Stride Launches Health & Wellness Coaching!

By Susanne Michaud, DPT, OCS

Stride Physio is proud to announce our expanding capacity to support and empower you along your health and wellness journey. Starting January, 2022, we are offering health and wellness coaching as a specialty service.  Stride’s owner and physical therapist, Susanne Michaud, obtained her health coaching certification through WellCoaches this past summer and is excited to work with clients who want to become their best selves in 2022. Our expansion into wellness coaching allows physical therapy clients to bridge traditional physical therapy to a more holistic lifestyle approach that facilitates greater health and well-being!

What is health and wellness coaching?

Health and wellness coaching is a powerful, growth-promoting partnership between a coach and a client. The relationship works to elicit motivation and facilitate the capacity to change. The coach supports the client in establishing a vision and helps foster the development of goals to get there. The coach provides support and accountability for the client to achieve sustainable change for the good.

Why would someone need a coach?

We are facing trying times that are uprooting our lives in many ways that we have not yet experienced. A coach can help you to establish healthy habits for mental, physical and emotional strength and wellness. If you are feeling frustrated or burned out with failed attempts at dieting and fitness or lacking motivation and energy in your day-to-day life, a coach can be an outlet to spark confidence and creative new ways to grow and achieve change. People typically seek health and wellness coaching for guidance in managing health issues, weight loss, stress management, coping with challenges and improving overall quality of life.

What is a wellness coach?

In sports or the corporate world coaches are professionals who are able to identify skills and motivation in athletes and executives to help them perform optimally and achieve success. Health and wellness coaches are similar in that they work with anyone who is seeking to become the best version of themselves in all realms of health and well-being. A coach can help the client see the potential within themselves and discover a path to unleash it.

Click the link below for a fun video on the coaching process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY75MQte4RU

How does health & wellness coaching differ from physical therapy?

While coaches and physical therapists both establish and maintain a support system to foster growth and success despite challenges, their approaches and techniques differ.  Physical therapists are movement experts who focus on problems, diagnosing movement issues, reducing pain and restoring healthy movement patterns. Coaching focuses on what is working and leverages that for future success. Coaches take their expert hats off in order to help clients practice introspection and reflection in a way to define their own unique and personal vision of their best self. During the coaching process the clients are the drivers. The coach then uses their masterful skills in motivational interviewing and positive psychology to guide the client in finding their internal motivation and reasons for change. The aim of this supportive approach is to help clients lead the charge toward achieving personal success while reducing resistance and obstacles. Coaches help clients develop mindfulness practices to improve their resilience and confidence.  Coaching is like flint sparking clients into finding their inner drive and authentic happiness. By collaborating with a coach, realistic and achievable goals are set and strengths are utilized to overcome obstacles.

How does coaching work?

• Clients will complete an initial self-reflection assessment for the coach to learn the relevant information, medical history and lifestyle habits. The assessment will help the client self-identify areas they wish to work on with their coach.
• You will meet with your coach virtually, on a Zoom link. The first session will be 60-90 minutes and will help build a coach/client connection and to establish a wellness vision, short and long-term goals and a clear picture of first steps.
• Future sessions will be 30-45 minutes and will occur as often as the coach and client deem appropriate (weekly, monthly or quarterly). Each session will build upon the foundation, working to highlight successes and finding creative ways to overcome challenges.
• By the end of three months, you can expect to reach more than 70% of your three month goals and feel energized and confident to embark on new areas with or without your coach

How much does it cost?

While personal growth and transformation has no end date, most coaching occurs in 3 to 6 month bouts, ranging from 6 to 12 sessions per bout.  After the initial coaching round, clients can continue with another 3-month package or can do individual follow-up sessions.  Stride offers the following packages for coaching.

• 3-month package (6 sessions total): $780.00
• 3 to 6-month package (12 sessions total) $1500.00
• Annual wellness review: $160.00
• Follow up wellness plan: $140.00

Susanne will be accepting 4 new clients in January.  Tap into your intrinsic motivation and manifest your wellness vision by scheduling your coaching sessions today.