6 Things to Know About Masterful Health Coaches

1. We are not doctors.

Masterful health coaches don’t pretend to be doctors and therapists. Truly wise health coaches know that they are supplemental resources to doctors. Doctors have honed in on their skills of analyzing the body and prescribing medicines and practical solutions. Health coaches have honed in on their skills of allowing their clients to experience successful habit change in support of the doctor’s diagnosis. This leads perfectly into point #2.

2. We are masters of Habit Change.

Hypothetical Scenario:

You’ve gone to the doctor, and been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The doctor gives you a prescription to help manage the symptoms, and tells you to stop eating gluten and refined sugar. He also recommends that you get more sleep in your day to re-charge your body and to keep your digestion flowing smoothly. Well, it’s good you got some clarity from a professional, but that diagnosis SUCKS.

You just got information overload!

Change a lot of the foods you eat. Change the way you are living and interacting so that you can go to sleep sooner. You pretty much have to change your whole life, and if you don’t do this, your symptoms will continue, and possibly even worsen. You may stop eating gluten and sugar for awhile – maybe even go for a run every couple of weeks – but after awhile, you find yourself downing an entire box of Peanut Butter Cheerios at 1 am after binge-watching the entire first 2 seasons of House, MD. Oh, and then you have to get up at 6:30 am for work.

Let’s be totally transparent here:

This scenario has played out in our lives in one way or another. Whether it’s IBS, high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, or chronic pain – we all have hit a wall in our health, and we find ourselves back in our old habits. The habits that we know our doctors would disapprove. I’ve seen too many people going out for double cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes after getting improved results on their blood work results!

The problem here is not in the doctor’s office. The problem is that it’s easier to pop some pills than actually dig down deep within ourselves and bring real healing to our bodies. What does “digging down deep” even mean? Is it willpower? NO.

Digging down deep means changing your habits.

Changing your habits may be easy for you for the first week or even the first few months. Until you find you just don’t wanna do what the doctor said anymore, and you don’t really care either way whether you get better or not.

That, my friend, is the perfect opportunity to find a health coach who is a master in the art of habit change.

Mastering habit change means naming the destination you want for your health, then taking the best possible pathways to get there. The process should be exciting, challenging, and most of all – fun! You’d be surprised at how much you can accomplish with the proper support, accountability, and stretch.

3. We can help because we have been there…. And we still struggle.

When you have no other choice but to figure things out for yourself – when you’ve accepted the fact that your life has become unmanageable – remember that you are not doing it alone. I sometimes have to giggle at the term “self-help,” because even though you’re getting help for yourself, you’re more than likely going to have more success not doing things by yourself. Masterful health coaches know this, understand this, and live by this principle. For that reason, masterful health coaches have their own coach, mentor, or counselor walking them through the parts of life that they need help improving. We’ve been there, and we understand those “icky,” unexplained feelings that creep up and bring self-doubt and contempt.

4. We’re going to challenge you, not force you.

You’re not doing things alone, but you do have to do the work required! It’s natural for some people to get defensive when working with a health coach. You may think, “Well why do I have to do what they say? How do they know what’s best for me?” The thing to remember in this instance is that masterful health coaches don’t know what’s best for you. We’re not mind readers! Only you know what’s best for you. We as health coaches simply help you on the journey of habit change. We help you identify the things that are no longer serving you in your life, then we challenge and stretch you to step in to that version of yourself that you want to be. We do this carefully, a small step at a time. We walk with you throughout your journey as you step up to the challenge to living your best life.

5. We are changing the way the world does health.

A few weeks ago, I heard a ridiculous statistic on how many people are suffering from side effects of OTCs and prescription meds. Suffering from side effects of chemicals – not the disease – but the side effects! I saw another snippet of info on the news this week on the staggering number of people who have died from some form of prescription drug use. My heart sank and my mood shifted uncomfortably after hearing these things!

I understand that there is a time and a place for all forms of medication.

Medicines of all kinds have helped billions of people, and I am thankful that we have medical professionals who are able to administer medicines wisely, where they are needed.

However, not everyone needs medicine, and masterful health coaches understand this.

I love reading success stories of how people cleaned up their diet, exercise, and mental/emotional health routines and reduced their medicine intake – sometimes eliminating it completely!

6. We hold you in high regard.

One of my jobs as a health coach is to hold my clients in high regard. I see them as capable, wise, and courageous individuals who are seeking and finding the life they always dreamed of having. Whether it’s losing fat, gaining muscle, stomping out self-limiting beliefs, or abolishing shame and guilt from your past, it is my job to hold you up to the standard that you don’t think you can meet. I know you can, and I help my clients see how part of them is already stepping in to their future, healthier selves, just by scheduling a call with me.

I founded Revealed Healing because it is my goal to reveal to people a new way of life that is just within their reach without turning to restrictive diets, medications, or unhealthy coping patterns.

If you or anyone you know struggles with overcoming unbalanced patterns and stepping in to the life you were meant to live, start showing up for yourself in a way that you never have before by finding a health coach. Even if you and I don’t work together, I encourage you to find the right support, accountability, and stretch that will help you take that next step into claiming your destiny.

To your health,

Brandie Nicole