Are you one of those people who is asked for advice a lot? And not just about one specific topic either, but an array of topics usually including diets, healthy living tips, and stress management. Do you most of these conversations leave you feeling like you're a free therapist for your friends and family?
You might even have been told you should become a psychologist or counselor. If you've been looking for a way to help people live their best healthiest lives possible, but don't want to treat disorders, holistic health coaching might be what you're looking for.
Think of a health coach like a life coach or physical fitness trainer. They help you to stay on track with your fitness goals or with your stress, conflict, and time management.
A health coach, however, assists clients with their diets and healthier lifestyle changes.
A holistic health coach goes even further. It melds some aspects of life coaching, like stress and time management, and health coaching like sticking to a diet or lifestyle changes.
If you think becoming a holistic health coach is for you then keep reading to discover more about what a holistic health coach is and how you can become one.
Research, Research, Research
Like anything in life, the first step to becoming to a holistic health coach is to begin researching what that entails. There is no one set of standards nationally to follow, so you'll really need to look into the schools and programs.
When looking into a holistic health coach course make sure the course work is rigorous and thorough. One- or two-week crash courses are not the way to go here. After all, you want to actually help people and build a strong clientele.
Another thing to pay attention to is their graduates. Look at who their graduates are and if they have a successful business with strong testimonials. You want to hang your certificate with pride. Don't make excuses for your education, boast about it.
Choose a Specialty
Like doctors and psychologists, it's always wise to choose a specialty within the holistic health coach field. You can choose almost any specialization like reducing stress, time management, diet plans and nutrition.
However, like a doctor or psychologist, a true holistic health coach knows that they must look at the client as a whole and address all aspects of their life. The specialization you choose should be something you are interested in, good at, and will give you an edge on your competition.
Remember, after you become certified and begin taking clients, you are a business and will need to contend with competition.
Have a Business Plan
Like any other business, before beginning you should have a well thought out and drafted business plan. You'll want to focus on things like who do you want your clientele to be? How will you reach them? As well as startup and operational costs and where the money will come from.
These are all important things to know in advance before you complete your certification. It may be a good idea to have a rough business plan before you begin your holistic health coach course and refine as you go along.
Having a business plan will give you the best chance at succeeding at your business. And the more successful your business the more people you will help.
Earn an Income
This may seem obvious but there are some things to pay particular attention to. Like, the location of your business. Some locations will have a better chance at earning you more money than others.
Pay attention to the average income for other holistic health coaches in your local area. Try to choose a town or city with a high average earned income to give yourself the best chance at generating enough revenue to stay open.
Also be aware of the amount of competition compared to the number of potential clients available. An already oversaturated market is not the best place or time to open a new business. Find a location where the competition is low or doesn't exist and create the market yourself.
Becoming a Holistic Health Coach
As always, its best to know as much as you can about something before getting started. Becoming a holistic health coach is no different. Do your research into the right programs and certification courses.
But before you complete your program and training have business plan ready. Know where you will be located, who your clientele will be and how you will reach them.
Becoming a holistic health coach is a lot of hard work and dedication. But the reward of helping people live their best life is worth all that effort.