Where Do Health Coaches Work? Roles and Career Opportunities

The health and wellness industry is experiencing remarkable growth, largely fueled by a growing awareness of preventative health. This shift has dramatically increased the demand for health coaches, and professionals dedicated to guiding individuals in achieving their health and wellness goals through lifestyle changes and holistic approaches. 

Your job as a health coach is that of a powerful change agent. Working alongside a collaborative care team that includes Functional Medicine practitioners, nutritionists, and other health professionals, you empower your clients to make positive diet and lifestyle changes. Your role in health coaching can help reverse the chronic disease epidemic—and ultimately, change the world.

With so many people seeking guidance on health and nutrition, your skills as a health coach are more in demand than ever across different settings. In this blog post, we’ll get into the key roles you’ll play as a health coach and explore the exciting career opportunities waiting for you.

What is the Significance of Your Role as a Health Coach?

A recent study shows that coaching can significantly enhance various health metrics, including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body weight, and overall fitness across different groups. Many people report feeling more empowered when they actively manage their weight loss or adopt healthier eating habits with the help of coaching.

As a health coach, you play an essential role in bridging the gap between medical advice and everyday lifestyle choices. You work with clients to create personalized plans that cover diet, exercise, and overall wellness, helping them achieve better health outcomes. Your skills are valuable in many settings, from private clinics to schools, where you can truly make a difference.

The best part of being in a growing field like health coaching is that you have the freedom to create a career that aligns with your past experience, plays to your strengths, and suits your lifestyle.

Diverse Career Opportunities for Health Coaches

As a health coach, you bring versatility and unique skills that make you valuable in many different settings, from private clinics to educational institutions. Your expertise supports a wide range of health initiatives and can make a major impact across various sectors.

There are countless ways to shape your career as a health coach, but let’s zero in on three of the most common paths you might consider for building a fulfilling and meaningful career: 

1. Full-time employment
2. Starting your own private practice
3. Collaborating with clinicians and practitioners

Let’s look at each of these options in more detail:

Full-time employment 

As a health coach, you have plenty of options when it comes to where you can work:

1. Private clinics and institutional clinics

In private and institutional clinics, you’ll work with healthcare providers to deliver care that considers the whole person. Your role will often include one-on-one coaching sessions, group workshops, and creating personalized wellness plans that enhance medical treatments

• Private clinics, like the California Center for Functional Medicine (CCFM), where you can make a big impact.
• Institutional clinics such as the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic.

2. Corporate wellness programs

More and more companies are realizing the benefits of a healthy workforce and are adding health coaches to their wellness programs. In this role, you’ll lead workshops, provide personal counseling, and create fun wellness challenges to help employees manage stress, eat better, and improve their overall health.

In fact, nearly 46% of businesses offer wellness programs and many of them hire health coaches.

• Wellness programs at big companies like Fitbit, Google, Zappos, and Motley Fool.

3. Primary care groups

In primary care groups, you’ll find that health coaches are increasingly valued for helping manage chronic conditions, prevent disease, and promote overall wellness among patients. By teaming up with doctors and nurses, you’ll guide patients in understanding and making healthy choices in their daily lives.

• Primary care groups like Iora Health and Vera Whole Health.

4. Health and wellness companies

In companies that focus on health and wellness products or services, you’ll use your expertise to support and guide customers. Your role might include product development, customer support, and creating content for health education.

• Health and wellness companies, including those specifically focused on coaching like Wellable and Included Health.

5. Educational institutions

In educational settings, you’ll help shape the curriculum by teaching students about nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. You’ll also play a key role in creating a healthier school environment by working closely with school staff and parents.

Schools and universities that offer health coaching programs or teach health coaching are excellent places where you can apply your skills and expertise. Go for: 

1. University of Delaware provides Health Coaching Certificate Program
2. Arizona State University provides Health and Wellness Coach Certificate Program
3. University of Minnesota provides Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching

Private practice

While full-time positions are certainly available, you need to note that the job market for health coaching is continually expanding. Many of you might be drawn to the idea of being your own boss, setting your own hours, and customizing your services to meet the needs of your clients. 

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit or some business management experience, starting your private practice could be a great fit. It offers a lot of freedom and allows you to tailor your coaching to individual needs, but it also demands strong business skills and effort in marketing and client acquisition. We’ve crafted an effective 8-step guide to help you launch your health coaching business successfully. 

As you work towards building a full private practice, it’s common to create collaborations — like combining private coaching with roles such as collaborating with a clinic or working alongside a Functional Medicine practitioner. 

This hybrid approach is great for beginners as well as experienced coaches; it helps you diversify your income and gain more professional experience while still enjoying the flexibility of private practice. Plus, it can give you stability and valuable insights as you grow your own practice.

Partnering with clinicians and practitioners

Partnering with clinicians and practitioners as a health coach offers several ways to enhance patient care. Depending on the setup, you might start by handling the initial intake with the client, getting to know them, and making them feel comfortable. Meanwhile, the clinician will take care of the clinical workup and lab tests, which you might not be involved in.

Once the initial phase is done, you’ll step in to manage follow-ups, help implement the treatment plan, and support the client with the diet, lifestyle, and behavior changes recommended by the clinician. You’ll also have access to the client’s information to ensure that your care is consistent with what the clinician has prescribed.

In many clinical settings, health coaches collaborate with medical practitioners to improve patient care. This can involve co-leading patient education sessions or supporting chronic disease management programs. Your role can include conducting initial assessments, following up on treatment plans, and helping clients set and achieve their health goals.

Read: Effective Freebies for Health Coaches to Attract Clients

What Skills and Qualifications Do You Need?

One of the best things about being a health coach is how versatile your skills are and how they address a real need in our healthcare system. You have the opportunity to tackle a wide range of health issues with your clients, collaborate with practitioners to support patient behavior changes and work with more and more companies that are prioritizing the health and well-being of their employees.

If you’re considering a career as a health coach, it’s important to get the right education and certification from reputable organizations like the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). This certification boosts your credibility and helps advance your career. 

Additionally, having extra qualifications in fields like nutrition or fitness can help you offer more well-rounded services, making you more attractive to clients and enhancing your overall impact.

Key skills: communication, psychological techniques, nutrition, and fitness training

To be an effective health coach, you’ll need to be skilled in communication, understand psychological techniques that drive change, and have a strong background in nutrition and physical fitness. These abilities are key to helping your clients make lasting health improvements.

If you want a comprehensive guide on streamlining your journey of becoming a health coach, click here.

Conclusion

As a health coach, you have a wide range of career paths to explore, each offering its own unique way to make a real difference in people’s lives. The variety and flexibility in this field means you can craft a career that’s both fulfilling and dynamic.

With the growing focus on preventive health, your role as a health coach is becoming more important than ever. You’re a key player in the shift towards a more holistic and proactive approach to healthcare.

If you’re passionate about helping others improve their well-being, becoming a certified health coach could be a truly rewarding path. The opportunities are vast, and the potential to make a significant impact is huge. Pursuing certification is your first step towards a successful and meaningful career in this thriving industry.Before you leave, check out Simply.Coach – a digital coaching platform designed to simplify your coaching experience. It combines all aspects of your coaching practice into one easy-to-use digital platform. Schedule a demo and see how it can make your life easier. Give it a go!