FAQ

get to know me even better

Here’s a taste of the questions I’m asked most frequently.

(BTW, I’m normally not the answer lady, I’m the question lady.)

Let's get the most important ones out of the way first:

What's your favorite food?

Chocolate. Um, I mean kale.

What's your favorite beverage?

Red wine. And coffee. Um, I mean water.

What's your favorite show?

I'm a complete sucker for any crime drama on Britbox, especially if it's set in Scotland.

And seriously....

what is a health coach?

A health coach does not diagnose conditions, prescribe supplements or medications, or treat disease. Nor is she a guru or sage on the stage; instead, she acts as a guide on the side. Her role is to help you to change your behavior by providing information, inspiration, and support as you make your way toward true, lasting wellness.

For more about what a health coach does and how to find one that’s a fit for you, read my interview with Jen Mueller of SparkPeople.

why would i choose to work with you in particular?

Here’s what makes me unique:

Empathy

I’ve been where you are—overscheduled, overtired, overwhelmed. Trying to take care of everyone and forgetting to take care of me. Wondering what would happen if I took the grocery money and just. kept. driving. Believing the only way out involved the Witness Protection Program: a plane ticket, a wad of cash, and a change of identity—so nobody could hunt me down ask for just. one. more. thing.

I understand.

Experience

I wore a lot of hats in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years and continue to be in what I call mission-driven work. I’ve been to burnout and back … and have moved beyond feeling like I was barely surviving each day to thriving in a life that I love. And along the way, I have accumulated a few decades worth of knowledge and resources that can help you get there, too.

I can help.

Empowerment

I love seeing my clients experience their own Aha! moments, see their lives in a new light, and reclaim their health and themselves in the process.

I’m your biggest cheerleader … until you step into that role yourself.

what style of health coaching do you practice?

I am a certified Integrative Nutrition® health coach. I hold secondary certifications in Hormone Health and Emotional Eating Psychology. Check out my blog for a sample of the wide range of topics you might encounter on your health journey with me.

who are your programs (not) for?

My programs are NOT for you if...

You are looking for a one-size-fits-all approach to employee wellness programming.

You believe employee wellness must involve lots of challenges, apps, and incentives.

You love diets and detoxes, pills and painful workouts, smoothies and silver bullets.

You are looking for a quick, temporary fix for health issues.

You are not completely committed to making lasting changes that will help you thrive.

You’d rather keep living in a way that focuses only on others and puts aside your own needs.

My coaching programs ARE for you if…

You want to give your employees the gift of health coaching as an employee wellness program.

You're ready to look outside the box for wellness programming for your team.

You are ready to give your health and happiness the attention they deserve.

You are fully committed to making changes … and just can’t seem to do it on your own.

You are sick of barely surviving and want to really thrive.

what types of organizations do you work with?

After 10+ years as grant writer and 20 years in the nonprofit sector, I have a passion for social justice and the social change sector. Working with mission-driven individuals allows me to utilize that area of my somewhat odd skill set along with coaching.

I also work with mission-driven organizations looking for team-building events, lunch-and-learn style workshops, and health coaching as an employee wellness offering.

To me, "mission-driven" means that you/your organization place as much (if not more) emphasis on people and planet as profit: one of your deepest values is that you make the world a better place for Every Body.

what kinds of individuals do you serve?

Women 50+ are my people, particularly the ones in mission-driven work.

That said, my style of health coaching can help Every Body: individually and in groups, in person or virtually.

how is coaching different from therapy?

As part of our work together, we dive deep into your health history—including your mental and emotional and spiritual health—and we use it to illuminate how you can improve your health in the future. In other words, I view coaching as more forward-focused. We may not resolve your past (that’s for a therapist)—and we will invite it to inform your future.

If at any point in our work I sense that you would benefit from therapy, I will immediately recommend it and refer you to a licensed therapist. In some cases, I require that you work with a therapist simultaneously.

do you offer a guarantee?

I guarantee results if you do the work. As part of our work together, we will regularly assess whether you are receiving full value for your program.

do you promote a specific diet?

Not beyond recommending whole, SOLE foods, preferably cooked from scratch at home! I do have experience with elimination diets if you have concerns around food allergies and sensitivities. Together, we’ll explore what food choices are best for you—not for the celebrity of the year, the MD or layperson who wrote the latest fad diet book, your BFF, your neighbor….

do you provide meal plans?

Providing meal plans for specific conditions is beyond the scope of practice for most health coaches; however, as a professionally trained chef, I can support you in creating recipes and meal plans within the restrictions provided by an RD or your primary care provider. (And I can usually make your meals delicious irrespective of any food restrictions you may have!)

In other words, I don’t provide meal plans. Instead, I help you learn how to meal plan.

do you do diagnostic testing?

It is beyond my scope of practice to diagnose or treat illness, and I recommend that you avoid coaches who claim to unless they have advanced training in the diagnostic field. That said, I am happy to work with you and your primary care provider to improve your health outcomes if you have been diagnosed with a chronic disease and would like to include dietary and lifestyle changes in your recovery.

If in our work together we uncover a need for testing, I am happy to refer you to a licensed healthcare practitioner or someone certified in diagnostic testing.

do you prescribe any supplements / herbs / essential oils?

Absolutely not. Prescribing or even recommending supplements or herbs or essential oils falls outside my scope of practice and is best left to licensed practitioners, specifically those trained by an unbiased, credentialed, 3rd-party institution. (Read: not a sales rep who has received training only from the company that produces the product/supplement/herb/essential oil in question).

Simply: Health Coaching provides educational services based on the principles of Integrative Nutrition® to support your wellness journey. Health coaching is not a substitute for medical care, and I do not diagnose or treat disease nor prescribe medicine. You are encouraged to be under the care of and to consult with a licensed healthcare practitioner before undertaking or altering any food and lifestyle choices.

disclaimer + privacy information

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