Health coaching isn’t one of the most common or well known health services, yet. You may be wondering, who works with a health coach and why.
If we have a sore tooth, we go to the dentist. If we have an injury to our leg, we get help from a physiotherapist. If we have had a stroke we see a neurologist. These are quite obvious solutions to a problems. However who benefits from working with a health coach? Or more specifically, who benefits from working with a neuro-prevention health coach?
Generally, health coaches help people to make sustainable changes to health behaviours. As a neuro-prevention health coach, I help people to make positive and sustainable lifestyle changes, so people can reduce their risk of brain disease and live a brain healthy lifestyle.
So who do I work with?
Most of my clients are women in their 50’s however I also work with women in their 30’s. It has been found that brain changes that cause dementia, can begin at this age. I also work with women in their 60’s and 70’s.
All of my clients have a genuine concern about their brain health. They all want to learn more about what they can do to live a brain healthy lifestyle. Some but not all have a connection in some way, either themselves or through a family member or friend, with a neurological condition or brain injury. And some are just interested in their personal health and wellbeing and recognise that the brain is a critical aspect of this.
The people I work with are all highly motivated to make changes so that they can live a brain healthy lifestyle. They come to coaching ready to make changes. They may already know what they want to change about their lifestyle, yet they don’t know how to change. Or they may have tried to make changes themselves, but have not been successful.
Many of my clients are worried about their risk of dementia or stroke and will do anything to avoid these as they age. Some of my clients have had family members who have had Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer or stroke. Some are caring for parents who have these conditions. They have lived with these diseases first hand and deeply understand the devastating effects these have on the individual, but also the carers and family. They say to themselves, “I would do anything to not have this happen to me or my loved ones”.
Some of my clients have a diagnosis of a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s Disease. They are already experiencing symptoms and are particularly worried about how the disease will impact their quality of life. They are most concerned about how the disease will change their thinking, memory and intelligence, and how it will effect their independence and their relationships. This scares them, and they often feel like the disease has taken over their lives and that they have lost focus of who they are.
I have clients who are extremely busy professional women, looking after teenagers at home, or worrying about young adults at university. Their lives are a constant juggle to keep everyone else happy. They feel they have been go go go as a working mother, constantly giving themselves to others for the past 15-20 years, that they have got to the stage in their lives that they don’t know who they are any longer. They have lost focus on what is important to them. They don’t allow themselves any time to care for themselves. They feel lost and unsure where the future is taking them. They are also noticing their health starting to suffer and want to make changes immediately. They tell me they are stressed, can’t sleep, think about work all the time, worry about their children, partners and elderly parents/ They describe feeling irritable and negative, putting on weight and are unhappy with their bodies, feel lonely and generally unhappy. They are also likely to be experiencing hormonal changes due to perimenopause or menopause as well so everything just feels hard work and a struggle. As they move into a new phase of their lives, these women want to take back control of their lives and their health. They realise they have decades of life left and they want to make the most of every single day. They want to stop giving so much to others and start giving to themselves.
I also work with people who have had a concussion, a brain injury or a stroke. They have often worked with therapists in the past to improve different abilities and are doing ok, yet they still feel they can do more to improve their brain health after these injuries. They tell me they especially want to avoid a stroke or a further brain injury in the future, yet at the same time make the most of their brain so they can be the best they can for themselves and their family.
Some of my clients have been told by their doctors they have health conditions that may cause a stroke in the future. They may have diabetes, thyroid problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. They are told that many of these problems are causes of bigger health issues and this really scares them. Their doctor tells them they can take medication, and to make lifestyle changes. Sometimes their doctor will give them a leaflet about risks of cardiovascular disease or stroke. They know they need to make changes but they have tried before and it hasn’t worked. These people come to me and they are discouraged and feel like a failure. I find out that they actually know what they need to do. They struggle to know how to make changes to their lifestyle, yet they desperately want to be healthier to avoid potential health issues in the future.
All of the people I work with have a strong desire to be healthier, to live a long life, to avoid disease and to age as well as they can. They want to understand what is in their control to ensure their brain is as healthy as possible. They also have a desire to change. They come ready to do the work and put the effort in. I am constantly amazed by the focus, drive, motivations and perseverance of all of my clients. They teach me a lot and it is such a privilege to have the opportunity to work with each and every one of them.
We work together to develop a vision of health and wellbeing. We design goals. My clients make small changes each week, and these small changes have big impacts. We talk about the tough stuff, and the good stuff. We have conversations that go deep and are incredibly meaningful. The 12 week ‘My Healthy Lifestyle’ Programme allows each person who works with me to achieve success They often tell me after 2 sessions that they can already notice a shift, and that things are already changing. They feel more positive and hopeful. And after 3 months, my clients tell me that their lives are changed for the better. ‘Life is worth living and making the most out of everyday’.
You may not fit the examples of the clients I have described. I work with anyone who wishes to improve their brain health and who is ready for change. Whatever your age, your health situation, your goals, your motivators, or your gender. If you want to make a difference to your life, I welcome a conversation to see if we would be a good fit to work together.
If you feel neuro-prevention heath coaching may benefit you, then I invite you to get in touch. Send me a message and we can arrange a time to have a chat to learn more about each other and how I can help you.