So, What is a Health Coach Anyway?

When I tell people that I am going to school to become a Holistic Health Coach, people often have questions: What is a Health Coach? Where are you going to school? How are you different than a Nutritionist or a Dietitian? What can Health Coaches do? What do you plan to do when you become a Health Coach? 

So, below I've answered some of these questions for you in hopes that I can clarify just what it is that I am doing and where exactly I am hoping to go.

First and foremost, it is important to me that people know and understand that I am not a Registered Dietitian (RD) or a Nutritionist. I am a Health Coach. What is the difference you ask? Well...let me explain.

Registered Dietitians and Nutritionists receive different credentials than Health Coaches and they learn a more scientific approach to nutritional education. RDs and Nutritionists work with their clients solely on food and nutrition; whereas, Health Coaches support their clients with issues and challenges related to diet AND lifestyle. Health Coaches look at the person as a whole and consider all aspects of a persons life in order to assist them in achieving wellness. This includes areas such as their relationships, career, spiritual life and exercise.  It's about way more than just the food we eat!


So, where are you going to school?

I chose to obtain my certification through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and will officially graduate in February of 2014. I really like IIN because they have such a diverse student body. IINs student body consists of individuals from Australia to Alaska and PhDs to stay-at-home moms. In addition, I was attracted to the opportunity to study over one hundred dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and innovative coaching methods with some of the world's top health and wellness experts. These folks include Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, Director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center; Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Nutrition at Harvard Universiy; Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating; and many other leading researchers and nutrition authorities. 

What does a Health Coach do? 

In short, the possibilities are limitless. Some students build their own private practice doing health coaching, others work for already established health & wellness companies and some are writing books and promoting their own products. Everyone has a different path but we all have the same goal in mind - improving the health and happiness of people around the world. 

What are your plans for after graduation? 

it is my intent to become board certified through the AADP: American Association for Drugless Practitioners. My business, yinRoot, has already been established and I've started seeing clients and building partnerships with others in the field of holistic health. My services include one-on-one health coaching, small group coaching, family coaching and educational seminars for large groups. You can learn more about each of these programs here.

If you are interested in learning more about yinRoot and how health coaching can be of benefit to you, please contact me today for a free 50-minutue initial health history consultation!

Until next time....stay rooted!

Joelle