“The best doctor in the room is your own body”
Dr. Hyman
Are you suffering from a chronic condition? You have been diagnosed by your doctor and may be following a treatment to address the symptoms. Still, you are not feeling well, and it seems that nothing you are doing is enough to get better.
You may be dealing with one (or more) of these conditions:
Irritable Bowels Syndrome (IBS)
Diabetes
Hashimoto’s
Graves’ disease
Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
Food sensitivities
Asthma
Hormonal imbalance
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Etc.
In terms of symptoms, you may be struggling with one or more of these issues:
Chronic pain
Digestive discomfort (bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, etc.)
Chronic Fatigue
Energy swings
Challenges with focus
Mood swings/disorders
Blood sugar imbalances
Excess body weight
Skin issues
Etc.
These are the signs of an inflammation that may be connected to your sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, environment, and relationships. Working with a health coach means going beyond the symptoms and short-term solutions and gaining profound insights into your health and lifestyle to identify and address the core issue(s).
Your symptoms tell you something is wrong, and my job is to help you figure out what and define with you a program to help you take charge of your health.
How does health coaching work?
The program starts with a 90-min online intake session which involves a full assessment of your health history, health concerns, and a symptoms checklist. This assessment will be based on your answers to a questionnaire you will have filled in upfront.
We will talk about your health goals, your specific context, and the limitations you may be dealing with (like time limitations if you have a busy work schedule). This will allow me to evaluate your specific context and, when possible, already provide you with a rapid relief plan with diet and lifestyle solutions.
During the next three months (minimum), we will have 45-min follow-up sessions twice a month: we will dig deeper into the root causes of your dis-ease, discuss your progress, your challenges, and the best way to keep going. I will listen to you, advise and support you. I will also be available between sessions by email.
You can expect a personalized and proactive lifestyle and nutrition plan that will allow you to take an active role in your health while respecting your unique goals and needs.
Ultimately, health is simply about maximizing what the body needs, minimizing what is harmful, and creating an environment for healing.
What can you expect at the end of the program?
- Increased awareness and understanding of your health and the interconnectedness in your body
- A more balanced nutrition and lifestyle habits that fit you and support your wellbeing
- An improvement of your symptoms and a better sense of control over them
- Increased energy levels
- A more balanced digestive system
- Improved hormones balance
- A general sense of wellness
You will leave this coaching program with a deeper understanding of your symptoms and what triggers them. You will have gained the toolbox and the motivation to proactively manage your health in the long term. Once you have that knowledge and these tools, and once you have experienced their benefits, you won’t even imagine going back to old habits that were part of the problem! This has been both my own experience and that of my clients.
“I came to Olivia after undergoing a thyroidectomy and as I had been diagnosed with a chronic disease.
Right from our first online appointment, Olivia impressed me with how professional and how great she was at listening. I could feel that she was taking a genuine interest in me and my health issues. So I decided to follow a 3-month program with her.
She has now been coaching me for two years, and my life has changed!
Thanks to Olivia, I have realized the impact of what I eat on my health. I have changed my diet, and the results are impressive: I don’t need to take anti-inflammatory drugs anymore—I used to take them every day before—, and I rarely need sleeping pills—which I used to take daily too. Olivia also advises me and gives me exercises to help me manage my stress.
I cannot express how much I appreciate her support and the way she listens to me. I know I can count on her. Olivia is an exceptional coach!”
FAQ
1) What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine: it shifts the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach. It seeks to address the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their clients, listening to their health histories, and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic diseases.
Functional medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with complementary medicine. It focuses on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise. It uses the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques. It prescribes the use of botanical medicines and supplements (that can complement the use of traditionally-prescribed drugs). Functional medicine’s toolbox also includes therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, and stress-management techniques.
2) What do you offer that a doctor doesn’t?
Health and wellness coaching helps people to change behaviors. Doctors agree that changing unhealthy habits is hard. Unfortunately, they don’t have the time—nor the training— in a 10-min consultation to address behavior changes. As a Health Coach, I take the time to understand your needs and health goals as well as your limitations and the roadblocks you may face on your way to achieving better health.
I educate and motivate you to adopt a healthier lifestyle. I support and guide you. I can also teach you stress management techniques and help you maintain changes over time and stay on course.
A health coach does not in the least replace a doctor. Actually, the ideal set up is when they can collaborate to help the patients. I believe their work is complementary.
3) What is the difference between a Holistic Health Coach and a Registered Dietician?
Even though health coaches and dieticians work in a similar capacity, their approach and area of focus differ.
Health coaches don’t just focus on diet and nutrition; they assess your wellbeing as a whole, also looking at lifestyle factors such as your sleep, relationships, stress levels and exercise.
Dieticians have specialist nutrition training and are experts in all things related to diet, food and nutritional requirements including nutrition through the life cycle (such as in pregnancy or children) and for specific ailments and conditions. If you have nutritional deficiencies, complex nutrition requirements or you need support with a specific health condition such as diabetes or food allergies, a dietician should be your first port of call.
The other main difference is the approach taken by each modality. Health coaches focus on goal-setting. They create strategies and accountability measures and mentor their clients to achieve their health objectives. On the other hand, dieticians devise nutrition guidelines and meal plans the client has to work from.
4) Why is your program three months minimum?
It takes time to implement changes. We work on rapid relief, but we aim for long-term health benefits. Adapting your diet and lifestyle for sustainable health does not happen overnight. We work together for at least three months to ensure your success.
More specifically, I support you until you have fully integrated your new routine as I know that change can be hard. You may experience ups and downs in your motivation over the first couple of months: I will be your cheerleader and your accountability buddy to ensure you reap the benefits of all your efforts.
This minimum of three months also allows us to see what works and what doesn’t because everyone is different. That way, we can customize the program to your specific needs.
5) Can I continue working with you after three months? What happens next?
Yes, of course. We can continue the coaching for as long as you wish. I usually meet twice a month with my clients, depending on their needs.
6) How can I know that health coaching is right for me?
The best way to figure that out is for us to have a chat. Let’s schedule a free consultation to learn more about each other and define if health coaching is indeed the right approach for you.
7) I don't suffer from anything in particular, but I am curious to try health coaching. Is this possible? If so, how can I benefit from it?
You will always benefit from health coaching because we always have something we want to improve in our health and wellness. Depending on your family history, health coaching can also play an essential role in terms of prevention. Last but not least, we sometimes experience symptoms that we take as normal or unavoidable while we could actually either get rid of them or decrease their impact if we optimized our lifestyle.
Get the support you need and regain ownership of your health and wellbeing.
