What Is A Wellness Coach?

Ten Questions with Barton Stanley David, CPT, HWC

1. Tell us a little about your background in Health and Wellness Coaching

I have been a Certified Personal Trainer and Functional Training Specialist for over twenty years, and am a Mayo Clinic-trained Health & Wellness Coach. My passion is helping people make realistic, sustainable changes that lead to better health and an improved quality of life.

2. What exactly is a Wellness Coach?

In short, Wellness Coaches help clients bridge the gap between where they are in terms of their overall sense of health and wellbeing, and where they want to be.

That might mean exploring everything from exercise and nutrition to stress management, work-life balance, community, creativity, or managing a chronic illness.

Most people already know what they should be doing to improve their health.

The challenge is making positive change stick in the context of real life, which is where Wellness Coaching has been shown to help.

3. Who tends to seek out Wellness Coaching and what are some typical goals you help clients achieve?

Everyone from young professionals to middle aged parents, to retirees.

Some people want help building healthier habits or getting back into exercise. Some are trying to manage stress, an injury, or a major life change.  

Usually, it’s someone who knows what they want to change, but has not been able to implement those changes effectively on their own.

4. How is Wellness Coaching different from Personal Training?

Personal training focuses on exercise and physical goals: lose ten pounds, add upper body strength etc. Wellness Coaching looks at your overall health picture.

Exercise may still be part of the conversation, but we’re also talking about all the lifestyle that influence day-to-day quality of life.

As a trainer and coach, I can wear both hats as needed.

5. With many people turning to AI or Social Media influencers for wellness advice, do you think coaches are still necessary?

Now more than ever, yes. Social Media Influencers and AI can tell you what to do but can't help you do it.

Everyone has access to the all the same information. Plenty of people can quote Andrew Huberman, or buy a wearable, or discuss sleep scores.

That doesn’t always translate to helping people make real changes that are safe and sustainable.

Coaches can also utilize AI, just as healthcare providers do. AI can be an effective tool in a hybrid care model, but it can't read emotions, body language, or offer real human compassion.

Human intelligence still wins out in my book. Having the information is only half the battle.

6. Is Coaching similar to Therapy?

No, although there is certainly some overlap.

Therapy focuses on treating and diagnosing mental health conditions (which coaches are not licensed to do) whereas coaching helps people create strategies to improve their wellbeing.

While a coach might empathize with some of the same issues a therapist would, it’s always in the context of how those issues are affecting a client’s health and wellness goals.  

Coaches also have a broad network of therapists, physicians, dietitians, and other healthcare providers they can refer clients to as needed.

7. Is Wellness coaching effective for people with chronic health conditions?

Absolutely. Research shows Wellness Coaching to be effective in helping patients improve several chronic health issues like diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, and make clinical improvements in overall quality of life.

Coaching helps break care plans down into manageable steps that are realistic and sustainable.

8. What is the biggest challenge for most clients in trying to develop healthier habits, in your view?

Life gets in the way.

Most people want to improve thier health, but are exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, sleep deprived, or have too many commitments. Coaching can help create habits that are realistic, and more importantly, suit your strengths and unique circumstances and challenges.

9. Does wellness coaching include nutrition?

Yes. Coaching can help people simplify nutrition and build healthier patterns through planning and consistency. Coaches will often work in tandem with a nutritionist as part of a care team.  

10. What’s one thing you wish more people understood about health and wellness?

One thing I’ve stressed to my clients for years is that building healthy habits is about quality of life, not quantity of life.

Yes, positive changes like eating better, exercising more, and managing stress will likely help you live longer, but the real victory is improving your immediate quality of life and living better in the moment. That’s ultimately what we’re after.