The Missing Tool to Become a Better Coach
As a fitness coach who also has her Ph.D. in psychology, I have to admit that it’s incredibly frustrating to hear coaches with no training in behavior change, mindset, or communication talking about how their clients “just won’t listen to them.”
The truth is, if your clients “aren’t listening to you” - then it’s up to you to do better.
As a coach, your goal should be to guide your clients to sustained behavior change. My Health Mindset Coaching Certification teaches coaches just that (but I’ll teach you just a little, right now).
What so many coaches are missing
Making statements like “my client just won’t listen to me” is harmful.
I understand that most coaches don’t realize that what they’re saying is harmful, which is exactly why I’m here to spread the word.
The number of health and fitness professionals providing “advice” and explaining their coaching strategies (more like the lack thereof) that I’ve been exposed to over the years on social media is higher than I’d like to admit.
Coaches are on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Clubhouse (which is the biggest culprit, in my opinion) and are spreading this negative and often false information.
I’ve never been so confident in what I do and the need for it.
I always knew there was a gap in the coaching space regarding education around mindset, psychology, and behavior change.
What I worry about most is that coaches don’t even realize that they need this education.
Here are some examples of what I’ve heard coaches say in Clubhouse rooms:
“This is what I make my clients do...”
(she was explaining the process of reversing dieting)
“There are individual differences, but some people just can’t do it...”
(he was referring to the degree of fat loss that can be achieved)
“If you’re not motivated, then I can’t help you.”
(he was mentioning how he helps clients but can’t do it all for them)
When I hear phrases like this, it grabs my attention as if someone said my name. Here’s what I heard between the lines of the above statements:
“This is what I make my clients do...” translates to: “As a client, it’s your job to just listen to me. Not make your own decisions.”
(aka suppressing autonomy, which you definitely shouldn’t do)
“There are individual differences, but some people just can’t do it...” translates to: “There’s a good chance you’re not even capable. So maybe don’t work towards that goal.”
(this is fixed mindset promotion)
“If you’re not motivated, then I can’t help you.” translates to: “Coaching doesn’t require helping clients discover motivation. They should already have it.”
(aka believing that, as a coach, your job focus is to provide food and fitness plans. The end.)
Not all coaches are problematic, but…
Okay, of course, those are extreme, and I’m not saying that the people who made the original statements meant any of that on purpose.
But there were over 200 people in the audience listening, many of whom aren’t coaches.
And it’s very possible that those people interpreted the statements the same way that I did.
After hearing messages that they interpret as I’m not capable or a coach won’t help me discover motivation, the listeners might not take action.
This is why mindset matters.
This why understanding the science of behavior change, communication, and psychology matters.
It’s the difference between being a coach who helps their clients achieve sustained behavior change and being a coach who just provides workouts and meal guides but no support.
The Health Mindset Coaching Certification
I developed the Health Mindset Coaching Certification to bridge the gap between the extensive focus on nutrition and training science and the lack of focus on applying science to clients’ mindsets.
Throughout this course, I’ll teach you what I’ve learned from years of coaching, researching, implementing, and reading.
If you’re interested in mindset and psychology but aren’t sure how to actually apply the research and science to your coaching programs, the Health Mindset Coaching Certification is for you!
Sign up for the waitlist to grab some free primer education materials and get first dibs (and bonuses) when the time comes to join the next round of The Health Mindset Coaching Certification.
Connect with us!
Email: [email protected]
IG: @coachkaseyjo @kjocoaching
