As we put the finishing touches on our new course entitled “Health and Wellness Coaching in Cancer” which will be launching this month, it seems timely to revisit this question of where specialisations sit in the health and wellness coach training
industry.
Our recent move into offering these focused training programs has been led by requests for more information on certain topics – hence “Health and Wellness Coaching for Groups” was created; “Coaching for Cancer” is about to be released and “Coaching for Menopause” is currently under development.
But we too must ask ourselves, is it necessary for coaches to study courses with such a specific health focus and what would you gain from undertaking these? I think it is easier to address certain questions separately.
Does a Specialisation mean you are setting yourself up as a Coach with a Niche?
Would a health and wellness coach ever identify as being, for example, a “Cancer Coach”, “Menopause Coach” or even “Corporate HW Coach?”
Are those titles strictly necessary?
WCA takes the stand that a broad training in health and wellness coaching skills equips anyone to work with a wide range of individuals, from different demographics, with perhaps different desired outcomes. However, as our industry grows and our reach widens, it becomes apparent that specialised knowledge is recommended for those who are drawn to working in a certain field, with a specific population.
Let’s take Cancer for example. We all know that this widespread disease is not limited to a small group of unfortunate individuals. It is also no longer a death sentence. In fact, all of us will either have our own experience of cancer, or be close to someone who faces a diagnosis and treatment. What is apparent (and comes across clearly in our new program), is the valuable role that a health and wellness coach can play in a system that is improving but still needs major steps towards personalised care and a shift in focus from disease to wellness.
In order to understand more about a client’s experience, it is advisable for a coach to gain a good grounding in the many facets of the disease – the global position, the various treatments, ways or preventing reoccurrence and how the team can best support an individual with the inclusion of a Health and Wellness Coach. Also, what the research says about the effectiveness of coaching in this space. So our course is written to provide that information.
But we have woven in the role of a coach so it is not simply a set of facts, but how a coach can use them to better understand our client. Does that make them a “Cancer Coach”? Surely identifying as a Health and Wellness Coach with a specialised interest/knowledge of cancer would be a better title?
Similarly, if you are drawn to delivering coaching (in any area of health and wellness) in a group setting, it is strongly recommended that you gain a good understanding of what makes groups work, what unique advantages there are of working in this way, and how to adapt your coaching skills to this alternative method of delivery. Does this make you a “Group Health and Wellness Coach”? No, that describes the way to choose to deliver your programs.
So who would benefit from doing these specialisation courses?
Although written for formally qualified and accredited health and wellness coaches, we know that there are many others in the community who do this work with little or no health coach training. By working through a self-study program on the topics of their choice, they may come to see that using a health coaching approach is the way to create real change, and decide to complete the full training after completing the specialisation course.
Are we diluting our profession by taking this viewpoint – shouldn’t coaches be fully accredited before they branch out?
Our view is that by making coach training accessible to all and allowing them to study at their own rate without committing to the full accreditation, we are opening the door to a better form of support and communication across the board in our community. Even basic coaching skills can improve conversations and we are aware of how many levels of caregiving exist.
By sending this message, we are avoiding being elitists while maintaining our professional standards and ensuring that when people talk about “coaching” we are teaching what it actually looks like. As we spread our net wider, we will end up slowly building an army of health and wellness coaches who are needed to fight the growing incidence of chronic physical ill-health and the burgeoning amount of mental challenges that abound.
