Health and Wellbeing Coaches

Sarah visited their GP practice pharmacist for a medication review of their long-term condition, diabetes. Sarah identified that they would like to lose weight but felt unsure as to how to go about it. The practice pharmacist was able to offer the patient a few options, including a local exercise scheme and Health and Wellbeing Coaching. The patient felt it was the motivation to attend exercise schemes as well as a wish to amend their diet that was holding them back. They had signed up for something similar in the past but felt self-conscious to actually attend. They agreed for a referral to the Health and Wellbeing Coach.The Wellbeing Coach contacted Sarah for an initial appointment.

This process identified that Sarah was motivated and ready to make a positive lifestyle change. Sarah committed to the six coaching sessions at their local GP Practice. Sarah expected to be handed a list of foods they should and should not eat, given a strict exercise regime and a goal weight. Instead, the coach asked – ‘what is important to you?’ Within the sessions they looked at a range of areas of their life including health, personal growth, career, family, finance and leisure. This helped Sarah be aware of the different areas that impacted their confidence with making healthier lifestyle habits. The weekly sessions over six weeks looked at Sarah’s emotional attachment to food: identifying patterns as to when they would eat particularly less healthy foods. Each session identified what we call ‘SMART goals’ – these are manageable and realistic goals identified by the person themselves. By making goals personalised and manageable – a person is more likely to achieve their goal.

For Sarah, this meant making some adaptations to current meals: so that they were still able to enjoy food and have a more sustainable approach to eating better. The sessions explored convenient times they could fit in small amounts of exercise into their day – for Sarah, this meant getting off the bus for work four stops sooner than usual, and walking.

Sarah fed back to their coach that whilst they had signed up to the sessions primarily for weight loss, the sessions had actually highlighted to them how much feeling more confident in themselves, had been the main outcome. The sessions have made them feel less ashamed. Before, they would place themselves on more extreme, restrictive diets that they would stop after a few days or weeks, now they feel more confident to keep going and come up with their own healthy living goals in future. 

Sarah said they realised how whilst exercising in conventional places, such as gyms, is a great fit for some, but Sarah felt more motivated and comfortable in alternative spaces that don’t feel like ‘exercise’.  Sarah reported ‘I’ve always liked being outside, breathing fresh air. Now I am spending more time moving more and it helps with my mood too’.

The coaching sessions may have now concluded, but they have given Sarah the tools she needs to identify and implement her own goals. Sarah has been given some resources with ideas for easy ways to incorporate a healthier lifestyle into her day. Many people find these helpful to revisit if they have a period where they feel less motivated.

Ola is a 58-year-old woman that lives in Camberwell. She was referred by her GP to the Social Prescribing service for help with housing. The initial conversation with Ola identified that she was also struggling with low mood and bereavement and so the social prescriber referred her to the health and wellbeing coach service.

During the first conversation, the health and wellbeing coach and Ola sought to better understand her needs and what she wished to focus on in the face-to-face coaching sessions. The first coaching session highlighted that Ola had become stressed and anxious due to an ongoing legal case with a hospital regarding her husband’s treatment before he passed away. This had led to insomnia and work-related stress. She struggled to connect with other people or do activities outside of the home.

Throughout the sessions, Ola and the coach discussed the importance of sleep and relaxation. Ola worked on improving her sleep pattern - the coach provided resources on relaxation techniques and sleep hygiene for Ola. Ola agreed to keep a sleep diary to develop awareness around her energy levels and wellbeing. She left the sessions very optimistic and said she really enjoyed the sessions and felt better about herself. These discussions led Ola to undertake self-help steps and make changes to improve her wellbeing.

Ola has continued to show a positive mindset and behaviour change around her sleep and general wellbeing. She has more awareness around how lifestyle changes can improve her health, and how she can control this through self-care. She shows more self-efficacy and self-compassion, which should produce positive health outcomes in the future.