what is a health coach?

non-judgemental ally

accountability partner

cheerleader

I celebrate every success with my clients, no matter how big or small. Change takes time and effort. I see the effort my clients put in and acknowledge every step they take towards their health and wellness goals.

Making health and lifestyle changes is hard when you have to do it alone. I am an accountability partner for all my clients. I help them them stay committed to their health and wellness vision - especially on the day's they think about giving up.

I provide a safe listening space for my clients to explore what is and isn't working in their lives right now. Together we explore any limiting beliefs and break through barriers that hold them back from what I know they can achieve. 

health coaches scope of practice

I am registered with the UK and International Health Coaches Association (UKIHCA) and operate within their scope of practice for professional health coaches. My training with The Health Coaches Academy is accredited by the UKIHCA.

UKIHCA scope of practice

What UKIHCA professional health coaches do?

• Professional health coaches work with individuals and groups in a client-centred process to facilitate and empower the client to develop and achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellbeing.

• Professional health coaches support clients in mobilising internal strengths and external resources, and in developing self-management strategies for making sustainable behaviour changes.

• As partners and facilitators, professional health coaches support their clients in setting and achieving their own health goals and desired behavioural changes.

• Professional health coaches support clients in implementing expert recommendations as prescribed by their professional health care providers.

• Professional health coaches assist clients to use their own insight to gain new self-awareness and perspectives on their situation that enable personal change to occur.

• Professional health coaches offer accountability for clients to enable them to move toward and maintain healthy lifestyle change.

• Professional health coaches may signpost a client, with permission towards supporting health and wellbeing information and resources from nationally and internationally recognised authorities, such as current government and public health guidelines and peer-reviewed robust, quality sources of evidence-based information. The purpose of the information sharing and manner in which it is shared must be aligned with the intention of facilitating discussion and exploration of new information from which clients can draw their own conclusions, gain confidence and a sense of empowerment.

• Professional health coaches may engage in coaching conversations with clients regarding an extremely broad range of health-related topics such as food, sleep, movement, client health conditions and impact of diagnoses, laboratory test results, biometrics and other measurements, relationship, and social support, meaning and purpose and what's important to the client.

• A professional health coach working with clients has a responsibility to make their scope/s of practice clear in their terms of agreement and when contracting with clients.
  

Unless otherwise qualified and covered by an appropriate scope of practice, the following processes are NOT within the scope of practice of the UKIHCA professional health coach:

• analysing/assessing client symptoms

• diagnosing conditions

• interpreting laboratory test results or other medical data

• giving specific dietary or nutritional advice to the individual or a group (including removing food groups)

• recommending supplements

• prescribing meal plans

• prescribing or de-prescribing medicines, treatments, or therapeutic interventions (including nutritional therapy, psychotherapy, physical activity programmes etc)

• making claims to prevent or cure any condition
  

UKIHCA professional health coaches must, unless otherwise qualified and able to do so legitimately, avoid giving specific personal health advice.

Do no harm:

In common with all health professionals, UKIHCA professional health coaches must follow a ‘do no harm’ mandate by refraining from or carrying out any actions that could potentially:

• harm a client or patient.

• lead to legal lawsuit.

• invalidate insurance cover.

• bring UKIHCA and the professional of health coaching into disrepute.

Holding multiple credentials:

UKIHCA professional health coaches do not per se assess symptoms, diagnose conditions, interpret lab results, give specific dietary advice, remove food groups, prescribe treatments or therapeutic interventions (including nutritional) or make claims to prevent or cure any condition.

However, if they also hold active, nationally recognised professional qualification and insurance (for example as a nutritionist, dietary educator, nutritional therapist, dietician, nurse, doctor, pharmacist, psychologist, physiotherapist, mental health specialist, osteopath, chiropractor) they may provide expert guidance related to that topic, but must act within the scope of practice of that or those profession(s) and must only do so with prior client agreement

Getting informed consent:

It is the UKIHCA professional health coach’s responsibility to communicate with the client and ensure the client understands the nature of health coaching and the boundaries of practice. A UKIHCA professional health coach must confirm in writing the scope of practice for any and each service agreed with a client.

Seeking collaboration:

UKIHCA professional health coaches should actively seek collaborations with other health care practitioners such as doctors, dietitians, nutritionists and other practitioners and therapists to be the anchor of a truly whole-health creating endeavour.

Insurance:

UKIHCA-Approved and UKIHCA Registered Health Coaches must hold a valid insurance schedule that covers them to practice as a health coach and any associated scope/s of practice.

UKIHCA Registered Health Coaches must complete a mandatory annual CPD requirement of 25 hours or more and engage in regular coaching practice. Supervision and mentoring is highly recommended for all professional health coaches in active practice.

UKIHCA - June 2024