Health coaching is an emerging profession that has been developing rapidly over the past twenty years in North America and in several Anglo-Saxon countries because it meets real medical, social and economic needs. Because of its validated effectiveness in improving various chronic pathologies, health coaching is considered by many researchers and more and more clinicians as a relevant response to the new challenges of chronic diseases in today's world.
Why do we need health coaches?
If medical progress allows us to live longer, this gain in longevity does not necessarily allow us to make the most of life, due to the explosion of chronic diseases. Nearly 70% of health expenditure is due to the management of chronic diseases, the vast majority of which can be prevented by changes in lifestyle. The new challenge is to know how to live as long as possible and in good health, by facilitating access to care, better prevention and the lasting modification of harmful behaviors associated with chronic diseases. But health professionals can feel powerless when faced with the challenges of changing lifestyle habits, because their consultation time is limited, because they don't have not been trained to look for the psychosocial and non-biological causes that produce inappropriate behaviors, and they are not trained in the science of behavior change. Between medical and psychotherapeutic actions, there is therefore a space for support professionals who know how to intervene on the psychological and emotional causes, sometimes very old, of harmful lifestyle habits. If the lasting modification of the evolution of a chronic disease involves behavioral changes, the latter will have a much better chance of succeeding by taking into account the personal history of the subject and the difficult events that may have crystallized modes of thought sources of chronic stress. A patient who is not listened to as a person,
What is Health and Wellness Coaching?
The health coach does not accompany a state of health as proposed by the WHO definition, but a health process(H. Hubber et al. British Medical Journal 2011), i.e. "the ability of an individual to adapt and take charge of themselves in the face of physical, psychological and socio-cultural problems" This definition underlines the usefulness of an integral and multidisciplinary approach to health (physical, psychological and socio-cultural problems), the importance of resilience (the ability to adapt) and the responsibility of the subject (who takes charge ) in achieving their health goals. This definition retains a broader vision of the determinants of health (physical, psychological and social problems), highlighting the key skills (resilience and individual responsibility) of the health process, and by positioning the subject as a key player in their own health.These new skills, to date far removed from those of health professionals, reveal the need for a multidisciplinary or "integral" approach to the health of new professions such as that of health coaching. Patients need the skills medical skills to heal physical and psychological suffering, and also non-medical skills to help them heal through the hardships of life, so they can pursue their life goals.and also non-medical skills to help them heal through coping with life's trials, so they can pursue their life goals.and also non-medical skills to help them heal through coping with life's trials, so they can pursue their life goals.
According to the definition of the Association of Health Coaches, "Health coaching is a specialization of the coaching profession. It aims to facilitate changes in a person's lifestyle, in order to develop their level of health, well-being and quality of life, particularly in in the case of chronic diseases. Health coaching complements medical follow-up. The health coach intervenes globally on emotional, cognitive, behavioral and environmental factors, in a partnership relationship with his client." The health coach is therefore not a health professional, because he does not diagnose or treat, but a support professional who helps his client to position himself in the face of his illness. In many cases, it is appropriate to get out of the victim posture to regain power over oneself and begin to think of oneself as healthy. The symptom is not the point of focus of the health coach, because in a systemic vision, this symptom is the messenger or feedback about an imbalance in the subject's life. Once the symptom's message has been listened to and corrective actions have been taken, the symptom no longer has a reason to exist and can fade away. or disappear. If health professionals treat, it is the patient who makes the decision to heal by discovering new reasons for doing so. Healing involves a leap of awareness about relationships to the resources of one's body, of his mind and of the world to which we belong and from which we have often disconnected. The health coach facilitates, on the one hand, awareness of the multiple determinants of health and disease, on the other hand the re-appropriation of the subject's power over his health, and finally the development of his intrinsic motivation. client and his autonomy. The client is thus able to choose and define his health goals and make the necessary adjustments on his own to achieve his health and life goals. The depth of the relationship between coach and coachee will be up to the changes expected by the client. on the other hand the re-appropriation of the power of the subject on his health, and finally the development of the intrinsic motivation of his client and his autonomy. The client is thus able to choose and define his health goals and make the necessary adjustments on his own to achieve his health and life goals. The depth of the relationship between coach and coachee will be up to the changes expected by the client. on the other hand the re-appropriation of the power of the subject on his health, and finally the development of the intrinsic motivation of his client and his autonomy. The client is thus able to choose and define his health goals and make the necessary adjustments on his own to achieve his health and life goals. The depth of the relationship between coach and coachee will be up to the changes expected by the client.
