What Makes Health Coaching So Valuable? Health Care Insiders Explain

This is exactly why health coaching has become such an important—and legitimate—arm of the health care system. "Health coaching is multifaceted and tailored to the individual to help a person achieve their health-focused goals," says Erica Zellner, M.S., CNS, LDN, a health coach for functional medicine clinic Parsley Health.

"The main goal of a health coach is to take out the guesswork of your healing journey by helping you to establish goals and creating a plan to achieve them," says Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, D.C., functional medicine expert and author of Gut Feelings. "Since everyone's health is different, they help make wellness personal to you and your lifestyle."

Health coaches do this primarily through motivational interviewing, says Zellner: "We get to know our patients and find out what their responsibilities are, likes, dislikes, and how their day is scheduled. This helps us figure out collaboratively where we can make sustainable improvement."

Sometimes the slower the progression, the easier it is to make long-lasting changes you can manage on your own. "Health doesn't drastically shift overnight," says Zellner. "Oftentimes, it takes building in incremental and sustainable ways. A health coach will want to make some small changes, make sure that those changes feel good and that they're going to work, and build from there."

There's a growing movement to have insurance cover visits to health coaches, particularly those who work within a primary care clinic, like Parsley Health. This helps eliminate the barrier of cost, making health coaches accessible to a wider population.

Even if your insurance doesn't cover the costs associated with a health coach, you may be able to use funds from your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) to help.

The type of health coach you use will be unique to your wellness journey, but Cole and Zellner say you'll want to make sure you find someone who is certified through the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). Depending on what your goals are, it's helpful if your coach has certifications in those areas, too, adds Zellner. Some examples include a coach who also has experience in personal training or nutrition.

"Most importantly, find someone that you can really trust," says Zellner. "Your health coach is a safe space to be honest about everything that's going on in your life. We're trained to really look at a root cause approach to where things could improve, and having a solid connection between coach and client makes it easier to achieve success."