It’s not uncommon these days for individuals to want a complete career switch. As a discipline that is both in high demand and accessible to people without a formal education in healthcare, Health & Wellness Coaching is attracting individuals from all backgrounds. However, there are several steps necessary to becoming a Health Coach. Follow this guide to learn how to become a health coach with no prior experience.
What Does a Health Coach Do?
The daily activities of a Health and Wellbeing Coach are varied, depending on the individual’s niche or area of expertise. Some common activities include:
Helping clients identify achievable health goals
Working and supporting clients in their health and wellness journey in 1:1 or group sessions
Empowering clients by providing them with the knowledge, abilities, resources, and confidence to transform their lifestyle
Actively listening to clients with empathy and compassion as they discuss their personal goals, fears, and aspirations
Every Health Coach will have a unique approach to engaging with clients. But generally, health coaching involves dedicating a lot of time to researching health and wellness and communicating with clients.
Do I Need a Qualification to Become a Health Coach?
The short answer is, yes, you do need a qualification to become a Health Coach in the UK. But that qualification doesn’t need to be a university degree. You don’t even need a background in healthcare to earn a health coach certification. What you do need is a curiosity about health and wellness, compassion for others, and a desire to make a difference in people’s lives.
What Type of Health Coaching Should I Pursue?
Feeling inspired to become a Health & Wellness Coach but don’t know where to start? Health coaching is a broad, rapidly growing field that encompasses many areas of health and wellbeing. Deciding which type of health coaching to pursue begins with reflecting on your strengths, weaknesses, and passions.
Do you want to help people on their weight loss journey? Or perhaps you are deeply invested in your own health and want to help others. Choose a niche that you genuinely want to learn about. However, if you have prior experience or education in a particular area, this will of course aid you with your coaching journey. Some examples of niches include:
Nutrition and diet
Weight management
Stress reduction
Chronic disease management
Corporate wellness
Women’s health
Sleep
Why Choose a Niche?
Deciding on a health coaching niche early on helps you commit to specialising in one area, setting you apart from generalists. This demonstrates to clients that you are an authority in your chosen field, laying the groundwork for building trust and strong relationships with clients. If you are still unsure which niche you would like to specialise in, research any gaps in the current market. However, it’s worth remembering that health coach training can lead you in unexpected directions as you discover new passions and learn more about your own capabilities.
What Kind of Training Do I Need?
To become a health coach in the UK you need to earn a recognised and accredited qualification. While a background in a health-related field such as nutrition, fitness, psychology, nursing, or public health can provide a solid foundation for your training, no formal education or experience is required to become a health coach. You will need to enrol in a health coach certification programme accredited by a reputable organisation, such as the International Health Coaching Association or the Association for Coaching and Comensa. The programme should cover topics such as nutrition, exercise, behaviour change psychology, coaching techniques, and client communication, but also should ideally include a practical component. Otherwise, you will need to seek internships and volunteer opportunities to gain some hands-on experience.
How to Choose a Health Coaching Course
The growing popularity of health coaching has led to an increasing number of health coaching courses available online. To eventually choose a course, you may want to consider the following factors:
Course Content:
If the curriculum aligns with your interests, it may be a great match for you. A more comprehensive curriculum is also ideal for you to explore areas of health and wellness you may not have considered otherwise.
Live Coaching Practice:
Look for courses that allow you to gain practical coaching experience through live training sessions, in-person events, and workshops.
Flexibility:
Find out if the course has a part-time flexible schedule that can fit in and around other commitments, work, and family.
Credibility:
Choose a course that is led by health and wellness experts.
Where Do I Get Started?
Train with the UK’s most experienced Health & Wellness Coaches – Health Coaches Academy.
Our Ofqual-regulated, Level 5 and PCI-accredited Health Coaching diploma includes a blend of living training, workshops, inspiring webinars, easy-to-follow short videos and presentations, weekly mentoring, and more. From day one you’ll be participating in live coaching practice, and with our flexible learning approach, you can become a Health Coach at your own pace, without any experience.
To find out more about how our flexible, accredited HCA training can help you become a health coach without any experience, book a free Discover call with us.
