Welcome to At Ease with Eating, LLC, a wellness coaching service provided by Karen Giles-Smith, MS, RD, certified health and wellness coach. That’s me.

You may be wondering: What is a wellness coach? What it wellness coaching? Is wellness coaching right for me?

Let’s start with you.

Do you want to take charge of a particular part of your life, but don’t know where to begin? That’s where a wellness coach comes in.

What is a wellness coach?

A wellness coach guides and supports individuals as they create the life that they want to live—a life according to their personal vision of wellness. That vision might include one or more aspects of wellness: the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social or environmental aspects.

What is wellness coaching?

Perhaps you’re overwhelmed with a busy life and are looking for ways to cope. Perhaps you’re feeling worn out and wish you had more energy. Perhaps you want to prepare nourishing meals but don’t have time. Perhaps you’re feeling out of control with eating but want to eat well and enjoy food. Perhaps you wish you were more physically active but don’t like to, want to, or have time to exercise.

A wellness coach helps you clarify what you really want—what is most important to you and why (your wellness vision)—and helps you discover how you can make that happen in your life.

Is wellness coaching right for you?

I see wellness as a state of being—being your best self. Life is the journey of learning to be your best self, and a wellness coach can guide and support you on that journey.

In terms of wellness, what is right for you and what works best? Only you know. But sometimes a sounding board—in the form of someone who wants the best for you—is very helpful during your journey of discovery.

Here’s how it works:

Although the process of coaching can vary widely from coach to coach, sessions are often conducted by phone. A common coaching package is a three-month plan that includes 3-4 coaching calls per week. The first call is usually 60-90 minutes and follow-up calls are usually 30-45 minutes each.

What wellness coaching is not:

Wellness coaching is not counseling or therapy. A wellness coach should have reputable credentials in at least one area of expertise such as nutrition/dietetics, health, fitness, or psychology. However, rather than acting as the expert, a wellness coach should focus on the process of coaching which centers on the client as the expert of his or her own life. If issues arise that are outside the coach’s scope of practice, clients should be referred to the appropriate professional.

Where to find a wellness coach:

First: A word of caution. Anyone can call themselves a coach of any type, including a wellness coach. That’s why it’s important to check into a coach’s education, training, and credentials.

Several reputable coach training organizations exist such as the International Coach Federation, Coach U and Wellcoaches. I’m familiar with Wellcoaches because it’s the organization through which I’ve been trained and certified. Wellcoaches is a coach training and support organization in strategic partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine that trains and certifies health and wellness professionals to be wellness coaches.

To find a coach that’s the right “fit” for you in terms of personality and style of coaching, it’s a good idea to visit several coach’s websites and interview a few by phone.

For more:

What is Wellness Coaching? Wellcoaches

Find a Coach, Wellcoaches

About Karen, Coaching with Karen, Testimonials, and how to Contact Karen