What is a Functional Medicine Health Coach?
Functional Medicine Health Coaching focuses on using a functional medicine approach to improve an individual's overall health and wellness. Functional medicine is an approach to healthcare that seeks to identify and address the root causes of chronic health conditions, rather than just treating the symptoms.
A Functional Medicine Health Coach works with individuals to help them identify and address the underlying factors that may be contributing to their health concerns. This may include factors such as nutrition, movement, sleep, stress, and environmental toxins; as well as relationships. The coach then works with the individual to co-create a personalised plan to optimise their health, which may include lifestyle changes, supplements, and other interventions.
One-on-one sessions with a Functional Medicine Health Coach are typically done in either in person or remotely, and can be used to address a wide range of health concerns, from chronic diseases to general wellness and prevention. It is often used in conjunction with other healthcare modalities, such as functional medicine consultations, nutrition counselling, and other holistic approaches to health and wellness.
Make A Change.
Functional medicine health coaches may use a variety of tools to help individuals achieve their health and wellness goals:
Health assessments: A health coach may use various assessments to evaluate an individual's health status, such as a functional medicine timeline, a symptom questionnaire, or a comprehensive health history.
Nutrition guidance: A health coach may provide guidance on nutrition and dietary changes to support the individual's health goals. This may include co-creating personalised dietary plans.
Lifestyle coaching: A health coach may provide guidance on lifestyle factors such as exercise, sleep, stress management, and environmental toxin exposure.
Behavioural coaching: A health coach may use behavioural coaching techniques to help individuals make and sustain lifestyle changes, such as goal-setting, motivational interviewing, and habit formation strategies.
Education: A health coach may provide educational resources and information to help individuals understand the underlying causes of their health concerns and empower them to take an active role in their health and wellness.
Overall, functional medicine health coaches use a holistic and individualised approach to help individuals achieve optimal health and wellness.
Group Sessions
Group sessions with a Functional Medicine Health Coach are typically carried out to cover specific topics and run anywhere from 4 to 8 sessions. Such sessions can also be run either in person or on zoom. Typical topics (but not restricted to those) facilitated by the health coach during these sessions are stress management; the importance of mitochondrial function and tips to optimise our energy through lifestyle, food and sleep; toxicity in our environment - awareness and reduction, mindfulness; mind_body connection; improving your sleep; understanding your values and using your character strengths to be in alignment to your values; and following the ‘elimination’ diet. During the group sessions, the coach provides some ‘education’ on the topic and then it is the group dynamics that gets the session going. It is extremely effective and a strong sense of community and accountability is quickly developed.