Have you noticed a trend lately where people call themselves "coaches"?
I started noticing this a few years ago when I dipped my toes into a popular fitness company. They marketed their consultants or representatives as coaches and to be blatantly honest with you all, I felt like I was a fraud. I have an extensive background in nursing, medical management of chronic diseases, pediatric illnesses and an understanding of adult medicine but NO training in how to "coach" people. Yet, I joined this group anyway hoping to learn along the way.
While I loved the community of women and men I met, the workouts that I still do today, and the nutrition programs, I always felt as if something was missing. We focused on our workouts, tracking our shakes, documented our progress and got incredible results! I was even able to come off my blood pressure medications for a short season following these programs. However, I knew that in my heart that I did not have the ability to actually support people because I was not trained and the focus was more on recruiting team members instead of supporting others. I had no formal education in this area and the nurse side of my brain wanted evidence-based FACTS that coaching was a real thing.
So I walked away. I realized why this company did not align with my values because I am a deeply emotional person and wanted to serve my client well. This organization didn't exactly encourage that. Enter a program that altered the trajectory of my entire career in late 2021. What if I could actually help people in a way that affected positive change in their mind, body and spirit? As human beings, all aspects of ourselves require attention and care. This program I chose to enroll in addressed our healthcare system as a whole and why it's failing us all. The graduates received training in a holistic care, otherwise known as mind, body, spirit focused. THIS is what I had been waiting for! So I dove in and loved every single part of this course and when I finished and took my board exam, I became a board-certified nurse coach.
So you're probably wondering why you may need a coach. Well, in my humble opinion everyone does. Coaching isn't just for sports anymore and for good reasons. Whether you are focusing on your physical wellness goals, running a marathon, climbing a corporate business ladder, healing from past traumas, mastering financial goals, overcoming limiting beliefs, whatever you are feeling "stuck" on you may need an advocate in your corner to help you reframe thought processes and co-creating a plan to move forward. Also coaches like myself who are in the wellness space have an incredible network of other people who we refer out to so that our clients receive the best care possible. Our goals is healing. As nurses we know this is an art form. And in this incredible space, we combine science and art as a healing modality that affects long-lasting change. In our broken and chaotic world with millions of humans searching for hope and betterment in their lives, we are poised at the right time to impact change and help course-correct our healthcare system as a whole.
If you are curious about finding a coach and what services we offer, you can email me at samantha@abundantlifewellness.org. I'd love to connect with you or refer you to a colleague that aligns with your needs and values.
