What is a Wellness Coach?

It’s not about telling people what to do, says Nolan Peterson, a board-certified health and wellness coach at the Mayo Clinic. His job is to help people eat healthier, exercise, reduce their stress and make the other changes that everyone knows they ought to, but can’t always stick with. “It’s nothing earth shattering, and at the same time, it’s still tricky,” Peterson says. “We know that there’s more to behavior change than just information.”

So when Peterson sits down with a patient, he doesn’t chide them for not getting 30 minutes of exercise a day or scarfing down the restaurant breadbasket. Instead, he asks a series of questions: What is getting in the way of you eating more vegetables? “Paint me a picture of your ideal sense of wellness. What does that look like? Feel like? What's in your life? Who's in your life?” Of course, he keeps the solutions within reason. “What’s in our control and how can we maybe start moving even a little bit today towards that vision [of] your best self.”

People often think in broad terms and are hard on themselves: I gotta start exercising. “At the same time,” he says, “a lot of things are going to pull for our time and attention. How do we keep linking it back to what matters most?” Maybe that’s being able to get down on the floor and play games with the grandkids.

Few people might do that kind of introspection on their own, but it can have long-term payoffs, Peterson says. ​​The good news is that many insurance companies now cover in-person and virtual sessions with wellness coaches, including coaches trained in diabetes prevention. To find a coach in your area, visit the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches. Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs cover this service as well. According to the VA, there are nearly 2,300 VA-trained “whole health coaches” working at VA medical centers and clinics.