Health Coaching: Bridging the Gap
Getting to the Root of Behavior Change
Dr. Renee Simon Aronsohn | 2024-08-16
I walk into the exam room at the end of a long day. The patient is new to me, a middle aged woman in her 50s with type 2 diabetes on multiple medications. I take a few minutes to review her continuous glucose monitor readings showing her blood glucose levels going up and down and then up and down again in a worrisome pattern. As we talk, I recognize that, like many individuals managing a chronic disease, she is overwhelmed. Flooded with information acquired from medical professionals, the internet, social media and friends, she has many questions and concerns. I have 30 minutes with her and must prioritize her medical management, using my limited time to get a medical history, adjust medications, refill prescriptions and order blood work. I use my last minutes of the visit to discuss the need for a better diet and more physical activity. She looks at me and nods her head wearily. We are both doing our best, but we both know she needs more than blanket recommendations to help make the lifestyle changes crucial to her health and well-being.
As a practicing Endocrinologist this scenario is one I know well. Patients want to have better lifestyle habits but they don't know where to start. Physicians want to help but they don't have the time or training to help patients change behaviors that are at the core of chronic disease.
This was the motivation behind my desire to undergo training at Vanderbilt University to take on the new role of health coach, a professional who can help bridge this gap in effecting meaningful behavior change.
In the role of health coach, I am able to shift my focus away from pathology and towards possibility. In the health coaching paradigm, there is the time and space to explore all aspects of an individual's health and unearth personal self-awareness and insight to help the individual discover what behavior goals are most important to them and how they can take practical, actionable steps to achieve these goals. Throughout this collaborative process, the health coach serves as a true partner providing ongoing support and accountability.
While I take pride in my work as a practicing medical physician, I have found my venture into health coaching to also be extremely rewarding. I am appreciative of the time and skills I have acquired to help individuals bridge the gap between knowing "what to do" and understanding "how to do it." In the health coaching "exam room", I am able to look at the individual sitting across from me and see them nodding their head with true energy and confidence as they take meaningful steps towards their optimal health and well-being.
As a practicing Endocrinologist this scenario is one I know well. Patients want to have better lifestyle habits but they don't know where to start. Physicians want to help but they don't have the time or training to help patients change behaviors that are at the core of chronic disease.
This was the motivation behind my desire to undergo training at Vanderbilt University to take on the new role of health coach, a professional who can help bridge this gap in effecting meaningful behavior change.
In the role of health coach, I am able to shift my focus away from pathology and towards possibility. In the health coaching paradigm, there is the time and space to explore all aspects of an individual's health and unearth personal self-awareness and insight to help the individual discover what behavior goals are most important to them and how they can take practical, actionable steps to achieve these goals. Throughout this collaborative process, the health coach serves as a true partner providing ongoing support and accountability.
While I take pride in my work as a practicing medical physician, I have found my venture into health coaching to also be extremely rewarding. I am appreciative of the time and skills I have acquired to help individuals bridge the gap between knowing "what to do" and understanding "how to do it." In the health coaching "exam room", I am able to look at the individual sitting across from me and see them nodding their head with true energy and confidence as they take meaningful steps towards their optimal health and well-being.