14/07/2019
I was pulling my hair out and completely baffled after a decade of working with people who were sick, suffering and living with a very low quality of life, yet, were STILL not motivated to change.
Working hard on the font line of Western healthcare as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist I would try to educate, convince and motivate people to engage in the lifestyle behaviours that I knew could help improve their health and that they were so often reluctant to do. I prescribed lots of exercise programs, activities and interventions and made a best effort to make them engaging and in line with evidence based practices.
There were certainly some people who prioritised their health and engaged in the prescription provided from which they most often created results over time. This, however, only intrigue me further as to why there were still a large number of people who allowed life, circumstances and excuses to get in the way of changing and experiencing better health and an improved quality of life.
As a health professional, I have always had an interest in and valued health which made it difficult for me to understand why feeling well, having great energy levels, the flexibility to move around freely and the strength and endurance to do the activities you love, just wasn't a priority for some people. This was the case for quite some time until I had some light shed on this area when.......
In 2014, I undertook Level 1 & 2 Wellness Coaching training through Wellness Coaching Australia. This was a deeper look into the "motivational interviewing" principles that I had some knowledge of as a Health Professional but had not explored in the same way, or to the same depth, as I did when undertaking this training.
A weight was lifted from my shoulders when my perception shifted and I finally saw that I was not responsible for whether or not my clients turned up to their session, engaged in their exercise program, or prioritised their health. It is in fact the client that has the option to chose to be responsible for their health, the wisdom to know what works for them and the power to change and start moving towards a better standard of health.
I finally understood why clients were so sick of hearing that "they need to lose weight" or "start eating better" and almost never turned the advice into action. Health Coaching is a powerful skill for helping and enabling people to change. This is not achieve by telling people what they already know but rather by partnering with them to overcome the roadblocks, obstacles and barriers that are preventing progress.
True Health Coaching is undervalued and not as well regulated as it should be. I'm excited to be in a position for offering Health Coaching services to anyone who would like to experience the power of having your own Coach combined with the knowledge and skills of a health professional. If this sounds at all like you, then please get in touch with me. :)
There's no time like now!
