What in the World is Wellness Coaching?
With the massive increase in chronic diseases within the United States, and a medical system that is challenged to handle the day to day management of what goes along with the living, breathing issues of these patients, a newer methodology has presented itself called Wellcoaching. Wellcoaching was specifically born with chronic disease management in mind and the training is linked with Harvard Medical School’s Institute for Coaching. I have received this training and been certified in it as well. Wellcoaching nicely aligns itself with my background and knowledge of neuroscience, health services and complementary and alternative medicine. Wellcoaches coach clients on evidence based areas of wellness including:
Physical Activity
Nutrition
Weight
Stress
and Life Satisfaction.
How is the Wellcoaching Method Different from other types of Coaching?
You may have heard of Life Coaches, Business Coaches, Executive Coaches, Health Coaches, Fitness Coaches and even Spirit Coaches. Where these coaches work to bring the client into alignment with their core goals and values, Wellcoaching takes another step with not only offering a very detail oriented approach for how the client will actually implement these steps, but also helping assess where the client is on the continuum of committing to change, and how willing and confident they are in making certain changes. Wellcoaches are expert in knowing how to dance with our clients…just how far to stretch and how to be SURE that we are setting them up for success. We drill down the barriers that arise in their life, work, family, and daily routine and create possibility around how these important changes linked deeply with their true nature can be integrated in a lasting manner. Our methodology is based on working with our clients over a three month period. Three months is short enough to inspire you to get cracking and long enough for you to notice consistent changes. It’s also a great amount of time to build new health promoting mental and physical behaviors and increase your self confidence which will move you forward on the rest of your journey. In addition, the Wellcoaching techniques and strategies are all evidence-based, which means that scientific research has shown statistically significant evidence that these coaching techniques motivate lasting change.
Why do I need a coach?
With the pace of our lives moving at an ever increasing speed, the vast array of rather confusing health and wellness products and services, and the challenges of navigating resistance and ambivalence about change, it has been shown that having a partner there to hold your hand on your journey and also hold you accountable is an enormous part of what it takes to make lasting change. A masterful coach allows you to quickly discover for yourself WHERE you are holding yourself back or WHAT is holding you back. The sessions allow you to take time out of your busy life to reflect on how you are BEING within your life so that you can begin to make the changes that lead you to your vision of overall wellness.
Who are the right people for working with Margaret?
Margaret has adapted the Wellcoaching methodology to work with those considering, going through or having gone through divorce and this is her area of specialization; however Wellcoaching traditionally works extremely well for chronic disease management, as wellcoaching is a methodology that was designed at making sustainable long term lifestyle changes. Therefore, it also works well for anyone who has had or has a:
Personal Health Issue: dealing with long-term chronic disease management, diabetes, obesity, weight loss, food sensitivities, cancer, surgical procedure, smoking cessation, alcoholism, drug addiction, terminal illness, etc.
Family Health Issue: parent, family member or child who have been diagnosed with an illness, had surgery, etc.
Personal Crisis: infertility, miscarriage, death of a spouse/family member/close friend, divorce, depression, post-partum depression, loss of job, loss of relationship/break-up, infidelity/affair, etc.
Any of these issues can be extremely alienating and can leave us feeling very much alone in a seemingly wild sea of choices and decisions. Having a coach there to help guide us in our navigation can be hugely helpful.
How is coaching different than Therapy?
Therapy has approaches for treating diagnosed disorders. It can also be the ideal setting for processing previous happenings in one’s life.
As a coach, I will recommend therapy as processing the past can sometimes be what is the most important thing for a client in moving forward;however, I work with my clients in present time. In this moment, what is stopping you?
What is unique about Margaret and her approach to Wellness Coaching?
What I offer my clients is unique on several levels. On the credentialing side, I have a BA in Neuroscience and a Master’s in Health Services Administration, in addition to my Wellcoach Certification. My neuroscience background helps me to describe to my clients in simple form the neuro-bio-chemistry behind WHY making certain changes are important and WHY those simple changes can work on a more profound scale for the longevity of their overall wellness.
Professionally, I have worked in clinical research and understand the health services industry quite well, while also having my own consulting business where I worked with hospitals and medical groups who wanted to integrate Complementary and Alternative medicine. So I really understand the various complementary and atlernative medical modalities that are available, how practitioners are credentialed and how my clients might be using them or wishing to use them.
From a more spiritual developmental space, I offer my life long reflective nature and personal discovery experiences as a backdrop that has been infused with my own 22 year practice of yoga and meditation with completion of a two year program in Women’s Empowerment and Goddess Studies based in the Dianic Hawaiian Aloha tradition.
Personally, I have had and worked with an auto-immune condition called Hashimoto’s Hypothyroiditis. For me this was a manifestation of my inability to voice and choose empowerment. Through consistent and persistent mental, physical (including diet), emotional and spiritual behavior changes I was diligently able to move this condition into a state where the Hashimoto’s is asymptomatic. Additionally, I have had a seventeen year marriage that included having three children that due to my deferment of power within the relationship and knowing deep down that this was ultimately unhealthy for both myself and the children, ended in divorce. Through some pretty horrific legal and custody battles, I was able to remain grounded and come out the other side strong, free and with a light and joy filled heart.
I have an ease in working with my clients that allows them to relax and do some honest work. I am deeply compassionate and have a joyful enthusiasm for life and learning, and I will rarely let the session escape without my ever present sense of humor arising.
But don’t just take my word for it! Check out the testimonials from my clients Why we love Margaret and why we think you will too
How does it work?
Though my clients and I love working together, here’s the deal. I want my clients to learn to coach themselves. Yes, that’s right. I want my clients to be FREE, free for themselves and free of me! Here are the ways that I offer wellcoaching in my practice.
Traditional Wellcoaching
The Wellcoaching system is set up to work with clients for a three month period of time. All appointments are done by phone. Research has shown that clients actually respond better to coaching over the phone. In addition, I can hear the subleties in changes in tone of your voice and working by phone allows us to work together quicker and easier.
It is my personal goal that by the end of the three months (12 sessions) that my clients are able to have established the skills that it takes to continue working in alignment with their wellness vision and setting and accomplishing their own goals with a sustainable attitude of kindness wrapped with a healthy dose of pushing themselves just hard enough to move closer and closer to where they see themselves in their vision.
Once the three months has been completed, the client has the option to stay on in several different fashions if they feel they are not quite ready to fly on their own. Or they can be left to fly and can work with me on an “as needed” basis.
Modified Wellcoaching
In making it more approachable for some, I have developed several other modified Wellcoaching packages depending on your needs. See Offerings for a break down of the offerings related to Divorce Wellness Coaching, Wellness Coaching and Pre-Natal/New Mama Coaching.
What is the first step?
The first step to take would be to review your service options
Now is the time because something inside you is not satisfied with where you are right now. Something inside you is telling you to BECOME something new, something exciting, something more connected to the healthy happy person you know you can be. Because tomorrow turns into 6 months from now or a year from now and you deeply desire the tools to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Because this is on average just a 3 month commitment to gaining skills and know how that will move you in the direction of always moving towards your goals and vision of your best self. AND simply put…YOU ARE WORTH IT! Because being your BEST YOU helps all those around you be their best as well!
I look forward to the possibility of working with you!
In health and wellness,
Margaret
Yin-care®’s The Mother Rising
(For more on Margaret’s unique flair, check out Margaret’s Vision, About Yin-care® and Services)
