What a Health Coach Actually Does
You've read the books. Listened to the podcasts. Done the research. You know what a good night of sleep is supposed to look like, what stress is doing to your body, what your plate is supposed to contain. And still, nothing is sticking. In this episode, Shari names the gap between knowing and doing, explains what a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach actually does in plain language, and offers a question worth sitting with this week.
Key Takeaways
- Knowing what to do and being able to actually do it consistently in a real life are two completely different things. Information doesn't cross that gap. Support does.
- A health coach is not a doctor, therapist, or dietitian. A National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach is trained to the highest standard in the profession and recognized by the healthcare industry as a legitimate allied health role.
- A health coach sits in the gap between what your doctor tells you needs to change and what actually happens when you try to change it in your specific life.
- Health coaching works with behavior change from your starting point, using your own strengths, insight, and pace. It also works with the beliefs underneath the behavior, because sometimes what looks like a habit problem is actually a belief problem.
- The barrier to change is almost never what it looks like from the outside. Having someone who can see where you're actually getting stuck, and help you move through it rather than around it, is what makes the difference.
- Not all health coaches are also trained in life coaching. A coach trained in both health and wellness coaching and life coaching can help you with the full picture of your life.
Resources
- π― Take the free Midlife Spark Type Quiz: https://www.sharibiery.com/quiz
- π Explore Shari's coaching and programs: https://www.sharibiery.com/midlife-coaching-programs
- π₯ Find a National Board Certified Health Coach (NBHWC directory): https://members.nbhwc.org/search/custom.asp?id=6956
- π It's Your Turn — Shari's book: https://www.sharibiery.com/its-your-turn-book
- π Follow Shari on Substack: https://sharibiery.substack.com/
- π Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/s-biery/15minuteclaritycall
Transcript
The Problem Was Never Information
[00:00:03] Shari Biery: How many books do you have on your nightstand?
Or in your phone. What about podcasts you've saved? Articles you meant to read. Things you've learned that you're absolutely going to implement.
I'm not asking to make you feel bad. I'm asking because I think most of us already know what we need to do. That was never actually the problem.
Welcome and Series Intro
[00:00:34] Shari Biery: You're listening to It's Your Turn with Shari Biery. I'm Shari, a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, bestselling author, speaker, and creator of the C.A.L.M. Method. Each week, this show is about taking your turn in midlife, embracing new purpose, new passions, and new possibilities. New episodes drop weekly, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss it. Now let's get started.
[00:01:03] If you're just joining us, this is part of the Coming Home series. There are seven episodes on finding your way back to yourself in midlife. Each one stands on its own, so wherever you're starting, this is Episode 2, you're in the right place.
Samantha's Story
[00:01:25] Shari Biery: Samantha had done everything right.
She'd read the books, listened to the podcasts, done the research. She knew what a good night of sleep was supposed to look like, what her plate was supposed to contain, what stress was doing to her cortisol. She could have given a presentation on it.
And still, nothing was sticking.
She'd start something and life would interrupt. She'd reset and something else would come up. She'd get a few good weeks in, and then a work deadline, or a sick family member, or a hard month would knock everything sideways. And she'd find herself back at square one, feeling like the problem was her.
She came to me thinking she needed a better plan. More structure. A different approach. And some of that may be true.
But what she actually needed was someone in her corner.
Not more information. She needed support.
And I wonder, honestly, if that distinction might be landing somewhere for you right now.
The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
[00:02:54] Shari Biery: There's a gap that almost never gets talked about.
It's the gap between knowing something and actually doing it. Between understanding what would help and being able to make it work in the context of your real life. With your schedule, your history, your habits, your relationships, your stress load, your body in this particular season.
Information doesn't cross that gap.
We live in the most information-rich moment in human history. If information were the answer, we'd all be thriving. But knowing what to do and being able to actually do it consistently in a life that doesn't stop asking things of you, those are two completely different things.
