The health and wellness coaching industry is unregulated. That means anyone can call themselves a “Coach” even if they have no experience or qualifications.

I’ve made mistakes when hiring a “coach” in the past. Expensive mistakes! Not just in money, but also time, energy, and emotions.

So I make sure my clients will never feel the way I did.

And as a Certified Health Coach, I know what I would be looking for, and what is required of those who invest in becoming Certified Coaches (it’s a lot!). 

When you’re hiring a coach, you’re putting your trust in that person to help you navigate a problem in your life. It’s a vulnerable place to be in!

Asking the right questions can help you feel more secure with your choice of coach and investment.

Here are 4 questions to ask when hiring a Health or Wellness Coach: 

1. What coaching certification do you hold?

It’s a personal choice to hire a Coach with the professional standards & skill set that is required to be accredited/certified or not.

I’ve heard of it like having your blood drawn by a professionally trained phlebotomist (that’s the official title) or by someone who did a weekend first aid training.

It’s a personal choice. Who do you want supporting your life choices?

2. How many clients do you have at a time?

Do you want a personalized experience where you’re one of a few, and your coach really invests in knowing and supporting you?

Or are you happy to be 1 of 20++ and have your coach struggle to remember what your last session was about? Or the intimate details you’ve shared with them.

3. What are your business terms and policies? 

This one is HUGE. And sometimes you don’t know you need it until you need it.

Certified Coaches are required to have policies and are held to a certain standard.... by law.

You disclose a lot of highly personal information in a coaching session - do you know what’s happening with that information?

Hint: You should receive a written agreement with specific terms and policies - one that a lawyer would approve.

4. What are the specifics of what you offer?

Imagine investing more than you ever have into a coach, then not getting what they promised. Only to realize you have no “legal” agreement, no refund policy, and just LOST your big investment.

That happened to me once. By someone who appeared to be a highly successful Life Coach. Ask for exactly what you’re getting. If anything is unclear, ask!

When it comes to investing in hiring a coach, there are a lot of factors to consider. 

These are a few of the “assumed” questions that usually go unasked & unanswered... until you really need them. 

Now you know! Have a question? Comment below.

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