Developing a trustful coach-client relationship will help ensure your success as a health and wellness coach.
In any coach/client relationship, the connection and rapport between the two individuals is extremely important. Rapport can only be built with a mutual foundation of trust and understanding, and wellness coaches are more likely to help clients achieve success if they first take the time to establish that positive connection.
As a health and wellness coach, it’s up to you to initiate the journey of rapport. If you’re able to create a space for your client to feel comfortable and confident, they are more likely to communicate with you, and usually more motivated to work with you on their health and wellness goals. So it’s important to come into a new relationship with a baseline of empathy and non-judgmental listening. Clients who feel they are truly being heard and supported will be more successful in pursuing their goals.
In our recent podcast “Pulling Back the Curtain- What it’s Really Like to Be a Health and Wellness Coach,” the wellness coaches we interviewed spoke to how much they enjoy establishing a trusting relationship with their clients. In the podcast, board-certified wellness coach Cindy Dagg speaks to a “personality of encouragement, of happiness, of organization, of compassion” as to why wellness coaching has been such a natural fit. Jamie Cook, the other featured coach in the podcast, points out that another great quality of a wellness coach is “someone who is a great listener and great at creating a trustworthy space.”
If establishing rapport doesn’t come easily to you, don’t worry. It’s a skill that can be learned through additional training. “Being a health and wellness coach has increased my empathy,” says Cook. “A lot of that came from the training I got at CCI to really relearn a different way of communicating with people.” Wellness coaching isn’t just about nutrition and exercise; it’s also an advanced study in communication and human behavior.
Once a coach and client have found their stride in working together, the relationship can be rewarding for both. A coach who is communicative, trustworthy, motivating, and empathetic will often see their clients achieve more meaningful milestones, and at a quicker pace. Continuing to build and maintain a strong rapport will ensure a mutually beneficial coach-client relationship for years to come.
Want to learn more about building rapport as a health and wellness coach? Check out our podcast on “Pulling Back the Curtain,” or contacts us to find out how our specialized training could help you advance your wellness coaching career.
