What is health coaching?

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Stacey Morgenstern says her Health Coach Institute does things differently. Over the past ten years, she and co-founder Carey Peters have taught ten-thousand students from 30 countries how to coach clients, and how to run a business.

The touchstone of the coaching is improving wellness with sustainable habit change.

Lauren Strangio says she was stuck in a corporate job for more than a decade. After taking the six-month Health Coach Institute program, she says she has passion for her new career and her clients.

“Everyone needs to have that mirror held up to them and show them that they’re already the person they see themselves to be. They just need help stretching them in to that person” Strangio explained to Ivanhoe.

Co-founder Stacey Morgenstern spent four years researching life training programs and health coaching schools before launching HCI. The curriculum is based on behavioral science, habit change and more. Students also coach each other.

“So this is two trainings in one. It’s a personal growth training where you're actually going to get to work on your own health challenges and it’s a professional skills training where you’re going to learn how to assist others make lasting change in their lives.” Morgenstern stated.

Habit change is the key. Morgenstern says 95 percent of people’s behavior is habit.

“Why is it that people know they want to make change, they know they need to make change, they even know what to do, and they're not doing it?” Morgenstern asked.

That’s where health coaches come in to offer support, accountability, and awareness.

Morgenstern continued, “So when you make a decision in that moment of, ‘Am I going to eat this doughnut,’ then eat it fully pleasurably, without the guilt, and you’re likely not to feel so crappy afterwards.”

That different perspective can lead to habit change.

Stacey also says coaches can help people find the right foods for their body types and urges people to slow down! That can be key to de-stressing.

Contributors to this news report include: Wendi Chioji, Field Producer; Rusty Reed, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor; Gabriella Battistiol, News Assistant.