5 Tips For Hiring a Health or Biohacking Coach

There has been a tremendous upswing of health coaches in the past few years. The community of health and biohacking coaches has a broad spectrum of training, experience and expertise. So what do you need to know before hiring a health coach?

Here are my Top 5 Tips for finding the right coach for you:

1. Training.

It’s important to understand what training programs, certifications and/or licensing a health, wellness, wellbeing or biohacking coach has completed. 

Let’s start by defining what it means to be a professional coach.

Coaching is a professional occupation where a coach partners with a client in a “though-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize their personal and professional potential” which focuses on setting goals, creating desired outcomes and empowering personal growth (quote source: International Coaching Federation). The ICF (International Coaching Federation) is one of several global non-profit organizations that accredits coaching certification programs. Organizations like ICF ensure that coaching professionals are properly trained in the accepted standards of science, skills and ethics of professional coaching. There are many coaching certifications with full ICF approval. There are also non-ICF approved programs that teach the fundamentals of coaching.

Why does this matter?

This is important because there are many “coaching” programs that are actually content or sales programs. This means that someone is trained on a subject matter, product, or method without learning actual coaching skills. That isn’t to say that someone without formal coach training can’t be a good or effective coach. Just be aware that there are “coaches” who have no training in the structure, skills or ethics of coaching. Sometimes the term coaching is used for people who are actually advising, selling, teaching, leading, consulting, sharing or just using accountability practices. Again, this may be acceptable if this fits your needs and goals.

So how to navigate this?

Ask your potential coach if they have been trained in an ICF (or similar recognized coaching organization) approved program. And if they are not? Well, they may still be an effective coach, but you might want to ask some follow-up questions. For example, what are their certifications? Who trained them? Were they trained by a MLM or sales organization? Were they trained by an organization with expertise in certain content or methods? For example, there are many non-ICF coach certification programs that train people to coach to specific nutrition plans, movement work, or original intellectual property and this type of coach might be the right choice for you.

If you do decide that this is the type of coach you desire to work with, that is absolutely fine. Simply keep in mind that without actual coach training, your coach may have content expertise, but they may lack the core coaching competencies which include meeting ethical coach guidelines, establishing appropriate coach parameters, co-creation of the coach process, demonstrating coach presence, active listening, powerful inquiry, directed communication, awareness creation, designing action, managing the planning and goal setting, process and accountability, and empowering self insights (as examples).

The bottom line is that before hiring a coach, get clear on how and by whom they have been trained and certified.

Are they an expert on some type of intellectual property? A product? And do they have formal training as an actual coach? Does your coach have the expertise in both the topic you want help with and the ability to help you reach your goals? Are you simply seeking a subject matter expert or do you desire to work with someone who will empower you to have the insights, apart the motivation and help design actions to apply that knowledge in a way that has the desired outcome.

2. Expertise.

Expertise is related to the training that we discussed above. We mentioned that certifications can be focused on expertise or coach skills or both. For example, some coaches have expertise in coaching skills. These coaches are trained to help a client reach any goal. They don’t specifically have expertise in any specific topic, other than having excellent coach skills. Just the opposite are coaches with expertise on some type of product or intellectual property. For example, they might be an expert on a product line, teaching a nutritional plan or biohacking model, or a self-growth method. These coaches may or may not have coaching skill fundamentals. And then there are many programs that do both. For example, the Human Potential Coach Programs is an ICF approved program that teaches both coaching skill and expertise in health and biohacking. And many coaches multiple trainings and certifications with different expertise.

Expertise is an exceptionally wide field when it comes to health, wellness, wellbeing and biohacking coaching.

Some health coaches are licensed medical professionals such as chiropractors, medical doctors, nurses, or nutritionists with coach certifications. Some coaches are specifically certified as health or biohacking or wellness coaches. You can find wellbeing coaches coaching on practically any topic, as almost any topic can impact wellbeing. There are many excellent heath and wellness coaching programs.

