5 Questions To Ask Yourself When Choosing An Online Health Coach

Teletherapy, online coaching and virtual care have all been on the rise over the past couple of years. This is due to the coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent effects on mental wellbeing and social distancing rules. Mental wellbeing and care is therefore more and more often taking place online via video conference, phone calls, text or emails, rather than in person. Although the significant rise in online therapy and coaching happened during the pandemic, it did exist beforehand, and is likely to carry on being relevant post-pandemic.

What Does This Mean For You?

Well, chances are that if you’re considering signing up to some form of coaching or therapy, then you’re thinking about signing up online, rather than in person. The convenience and flexibility of online coaching means that you can more easily fit it into your day, rather than carving out any significant amount of time to get there and back. The rise in online care has also made it much more easily accessible for people, and gives the opportunity to look around and find a coach or therapist that best suits you, rather than being restricted to geographical proximity. Professionals are also given a glimpse into a window of your life, since you are signing in from the comfort of your own home.

Committing to coaching is already a pretty big decision, but it’s made bigger if you have to take time off work to be able to see your coach, or if you have to drive 30 minutes or more each way. Time is precious, and online coaching doesn’t have to eat into it past the session itself.

Listen, I’m still a fan of coaching in person too. It’s true that it’s not quite the same via video call as chatting and getting to know each other in person. However online coaching trumps on time-saving, convenience and flexibility. It’s easier to fit sessions into your life, you don’t have to find someone to dog sit or keep an eye on the kids. You can even fit it into your lunch break if you’re time-short. And hey, it’s harder to find excuses not to show up when all you have to do is open up your laptop or turn on your computer!

Now that we’ve seen that online coaching is a viable option, let’s get to the good part…

How Should You Choose A Coach?

With such a rise in online coaching, you also have access to more choice. There are plenty of resources out there and many amazing coaches available to choose from. Since you’re going to be spending money investing in yourself, you want to make sure that you’re spending it wisely!

Here are my top 5 questions and tips to consider to make sure that you choose the right coach for you:

What do you need help with?

Before choosing a coach, it’s best to figure out exactly what you need help with. If you are looking for help getting healthy and in shape then you will probably be best off looking for a health coach. If you would prefer someone to take a look at your whole life, from finances and relationships to work and fitness, a life coach might better suit your needs. If you’re feeling stuck in your job, then a career coach is your go-to.

What do you want to achieve?

Although your coach will help you to set some goals, it’s good to have an initial idea of what you’re looking to achieve so that your coach can help you to get there. It’s also a good opportunity to find out if the coach is able to help you get where you want to be going.

The importance of rapport

Choose someone that you can easily talk to and feel comfortable being vulnerable with. You will need to open up and be honest and so it’s crucial to pick someone that you feel comfortable chatting about your life with.

Do you have a specific concern?

Find someone that has experience working with any specific concerns you might have. Some issues are more complex and so you might benefit from speaking to someone with who specializes in that area or works closely with a medical professional who does.

Seek out a similar schedule

Find someone that can offer services at times that are convenient for you. If you want to make it as easy as possible to commit to the coaching, this should include a convenient timetable that suits your schedule!

Interested in working with me to improve your health and wellness? You can book a Free Discovery Call HERE to discuss your concerns and get started working towards an individual health plan to suit your needs. If you need any further advice or have any questions then drop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you.