Health Coaching for Mental Health
In today’s overstimulated world, the need for better mental health support is greater than ever. It’s hard to deny that mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, are on the rise.
Consequently, health coaching for mental health is an emerging niche, although it should not be confused with therapy. Health coaching with a mental health focus takes an integrated approach to help people deal with depression, anxiety, and general lack of motivation, without directly addressing any specific mental health illness or disease. Coaching is positioned to create more awareness about how to support your mental wellness, rediscover a sense of purpose and implement healthier choices to thrive in your daily life.
Why health coaches?
Health coaches approach wellness by considering clients as multidimensional beings, which means taking into account all areas of life that influence health, from the food on the plate to relationships, workplace stress, joy, and creativity. This is what IIN calls Primary Eating, and by using a tool called IIN The Circle of Life, Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches train clients to look at 12 key areas where people experience hunger and determine where more balance and wholeness are needed.
The fundamental skills of a Health Coach-such as empathy, active listening, Reflections, and open-ended questions-go a long way in supporting not only physical issues but mental health as well. Health coaches are properly trained to fill this niche and, at the same time, are trained to identify high-risk or red-flag behaviors that would necessitate referring their client to a mental health specialist, such as a therapist or psychiatrist, when necessary.
Health coaching facilitates healing by offering client-centered support, guiding them toward greater resilience by enabling them to nurture their mental well-being. And when resilience increases, people are better equipped to handle difficult emotions and recover from challenges. According to the Mayo Clinic, “lack of resilience causes people to dwell on problems, feel victimized, feel overwhelmed or resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse, eating disorders or risky behaviors.”
How a mental health coach can address
Coaches create a safe space to release difficult and deep-seated emotions. Feeling heard in a world where it is difficult to feel heard has a unique power and helps to soften pent-up feelings that often lead to anxiety and distress.
Focus on strengths.
Asking clients “What’s going well?” and engaging in a positive-oriented dialogue helps them set goals to be more positive and focus on their strengths and accomplishments, rather than seeing only the negative.
Turn setbacks into opportunities.
By empowering clients to turn their challenges into learning opportunities, coaches enable them to see things differently, taking advantage of learning moments from their experiences. If you want to find great information, visit Health wellbeing to know more about mental health.
Leverage resources and support.
Coaches encourage clients to create the kind of support system that works best for them as individuals, whether it’s nurturing a relationship with a friend or family member or finding established communities of like-minded people, such as a spiritual group.
Set boundaries.
Helping clients become aware of when they need to say no and set realistic boundaries places greater importance on self-love and self-care and allows clients to re-establish what they need to do to maintain their mental health.
Emphasize mindfulness.
Many health coaches use mindfulness practices in their own lives and help clients create some for themselves. IIN Visiting Professor Member Deepak Chopra, MD, has said that people experience 68,000 thoughts every day, which can contribute to harsh self-judgment and anxiety. Observing one’s thoughts rather than fighting them, he says, would decrease the mind’s overwhelming constant activity and create a greater place of calm.
The bottom line.
Eating healthy, staying active, and getting restorative sleep also help mental health facilities have a complete healing experience. Many people struggle with the overwhelm of everyday life, from caring for family members to an unfulfilling job. Mental health support, especially that which can be provided by a Health Coach, is finding increased acceptance as an important new niche in the health and wellness arena.
