What is Functional Medicine Health Coaching?

Here's a breakdown of the key components:

1. Functional Medicine: Functional medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare that seeks to understand the underlying causes of disease and dysfunction. It views the body as an interconnected system, where imbalances in one area can impact other areas. Instead of just treating symptoms, functional medicine aims to identify and address the root causes of health issues, often considering factors such as genetics, lifestyle, environment, and diet.

2. Health Coaching: Health coaching is a supportive and collaborative process in which a trained professional, known as a health coach, works with individuals to set and achieve health-related goals. Health coaches provide guidance, education, motivation, and accountability to help clients make sustainable lifestyle changes. They use effective communication techniques to empower clients and encourage them to take ownership of their health.

Functional Medicine Health Coaching combines these two approaches:

- Personalization: Health coaches work with clients to create personalized health plans based on their unique needs, goals, and circumstances. These plans often consider factors like genetics, medical history, lifestyle habits, and current health status.

- Root Cause Investigation: Similar to functional medicine, health coaches help clients uncover the underlying factors contributing to their health issues. By addressing these root causes, rather than just managing symptoms, clients have the potential to experience more comprehensive and lasting improvements in their health.

- Lifestyle and Behavior Change: Health coaches guide clients in making positive changes to their lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress management, sleep patterns, and other relevant aspects. These changes are tailored to the individual's needs and preferences, with the aim of improving overall well-being and preventing future health problems.

- Empowerment: A key aspect of functional medicine health coaching is empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health. Health coaches help the client find education, resources, and tools to help clients understand their bodies and make choices that align with their health goals.

- Accountability and Support: Health coaches offer ongoing support, encouragement, and accountability as clients work towards their health goals. This can help clients stay motivated and committed to making meaningful changes over time.

- Fun: The process can be difficult at times but this health coach will always bring an element of fun and laughter to the process. If you can’t enjoy the process, it might not be worth the time…

Functional Medicine Health Coaching is particularly beneficial for individuals seeking a more holistic and proactive approach to managing their health. It can be applied to a wide range of health concerns, from chronic conditions to general wellness optimization. However, it's important to note that health coaches are not medical doctors, and their role is primarily focused on guiding clients towards healthier lifestyle choices and behavior changes.