The field of intervention of the health coach
The health coach does not focus on the disease but on the search for everything that can contribute to the improvement of well-being, for example rejuvenating experiences, motivating activities, reconnection with life goals. Even when the body shows its limitations in its ability to repair, it is often possible to obtain an improvement in the level of well-being and a better quality of life. The health coach helps his client to connect to his deep sources of motivation (values, identity, dream and vision) and to remove cognitive and emotional limitations, for example limiting beliefs, which can hinder the achievement of life goals. and well-being.
Health coaching is not psychotherapy. These two approaches often share the same theoretical frameworks and give the same importance to the quality of the relationship. The duration of training is measured in years for psychotherapists and in months for health coaches. The first is regulated, the other more recent is not. The psychotherapist addresses patients whose suffering is linked to the mental disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). He has the resources to establish a diagnosis and prescribe an action plan. The health coach is aimed at emotionally stable clients who want a change in lifestyle (exercise, weight, diet, stress management, etc.) or a gain in well-being.
The key skills of the health coach
The core competencies of health coaches are those of coaching, as defined by coach associations. Health coaches, like sports or business coaches, inspire, motivate and empower their clients to achieve their goals. The specific skills of the health coach relate to the ability to place the health issue in the broader framework of the subject's life. It is no longer a question of short-term objectives, of contextual performances, but of reconnecting to oneself, to one's life goals, to one's deep sources of energy and to the unconscious wounds that can get in the way. "What are the main reasons that make you want to live and develop your capacities for resilience in the face of illness?" the health coach will ask. Remember again that the health coach always intervenes in addition to the medical act, thus ensuring that his client is well monitored medically, as specified in the code of ethics specific to his activity. The principles that guide the thinking of the health coach are deeply systemic, since they aim to restore a more satisfying balance in life. Its realization can be facilitated by the use of different communication, learning and change tools. Let us mention Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Ericksonian or Generative Hypnosis by Stephen Gilliganles, models of self-knowledge ( Transactional Analysis, Process Communication, etc.), Gelstat, the Palo Alto Systemic Approach, the Narrative Approach, as well as energy approaches.
The effectiveness of health coaching
The clinical effectiveness of health coaching has been evaluated and validated in several hundred clinical studies and in a wide variety of medical situations. Dr. Peter Grinspoon, health coach and professor at Harvard Medical School describes the effectiveness of health coaching as "Coaching" results in clinically relevant improvements in multiple risk factors, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar, body weight, body mass index, waist circumference and cardiorespiratory function) in various populations". improve quality of life and reduce hospital admissions (Chronic Obstructive Bonchopneumopathy). For Dr Grinspoon, "It's no wonder that some medical practices offer health coaching, some insurance companies reimburse it, and private companies are beginning to offer coaching to their employees in order to reduce their health costs. health."
The growth of the profession of health and well-being coach in the world
The profession of health coach is a profession that is not regulated to date. Online coaching remains the most used mode of delivery. In the USA, the International Consortium for Health and Wellness Coaching (ICHWC) and the ICF are trying to organize and regulate this profession. A 2018 study identified 224 relevant training courses, especially in the USA, offered by private or university organizations. In 2018, the average annual income of the 128,000 health and wellness coaches in North America ranged from $50 to $100,000. The main prescribers are medical practices, certain large companies wishing to improve the health of their employees and health care insurers.
Due to the increase in chronic diseases, obesity, suffering due to the current pandemic, and also the growing public awareness of the need to be an actor in one's own health, health coaching and wellness is a rapidly growing profession around the world and especially in North America, the UK and Australia. An analysis of the global health and wellness coaching market shows that this sector is set to create “tremendous growth opportunities”. Between 2019 and 2028, this global market is expected to grow from US$12.7 million to US$22.7 million, representing growth of 7% per year. Remote health coaching should represent 80% of coaching. Growing public awareness of the need to be an actor in their own health and well-being,
Comments
Post a Comment