For example, I am certified as a biohacking coach and I have expertise in topics like paleo nutrition, sleep hygiene and environmental detox. I also have a specific certification to coach clients on adopting The Wahls Protocol. However, I am not a medical professional or a nutritionist. If someone calls me to identify food sensitivities, I can help with an elimination diet. If they want to do functional testing, I refer them to a functional medicine doc or a functional nutritionist. Or if they have a weight loss goal or they want to calibrate portions, macros and calories, I refer them to a nutritionist. Your potential coach will be able to help you understand where they do and do not have expertise.

The bottom line is to ask your coach what they consider their expertise.

Is their expertise coaching skill? Is it a product or topic or method? Or is it both? Do you want a coach with special knowledge in a specific nutrition plan such as keto, fasting, paleo or autoimmune paleo (as examples)? There are thousands of coaching programs with specific topics of expertise so be sure to ask a potential coach: What specialty trainings or certifications do you have?

3. Experience.

Experience is somewhat related to training and expertise but includes actual client experience. How long has your coach been coaching? How many client hours of experience do they have? What is their coaching niche? For example, have they had a little or a lot of experience coaching on the topic you are interested in? You may also want to ask your coach, “What is your ideal client?” “What clients do you decline?” “What type of client tends to get the best results working with you?”

A good coach has clarity around clients they do and do not work well with.

They can readily describe their ideal client. Do you fit that description? They can readily describe their non-ideal client. Do you fit that description? If possible, consider hiring a coach who includes you in their ideal client descriptions what type of clients get the best results with their style and method. Many coaches also have testimonials so be sure to ask if they have testimonials you can review.

4. Price and Parameters.

Of course, when hiring a coach, you need to ask about pricing and parameters. Do they charge by the hour? By the session? Do they have packages or do they charge a monthly subscription? Do they offer formal coaching expectations which define the parameters of the relationship such as logistics of appointments, confidentiality policy, payment policy, scheduling policy, cancellation policy, etc? Is there a contract to sign?

Most professional coaches will invite you to co-create a formal coaching agreement document (inviting you to discuss any parameters of the agreement that do not appeal to you and inviting you to suggest any additional agreements you may want to add).

If you find an ideal coach but you cannot meet their price rates, it is generally acceptable to inquire abut alternative pricing or payment plans. Some coaches offer discounts in special circumstances while others do not.

Be respectful of a professional's rates and boundaries around those rates.

They may be able to offer a discount or alternative payment plan and they may not. It’s ok for you to ask and it’s ok for them to decline to offer a discount. A professional coach should know their rate boundaries and adhere to them. Be sure to respect their boundaries. If they cannot accommodate you financially, they will generally suggest an appropriate referral.

5. Consultation.

Always ask if a potential coach offers a free consultation or free session.

Many coaches will offer a free initial session or shortened session. Many others offer a free consultation or goal setting session. For example, I offer a free 20-minute consultation to be sure I understand a client’s exact goals and to be sure we both feel we are a good match. Both a client and a coach can and should decline to move forward if either person senses that the match is not ideal based on personality, goals, or coaching expertise or style.

Be considerate of coaches who do offer free session by only scheduling a free session if you are truly considering hiring that coach. Many coaches give away 20-30 hours of free coaching per month because so many people are looking for free sessions with no intention of ever hiring a coach.

It’s ok to have a free session and then decide that the coach isn’t a match for you.

Unfortunately, it’s common for people to take advantage of free sessions which is why most coaches no longer offer them. If you are serious about paying for coaching, it’s ok to ask a potential coach for a 20 minute free consult to discuss goals and coaching style to make sure you are a good match before paying for a full session. As above, a professional coach will know their boundaries and they will decline the request if that is not something they can offer. It never hurts to ask!

Shannon Lea Pickering, M.S.

Austin Muscle Restoration Co-Owner and General Manager

Founder, Shannon Lea Enterprises, LLC Coaching & Consulting

Shannon is a former psycho-therapist and currently certified life, biohacking, positive psychology and health coach. Shannon has 25 years of experience and hundreds of client hours helping people reach their goals. Her expertise includes interdependent communication, health restoration, biohacking, and unleashing authenticity. Contact Shannon at Appointments@AustinMuscleRestoration.com if you are interesting in coaching. Or visit the Health Coaching tab at her website www.AustinMuscleRestoration.com