Coaching 2021: A Summary

Time is such a powerful force, it even trickles into the coaching world. There was a time when a coach could skate by through working with clients, without any formal education! If you are already certified as a coach currently, you know how crazy this is. But this was how things were 20 or more years ago.

But advances in coach training do not come at us as quickly as advances in other areas, say, for example, science. Changes in the coaching profession come from either different techniques and training and how coaching services are delivered, or they are changed by events like our current pandemic.  This results in a shift, whereby millions of people are forced to – literally – look inward at their own health.  But the pandemic has also slowed down the already trickle speed of coach training. We didn’t really get to learn too much in 2020 apart from COVID19, we were focused on survival. But now that 2021 is nearly over, we’ve learned a few things in hindsight.

Revising Coach Training Needs

Historically, coaching has evolved into a very formidable and serious profession, requiring the industry to provide effective training that continues to create both challenges and excitement for coaches.

But time also has the power to change how we use words.

Integration

There was a time when saying this meant something completely to how we’re going to talk about it here. Nowadays, it seems that we are integrating everything!

And there’s a good reason why.

Established coaches have known how we use a holistic approach, and in some ways, this can be seen as integrating different parts of the body. It’s done to understand the whole client.

If we are coaches who operate closely with the fitness industry, we can also see integrative training – or more specifically, functional integration training concepts.   Within the fitness profession, it is considered a mark of elevated skill for a trainer to be working with a client on functional integration. This is a sign of a well-educated and trained personal fitness trainer.

We also see integration in our healthcare, almost as an ongoing theme. This has resulted in almost a one-stop-shop or convenience model of healthcare.  As a result,  one can see any specialist that is integrated into a practice. This has been a boon for both hospital administration and consumers, who may also become patients. Or, they could also become a client.

Specifically, integrative medicine is one that takes into account the whole person, which starts to sound a lot like a holistic view of the person. But it takes things one step further by claiming to integrate both complementary and conventional approaches.

You can actually do a search using anything loosely tied to the word “integrated“ or “integrative“ and find something health, fitness, or wellness-related attached to it. As stated before, it seems we are integrating everything. Sounds good right?

Well, that can be. It depends on how we use it.

For coach training, it is almost like trying to find a square piece to fit a round hole to fit in.  How so?  Most coaching programs are divided into either what we call “core“, whereby coaching models and theories are taught, like wellness coaching, holistic coaching, or life coaching. Then, there is the specialty type of courses, usually offered for continuing education. These include highly specialized topics, like sleep science and sports psychology, or even sports nutrition. Again, time has shown us that the need to have this type of education is required for coaches to stay well-informed and to keep our industry progressing forward.  This allows us to earn the credibility, validation, and authority that we deserve.

But now we are seeing integration evolve into another meeting.

This is integration between healthcare and medical professionals with health coaches.  Doctors and healthcare providers have evolved too, over time. They are confirming what we already know….that what their patients may need most to optimize health and wellness is something they did not get trained for in medical school. This can include nutritional guidance or interventions as well.  It invariably will require some behavior changes. This is the work of a skilled coach, this is where we shine.

The feeling of being trusted, and having confidence in our ability to support and serve on a higher level is a real honor and acknowledgment of the work we do every day.  But it also means that it becomes vital to get it done right.  We are, at times, stepping into a system that is often overwhelmed.  You might even be tempted to think that anything we can do will help. Again, this may be true.  But the help we provide is specific.  We have to come to the table prepared, like how we perceive a medical or healthcare professional to be.