What To Expect When You Hire A Health Coach, From Intro Call To Final Session

Setting a health goal and achieving a health goal are two very different things. Even the most disciplined among us have "failed" a healthy pursuit at one point or another—either because we lacked the time or resources to complete it or it just wasn't a fit for us to begin with. Zero shame either way.

So, what does this actually look like in practice? While you may know what to expect when you see your eye doctor or gyno for a checkup, health coaching visit agendas can vary widely—especially if you see a health coach who is not certified by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC).

To become NBHWC-certified, coaches learn a course curriculum that's informed by a standardized national board exam. So, while all these coaches have unique backgrounds and perspectives, they approach the transformation process from a similar lens and structure their sessions accordingly.

Before you sign a contract with a potential coach, you'll likely have a call with them to see if they're a good fit.

This is where you'll learn about a coach's scope of services. (A health coach cannot prescribe medication or diagnose disease, for example.) You'll also chat through the nitty-gritty of their pricing, session structure and cadence, and scheduling process, says Alexa Hanshaw, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and graduate of mindbodygreen's Health Coaching Certification program.

Once you've decided to move forward with a health coach, there's some more legwork to do.

Before your initial session, you'll likely be asked to fill in an intake form with questions about your health history and goals. This may include questions on everything from your diet to your sleep patterns to your stress levels. Cording notes that she also likes to ask clients about how ready they feel to make health changes (there's no "right answer" to this question, by the way!).

It's important to take your time with this form. Even if it feels like a chore at first, it allows you to reflect on your health journey and what you're really hoping to get out of coaching. Filling it in may also give you some new ideas about ways you could level up your current routine.

Your first session with a health coach may also be the longest. Hanshaw notes that she usually meets with most clients for 30 minutes, but may spend 45-60 minutes in this initial meetup.

After session one, you might meet with your coach every one to four weeks (each coach will have their own recommended cadence). Session two will likely be an opportunity to dig deeper into your motivations and what's driving you to make changes in the first place.

After these initial meetings, your time with a coach—whether it's 15 minutes or an hour—will likely be spent checking in on how you are working toward your goal(s).

You'll be asked to share how you progressed over the last week(s) and talk about any challenges you faced. The coach is there to listen, ask questions, and offer support as needed.

"We as coaches want to be talking the least amount possible," says Hanshaw. "We want the client to be really talking about what's coming up for them and what they want to focus on... My role is really to support them in the 'doing.' I'm not giving them answers."

All this talking may feel funny at first, but it's meant to help you gain confidence and self-efficacy. (Your coach won't be there when the temptation strikes to skip a gym day or stay out late drinking, after all.) Ideally, you'll be able to get to a place where you can be your own health coach.