What crosses the gap is support. Someone who knows your specific situation. Who can help you figure out what the barrier actually is, because it's almost never what it looks like from the outside. Who can help you adjust when life disrupts things, which it will, without it meaning you've failed and have to start over.
I wonder if you've been trying to cross that gap alone.
What a Health Coach Actually Does
[00:04:37] Shari Biery: I get a lot of questions about what a health coach is. So let me tell you what a health coach actually does, because I think it's one of the most misunderstood roles in the wellness space and the health space.
A health coach is not a doctor, a therapist, or a dietitian. And not someone who took a weekend course online or sells supplements.
I hold a National Board Certification in Health and Wellness Coaching, which is the highest credential in the profession. It's recognized by the healthcare industry. But here's what that actually means in practice, in a room with a real person.
A health coach sits in the gap.
The gap between what you know you need to do and actually doing it. The gap between what your doctor tells you needs to change and what actually happens when you try it in your specific life. The gap between the information you already have and the ability to act on it consistently. The gap between knowing and doing.
We work with behavior change. And we do it from your starting point, using your own strengths, your own insight, your own pace. Not a protocol designed for someone else. Not a plan that assumes your life is simple.
We also work with the beliefs underneath the behavior. Because sometimes what looks like a habit problem can actually be a belief problem. And no amount of better planning fixes a belief.
And we stay with you when life interrupts, which it will. The question isn't whether things will get knocked sideways. The question is whether you have someone in your corner who can help you find your way back without starting from zero.
She Didn't Need to Be Figured Out
[00:07:16] Shari Biery: I want to come back to Samantha for a moment.
Remember, she was the one with the stack of books, the saved podcasts, the knowledge she had and couldn't quite turn into change.
What shifted for her wasn't a new piece of information. It was having someone who knew her. Who could see where she was actually getting stuck. And who helped her move through it, rather than around it.
She told me later that for years she had been treating herself like a problem to solve. Learning everything she could so she could finally figure herself out.
What she found instead was that she didn't need to be figured out. She needed to be seen.
I think a lot of women in midlife are doing the same thing. Accumulating information and hoping that eventually it will be enough.
And I want to gently offer a different question.
What if the thing you've been missing isn't more knowledge? What if it's support?
One Small Step
[00:08:39] Shari Biery: Who in your life right now is helping you turn what you know into what you actually do?
Not someone who gives you more information. Someone who helps you act on what you already have.
If the answer is no one, that's worth knowing. Not as a reason to feel behind or alone. Just as useful information about what kind of support might actually help.
How to Find a Health Coach
[00:09:17] Shari Biery: In the show notes, I'm going to drop a couple of links. One is how to find a health coach, because even though I specifically work with midlife women, this episode may help someone else in your life who's looking to make some changes.
Not all health coaches are also trained in life coaching, and that's something different. To be able to take what you're actually experiencing and put it in the context of your real life, that's what a health and wellness coach trained in both health and life coaching can do. Something to know as you're exploring.
The National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches has a Find a Health Coach search tool on their website. You can go in and explore different coaches and see who may be a good fit for you. And if you're specifically in midlife navigating what we've been talking about on this podcast, I'll put my coaching page in the show notes.
Reflection and Close
[00:10:55] Shari Biery: Have you been treating yourself like a problem to solve too?
And what might it feel like to let someone just see you instead.
[00:11:10] Next week we're going to take this further. We're going to talk about who belongs on your support team in midlife and what it looks like to actually build one. I think you're going to want to have a pen handy.
Thank you for spending time with me today. If something in this episode really hit your heart, share it with the women in your life.
You can find me on Substack at https://sharibiery.substack.com. And as I mentioned, if you haven't taken the free Midlife Spark Type Quiz, the link is always in the show notes. Take it and find your spark type. We'll be talking about that more in the coming episodes. Until next time, keep taking your turn.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional with any questions about your health.
AI Disclosure: I'm a mom, wife, veteran military spouse, healthcare worker, and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. My writing connects back to my book, It's Your Turn, and my own lived experience. I use AI to help draft and edit, but every idea, story, and word comes from me.
