8 Attributes of the Best Health Coach Trainings

If you are someone who is passionate about the desire to help others lead healthier lives you may be a natural health coach. But as you look around for potential trainings you decide that you do not want to be just any health coach: you want to help transform lives!

Arming yourself with powerful skills and coaching techniques requires picking the right health coach training. There are numerous trainings that are available online that are convenient and affordable. But how do you know if you are getting the best training education available?

Here are 8 attributes of the best health coach trainings:

1. The emphasis is on the whole person – not just one aspect of health.

Any health coach training that is worthy and effective will take a holistic approach to health. The program will stress the importance of the whole person and not focus exclusively on diet alone or exercise exclusively. Instead, it will take a well-rounded approach to good health, providing the nuts and bolts of optimal nutrition, movement and stress management. Any good training will help its students to see that good health is never just about food. Food is often just a starting point for deeper healing.

2. The training upholds the tenet that the client is the expert – not the coach.

An excellent health coach training will teach that the ultimate expert on what is best for the client is the client him or herself. The training will thoroughly discourage a “top down” approach where coaches are dictating orders. True transformation comes from inner wisdom that the client arrives upon through open conversation and powerful inquiry. The best coach trainings will teach powerful methods for helping clients access their inner wisdom.

3. Training teaches coaches how to help clients arrive upon solutions rather than focus on the problem.

Sustainable change is best made when clients arrive upon answers for themselves. A strong health coach training will arm coaches with proven and powerful coaching methods for helping clients find solutions to their challenges. The most transformative coaching programs teach that our thoughts play a significant role in behavior. It is by understanding and reframing thoughts that clients have the greatest chance of making real change. The best health coach trainings will emphasize thought management as a way to transformation.

4. The training fosters the sense of community among its students.

Any excellent health coach training will boast a strong and united community of students and teachers. It will not be a self-guided program. Instead classes will be interactive and require live attendance and participation. The best trainings will foster community as a way for coaches to learn from one another and network after the training is complete. Many good trainings will also have a live event for students to come together as a group and connect on both a personal and professional level.

5. The training provides an easy and effective website platform.

The best health coach trainings have user-friendly, super easy website platforms that are simple to access and straightforward when it comes to finding content, assignments and resources. Make sure not to take this for granted. If you are a high tech person this may not matter as much. But if you are someone who has even a bit of trepidation when it comes to computers you will want to feel confident that whatever program you choose has a website platform that is easy to use.

6. The training provides easy access to staff and its instructors.

Any superior training will have quick and easy access to staff and instructors. There will be staff devoted to answering questions regarding content, technology and logistics. There will be time set aside to have access to instructors – whether that be a particular class or virtual office hours. If you are making a healthy financial investment you will want to make sure that you can easily resolve any logistical roadblocks you meet along the way. You will also want to have meaningful interaction with instructors as a way to grow and develop your skills as a coach.

7. The training makes special note of business development.

Since health coaching is still a relatively new field it’s important for students to have access to top-notch business development resources. New health coaches need guidance on how to set up their own businesses, find clients, sell themselves to potential clients and market themselves through social media. Any great health coach training will make business development a hallmark of their training. If you are investing in a training you will want to be sure you can succeed! Having access to tools to help you set up a business will make it that much easier.

8. The training instructs students on ethics and liability standards for health coaches.

There are specific ethics and liability standards for health coaches that are different from counselors and psychologists. Any good training will instruct students on their scope of practice and the need to follow certain protocols for business liability and to ensure that all clients are getting the care they need. A good training will teach students when to refer clients to a licensed counseling professional for issues that do not fall within the realm of a health coach. Such issues might include major depression, severe anxiety or certain eating disorders that are life threatening.

Here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating we do our best to incorporate all of the attributes that create a great health coach training.

We take those attributes one-step further by teaching our students about the psychology of eating. We are the only health coach training in the world that does this. We view how we relate to food as a window of opportunity into a deeper relationship with our bodies and ourselves.

The Institute arms coaches with powerful tools and training in Dynamic Eating Psychology and Mind Body Nutrition – both cutting edge fields that help coaches address the eating challenges of our day – weight loss, body image, overeating and emotional eating. The Institute’s training also addresses the most common nutrition related challenges we face, such as digestion, immunity, fatigue and mood.

The Institute is a dynamic and powerful community of game changers and revolutionary thinkers. If you are looking for a health coach training that models all the attributes of a great program but goes above and beyond to truly make a difference in people’s lives then the Institute may be a good fit for you.