Most of us know—when it comes to bringing more health and wellness into your life, the best time to start is now.
You may rely on willpower, but it’s hard to break years of habit—and it can also be hard to know where to start. When it comes to health resolutions many people focus on starting points that ultimately don’t help them. For example, goals like drinking less, exercising more or losing weight tend to focus on an exterior goal without addressing the underlying habits that make those outcomes difficult.
Many people have distinct categories in their minds, separating things like wellness, exercise and nutrition from things like medicine and doctor visits. But the truth is—you are one entire person. Everything you do connects to your health outcomes.
This is why there’s been a rising career in the healthcare field called a health and wellness coach.
These healthcare professionals help people set reasonable goals, create healthy habits and stay on the path as they travel along their wellness journey.1 Health and wellness coaching offers a personalized approach to lifestyle, nutrition, mental wellness and more.
Still asking, what is a health and wellness coach?
Find out where this up-and-coming role fits in the world of healthcare.
Defining the role of a health and wellness coach
As more people look for ways to improve their health, many are realizing that apps, devices and prescriptions alone aren’t always enough. At the same time, the healthcare industry as a whole is struggling with shortages and financial strain.1
As many healthcare institutions have realized in the rise of nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants as primary care providers, many health problems don’t require a fully-trained medical doctor.2
“A patient can’t go to the doctor every time they have something going on,” says Rikkisha Gilmore-Byrd, Dean of the Health and Sciences program at Rasmussen University.
And for many people, an established relationship with a primary care provider (PCP) builds trust and creates more opportunity for them to voice their concerns or mention trouble they might not bring to their annual (or, often, much rarer than that) doctor visit.
Health coaches step in to meet that need.
“A health coach develops a relationship with their clients, tracks progress and focuses on lifestyle changes—preventative health,” Gilmore-Byrd says.
Health and wellness coaches connect the dots between physical health, mental health and everyday life. Health coaches support behavior shifts and self-awareness, helping people make meaningful changes without relying on quick fixes.3
How health coaches work with clients
Whether you come to your health coach through a healthcare facility, a private company or your employer—their job will be to guide you into sustainable, lifelong health and wellness habits.
Clients seek out health and wellness coaches for many reasons, including weight loss, stress management, improving physical health and boosting emotional well-being.
“Health and wellness coaches often partner directly with healthcare teams, focusing on preventative health and accountability,” Gilmore-Byrd says.
Health coaches typically work with clients through ongoing coaching sessions that focus on clients' goals, their barriers, problem-solving skills and accountability. Rather than prescribing medications, health coaches work with clients to identify and set health goals, develop action plans and build self-awareness around negative habits.5
Through regular check-ins and progress tracking, health coaches help clients stay motivated and focused on their personal development. By incorporating healthy steps into everyday life, wellness coaches support sustainable improvements and long-term behavior changes rather than quick fixes.
Health coaching and mental health support
The benefits of health and wellness coaching don’t stop there.
“We are also seeing health and wellness coaches partner closely with a psychiatrist to reach patients who don’t want to try therapy,” Gilmore-Byrd explains. “There’s still such a huge stigma around seeing a psychiatrist or a therapist.”
Since mental health is inseparable from other aspects of physical health, therapeutic adjustments are often important. And there are certainly demographics of people who feel more comfortable with the idea of having a “coach” than a “therapist.”
“Major cultural, gendered, racial and religious barriers impact how people feel about therapy and mental health counseling,” Gilmore-Byrd says. “But some of the people who feel an aversion to therapy or mental health can feel very enthusiastic about the idea of coaching—or having a coach who can help them stop smoking or lose weight.”
For many, the benefits make it feel more accessible and less intimidating than traditional therapy. Even though coaches can’t diagnose or treat mental illness, they can help clients manage stress and anxiety, create new routines, and make positive lifestyle changes.
While health coaching may complement mental health care, it’s not a substitute for traditional therapy or counseling. “It’s not a stand in for therapy,” Gilmore-Byrd notes.
“It’s more that the whole strategy of coaching is different from counseling,” she says. “It’s strengths based, individualized and client-based. It’s all about helping patients reach goals they want for their lives and context. That resonates with a lot of people. Afterall, there’s only one thing we are all an expert in—ourselves.”
Are health and wellness coaches covered by insurance?
Access to health and well-being services can vary depending on a person’s insurance plan and where they receive care. While wellness coaching sessions are still mostly paid out of pocket, coverage options are expanding as insurers recognize the importance of preventative care and behavior changes.
“Depending on the plan, a patient might be able to access a health coach that way,” states Gilmore-Byrd. “We are starting to see more insurance companies do that. But otherwise, it’s private pay, some people find specialized coaches for what they are dealing with.”
For individuals navigating rising healthcare costs or limited coverage for continued support, a certified health coach may offer a better alternative. Some clients seek specialized coaches to work toward wellness goals such as stress reduction, improved fitness or lifestyle changes outside of a provider’s office.
Getting help to increase the quality and literal length of life can be extremely cost-effective if you factor in an alternative of staying in unhealth habits and potentially seeing an increase in health problems, diseases and corresponding healthcare bills as time goes on.
Scope of practice for health coaches
“Health and wellness coaches are not medical practitioners. They are coaches—but they work in healthcare. There’s a code of ethics and a clear scope of practice to follow,” Gilmore-Byrd says.
For example, most health coaches cannot diagnose illness or mental illness or prescribe medicine. Their role is not meant to replace that of a PCP. Rather, it’s meant to fill the increasing gap many people feel between what they can accomplish through a doctor visit or medical expertise and their actual health needs.
Will we see more health and wellness coaches as time goes on?
This role is likely to continue to expand in prevalence, according to Gilmore-Byrd.
As the healthcare industry evolves, the gap between in-person visits and managing personal health and well-being between appointments continues to grow. Advances in digital health, wearable technology and AI have changed the ways people monitor symptoms and find information.
Plus, other factors, such as rising healthcare costs and changes in insurance coverage, have made access and affordability significant challenges.1
Many plans no longer cover certain services, leaving individuals with no other choice but to seek additional assistance and resources on their own. This field has gained traction because it’s meeting a pretty established need in healthcare.
Interestingly, health coaches do have healthcare training and can alert clients to possible problems or recommend seeing healthcare specialists for issues they notice. Early intervention, screenings and more can make their work just as lifesaving as other health roles.
“It’s a really interesting career,” Gilmore-Byrd says.
As healthcare continues to evolve, coaching will likely become an even more rewarding career. Many professionals will choose to pursue national board-certified health credentials to demonstrate their credibility in the field.
Interested in learning more about the field? Check out Exploring 12 Healthcare Jobs You Can Launch in 2 Years or Less.
1New AHA Report: Hospitals and Health Systems Squeezed by Persistent Economic Challenges (April 30, 2025). https://www.aha.org/press-releases/2025-04-30-new-aha-report-hospitals-and-health-systems-squeezed-persistent-economic-challenges
2Hooker RS, Curry K, Tracy C. Specialization of Physician Associates and Nurse Practitioners as Reflected in Workforce Projections. 2024 Nov 7, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39650953/
3What Is a Health Coach or Wellness Coach?, Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/health-coach-wellness-coach
4What Is a Health Coach?, National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching. https://nbhwc.org/what-is-a-health-coach/
5Wolever, R. Q., et al. (2013). A systematic review of the literature on health and wellness coaching, Global Advances in Health and Medicine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24416684/
