Nicky Dear Health Coach

Today, I was uncertain about what my blog should focus on. However, I attended a LinkedIn webinar on Friday morning that centred on how we can maintain momentum for NHS health and welfare coaching. The call included health professionals from various fields, such as GPs, pain specialists, health coaches, and many others in medicine and healthcare. It was incredibly inspiring and has given me real hope about future of collaboration between health coaches and medical practitioners.

Much of the hours’ discussion was around the difficulties of integrating Health coaching into the NHS, mainly due to the lack of understanding around what we do. In particular amongst medical practitioners, which inevitably means that many are reluctant to collaborate with people like myself because they don’t yet understand the value we can bring to people’s health recovery.

I also realise that many people outside the medical profession struggle to understand how a health coach can help, when they are struggling with chronic pain, diabetes, and many other conditions which can occur during menopause.

I wanted to use this opportunity to explain what I can do to help you-especially if you are struggling with severe and chronic pain with conditions such as: Fibromyalgia, Tendonitis, Arthritis, Inflammatory gut issues, or if you have been diagnosed as prediabetic or even diabetic.

Many of the conditions I have named above can be caused or made a lot worse by inflammation, and inflammation often begins in our gut.

You can read more about this in one of my previous blogs “Inflammation- A symptom of Menopause ”

As a Health Coach my skillset lies in listening carefully and asking the right questions to enable my clients to find the right solutions. You are, as one of the practitioners on the call said “the expert in the room” when it comes to your own body, and the solutions which will work for you in your own unique circumstances. Together we can work around your life, your family, your work and your environment. So, what I won’t do as a coach, is simply tell you how to resolve the issues, but will work with you to co-create a simple 3 or 4 step weekly plan that is tailored specifically for you.

One of the keys to success in turning your health around is autonomy and the feeling that you are in control of your health and this is my aim when I work with my clients. Once someone has the feeling that they are “behind the steering wheel” then amazing changes start to happen. The realisation that you are the only person who can decide what food you put in your mouth and what exercise you do on a daily basis is very powerful.

I have witnessed first-hand how my clients can change their future health by taking small steps that lead to significant and lasting improvements. These changes include: better sleep, reversing a prediabetic diagnosis, weight loss, and reductions in chronic pain and gut issues. Most importantly, many of my clients have experienced substantial improvements in their mood, which can be life-changing and instil a sense of hope.

I recall the feeling of hopelessness myself, during the worst of my menopause symptoms- especially when I struggled to find help through traditional channels like my GP. At that time, I believed my future would be filled with pain and that I would never be healthy again. I am grateful to everyone who has been a part of my journey and helped me along the way!

Many people often fail to connect their surrounding circumstances—such as their family life, home environment, work situation, and overall living conditions—with their health. As a coach, my role includes examining not only the client’s health history and dietary habits (including how what they ate as children can lead to ingrained habits and potential gut health issues later in life) but also other aspects of their lives.

A stressful home environment can make it challenging for clients to focus on their own health, often leading them to prioritise others over themselves. This issue also extends to the workplace. A Health Coach can work alongside medical professionals to ensure that clients feel heard and understood. We all know how stretched our doctor’s surgeries are. Whilst a General Practitioner (GP) may only have a 5-minute appointment to offer, they can often only provide temporary solutions to chronic issues, such as pain relief through medications, rather than addressing the root cause of the pain.

In contrast, Health Coaches typically provide sessions that last between 45 minutes to an hour and usually work with clients for a duration of 6 to 12 weeks. This extended time allows Health Coaches to truly understand their clients and identify what is needed to improve their health for the long term.

Thank you Izabella Natrins & Anthony Lawton for a great discussion on LinkedIn Live today and for all the work you are doing to promote Health Coaches & the benefits we can bring to the table.

If you are interested in finding out more about working with me don’t hesitate to get in touch for a free no obligation chat or click on this link to find out about my 12-week bespoke tailored coaching programme.

Get in touch :