your capabilities and impact on the world. However, it’s quite the opposite. 

“I've never been a fan of niching down. I believe that saying things like "I only work with men in their fifties who are in the middle of a divorce" or "the only people I coach are dolphin trainers" is super limiting. However, my perspective shifted on this. Because of the insight that niching down sparks in the imagination of your clients, I decided to ponder my possible niche”.  

Mick Rutjes,

Life and High-Performance Coach 

To find your specific niche, try answering the following questions:

• What is the problem I’m helping my clients with?
• Who are the people who have this problem?
• Where are those people in their journey?
• What are the results I want to help them achieve? 
• Who are the people I DO NOT work with?

Once you put down the answers to all these questions, you should have your coaching statement ready. 

Pursue your certification 

Is it mandatory to get a degree to become a health and wellness coach? No, it is not. Should you pursue some kind of a program and get official training on it? You definitely should. And if you are wondering whether you need to obtain a certification, that would depend on your specific niche. 

Even if you have been a healthcare professional for years now, you should still think about getting coaching training. The reason is that being a healthcare professional and being a health & wellness coach are two totally different things. 

If you are looking to get certified, here are some of the top certification programs. 

• The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). To get a certification, you will need to complete their training program and complete 50 health & wellness coaching sessions. 
• Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). IIN is one of the largest and most well-known health coach training programs. It covers a broad range of topics, including nutrition, wellness, and coaching techniques, with a focus on holistic health.
• Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Training. The program mainly teaches how to change your clients’ health habits and achieve tangible results. 

The kind of certification program you choose will also depend on your niche. So, please do your research to see if it suits you. 

Work on your health and wellness coaching skills 

You will be working on your strong coaching skills if you decide to take up an educational program. Yet, not all training programs cover this department in depth. 

“Cultivating strong coaching skills is essential for any aspiring health coach, as it forms the backbone of effective client engagement and truly transformative outcomes.” 

 Kim Foster,

MD-turned-coach and wellness expert 

Besides, working on your coaching skills will truly boost your confidence. And by saying this, we do not mean only learning how to coach but actually practicing coaching. Coaching requires a different set of skills than the one you usually need in healthcare. As a healthcare professional, you will be preaching and telling people what to do. However, as a coach you should be guiding them through that change and transformation. Here are the skills you need to master as a coach. 

• Relationship building
• Active listening and holding coaching presence
• Effective communication
• Reflective questioning
• Creating awareness
• Empathy
• Holding accountability, etc

So, if you are looking to be successful, you should find ways to practice these skills. For example, you might consider getting a mentor and practicing with your mentor. You might have family members or friends who may need your services. Your goal at this point is practicing with whoever it might be. Perhaps you can get into a community of coaches in your field where you can practice and learn from each other. This brings us to our next point. 

Connect with professionals in your field

The next important step you should pay attention to is to network and collaborate with other health and wellness coaches. Networking not only broadens your knowledge but also creates many referral opportunities. 

You can join industry events, participate in online  forums, and connect with other health and wellness coaches and professionals. These events are also excellent opportunities to meet professionals like nutritionists, fitness trainers, mental health experts, and build meaningful relationships with them. 

“The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the expectations of your peer group. Choose your peers wisely.”

Tony Robbins

Performance Coach, Business Strategist 

Besides offline events, you can also join social media groups dedicated to health and wellness are valuable resources for staying connected with the community. Engaging in discussions, asking questions, and sharing your experiences can give you more credibility and become a means of self branding. Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and specialized forums can be great places to start.

All these not only help you to practice your coaching skills but also get new clients faster. 

Build a professional online presence

If you have been wondering how else you can get your clients, you should also work on your online presence. We have already discussed how you can join online events for networking, yet it is just a small piece of the puzzle. Even if you do not yet plan to organize your sessions online, a strong online presence is crucial for success in today’s digital age. 

The three main channels you should prioritize when it comes to online presence are social media, your professional website, and your blog. 

 Social media

 Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, are great to start for connecting with potential clients and other professionals in your field. So ensure you regularly post content that shows your expertise. For example, your posts may include things like tips on healthy living, client success stories, and anything your clients can resonate with. By reading your posts your potential clients should be like, “Yes, this is exactly how I feel.”

I don’t want you to get stuck here. If you can outsource, or delegate, or get a little bit help with your social media, that’s great. If not, I want you to just choose one online platform to focus on in the beginning. 

