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In a post, I have already talked about what does a health coach do. People are usually either excited or a bit scared about meeting with a health coach for the first time. In order to make you feel more prepared about the beginnings, I would like to discuss what you can expect from the first health coaching sessions.

THE BEGINNING AND THE COMPLIMENTARY MEETING

At the very start setting up a complimentary meeting could be a useful idea. The complimentary meeting should be set up via phone or email with a health coach, usually it should take no longer than 15 minutes and it is usually free of charge. Having a complementary meeting is a great way to figure out whether you and the coach are the right fit for each other. As I mentioned in my post about the role of health coach this relationship should be a partnership where all parties play an equal role in the purpose of health coaching. 

Initial Meeting – The first coaching session

The first coaching session is also called the initial meeting. The main purpose of this meeting is to gain a general knowledge of your background, health situation and to find out your purpose with the coaching sessions.

This meeting also acknowledges your readiness for health coaching, because it could be possible that you might need to be referred to another healthcare professional, such as a doctor or registered dietitian if it is necessary according to your health situation.

Lifestyle and Health-History Questionnaire

In order to have a smooth and effective initial meeting and to be able to find out whether you need to be referred to a specialist, filling out the lifestyle and health-history questionnaire before the initial meeting is highly recommended!

As the name suggests this form explores your health situation

• list of current medication, if any;
• the last doctor’s visit,
• cholesterol,
• and blood sugar level

and your lifestyle habits, such as water intake, dietary goals, nutrition, and exercise routines.

Make sure you fill out this form because this could save you a lot of time, money, and energy 🙂

Obviously, not only does this form help decide whether you should have health coaching sessions, the most important thing is how you feel about your readiness. However, if this form suggests that you need further examination by a doctor then you should be referred to one before the coaching program because that is outside of the scope of a health coach to guide you when you experience health issues.

The Coaching Agreement

One major reason why the initial meeting is longer than a follow-up session is because during this session the coach will not only assess your questionnaire, but will also ask questions regarding your goals, explain the coaching process and develop the coaching agreement.

The coaching agreement is jointly set up and must be signed by both parties. 

The agreement includes the

• nature of the client-coach relationship,
• type of coaching,
• what is the primary goal of the coaching,
• the fee,
• payment and no show policies.

After or During The Initial Meeting

There are two forms that should be filled out either during or after the initial meeting.

1.Readiness To Change Questionnaire 

The readiness to change questionnaire consists of 8 closed questions. The goal here is to find out whether you are ready for a 3-months health coaching program. Because a health coaching program usually takes 3 months it is better to make sure that you are up for it.

2.Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire For Everyone (PAR-Q+)

If physical activity is aligned with your goals – and it usually should be – then you are more likely to fill out the PAR-Q+.

The main purpose of the first coaching session

Examining your health situation and readiness for coaching actually is just a smaller part of the session and is only partly based on your questionnaire. The thing that really matters is what you say, how you feel about yourself, and your readiness. The main purpose of the initial session is to map out your purpose.

What I mean by that is during this session you can share your values and your biggest health needs with the guidance of the coach. 

Based on your needs and recent circumstances this meeting is also the time for setting up smart goals and an accountability system that will assist you to be consistent while you are not at the coaching session.

At the end of the session it is important to conclude and agree on a plan for the follow=up session.

The Follow-Up Sessions

One or two weeks after the first session there is the first follow-up session when you will share your experience on how you were able to stick to the smart goals during this initial one or two weeks.

Setbacks can happen so don’t feel ashamed if you experienced them. Setbacks are actually useful because they make you acknowledge your barriers in the process and you can learn a lot from them. By learning from them you are able to adjust the smart plan accordingly which will allow you to make your plan even smarter 🙂

The main goal by the end of the coaching sessions is to improve your self-reliance which is the main drive for reaching goals. 

Announcement!!!

Do you need assistance in setting a SMART health and fitness goal? For a limited amount of time I am offering weight-loss coaching for testimonials.

Get in touch with me now in order to learn more about the opportunity if you are interested in health coaching to improve your health and fitness!

Stay safe and healthy

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