 Kim Foster,

MD-turned-coach and wellness expert  

Your professional website

Your coaching website is usually one of the main things potential clients check out to see how good you are. That is why it should be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and full of valuable information about your services. By this, we mean including a little of your bio, client testimonials, and a clear description of your offerings and your contact information. 

If you want to save time and money on building your health and wellness coaching website, we recommend using a website builder. As an all-in-one online coaching platform, Uteach comes with advanced website builder functionalities. For example, MindBody Connection uses Uteach to present their offers, run sessions, online courses and sell digital products. 

Building your online presence does take some time. However, if you are here for the long game and want health & wellness coaching to be your career, then it’s worth the effort. 

Come up with a signature offer 

Finally, it’s time you create your main health & wellness coaching program. And by saying a program, we do not necessarily mean it should be a course. Your coaching program is what solves that big problem your target audience needs solved. 

“People do not buy coaching. They are not like, “I wanna work with a coach,” and then go and search for a coach to work with. Instead, people buy solutions to their problems. They don’t buy coaching.”

 Kristin Hartjes,

Holistic doctor, Transformational Coach 

Try to find your unique way of solving your clients’ problems. This could be your specialized knowledge, a unique methodology, or personal experience that resonates with your audience.

For your program to work, outline the specific goals and outcomes your clients will achieve through your program. For example, it might be weight loss, stress reduction, improved fitness, or better nutrition, make sure these goals are clear, measurable, and attainable. This gives clients a concrete understanding of what they can expect.

Next, think about the framework that guides your sessions. This framework should include a series of steps or stages that clients will go through, each building on the last. For example, your program might start with an initial assessment, followed by goal setting, action planning, implementation, and regular progress reviews.

Market your services 

We are on the final step, which is marketing your services. Understating the importance of marketing is really essential for building a successful health coaching practice. 

 One of the best ways to market your health & wellness coaching services is through content marketing. To address your clients’ pain points and provide valuable insights, you can run your health & wellness blog. 

By having a blog, you can share articles on topics related to health and wellness. This way, you can position yourself as an expert in the field. For example, write about issues that matter to your clients. It can be nutrition tips, exercise routines, mental health strategies, and success stories. As you update your blog with high-quality content, you will be able to attract visitors to your website. And the more visitors you have, the more clients you are likely to get. 

Social media marketing is yet another channel. On socials, you can run Q&A sessions, share success stories to boost your visibility. Another great strategy is, of course, email marketing. After you build an email list, you can nurture relationships with your potential clients. 

FAQ 

Let’s also answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

Can anyone become a health and wellness coach?

While anyone can call themselves a wellness coach, becoming a successful one requires a combination of relevant education and training, strong communication skills, a genuine passion for helping others. 

As a health and wellness coach, you should also have the commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Certification from recognized programs, such as those offered by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC),can enhance credibility. Additionally, personal experience with health and wellness challenges and the ability to practice what you preach are essential for building trust and empathy with clients. And if you are running your own practice, business skills are also important.

Are wellness coaches in demand?

Yes, wellness coaches are increasingly in demand as more people recognize the importance of a holistic approach to health and well-being. 

The health and wellness coaching industry was anticipated to grow by 2.7% in 2021 and is expected to expand by 5.4% annually. Experts predict that the sector will reach $8.87 billion by 2025, with nearly 140,000 practicing coaches.

The rising awareness of preventive healthcare, the growing interest in mental health and stress management, and the shift towards healthier lifestyles are driving the demand for wellness coaches. Employers are also integrating wellness programs to boost employee health and productivity, further increasing the need for qualified wellness coaches. 

How much can a health coach earn? 

Health coaches can earn between $25,000 to over $100,000 annually, depending on their experience, location, specialization, and whether they work independently or for an organization. Entry-level coaches typically earn $25,000 to $45,000, while those with more experience and a solid client base can make $50,000 to $75,000. Highly experienced or specialized coaches can earn $80,000 to $100,000 or more. 

Earnings also vary based on geographic location, with coaches in larger cities or affluent areas often earning higher rates. Independent coaches may earn more by setting their rates and expanding their services.

Monetize Your Skills Online

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Many online learners are waiting for you to light their way. Book your free demo with our expert now and see how you can become a better and more efficient business coach with the help of Uteach.