How to Become a Wellness Coach

Hey there, coach! Have you been dreaming of becoming a wellness coach but aren’t sure where to start? Maybe you’re passionate about helping others find balance and want to turn that into a thriving business.

Well, you’re in the right place! Today, we’re diving into everything you need to know about becoming a wellness coach, and trust us, it’s going to be a game-changer.

Oh, and before we jump in, let us introduce ourselves. We’re Cass and Tee, the dynamic duo behind Lovely Impact – your go-to resource for building a successful coaching business.

With years of experience under our belt, we’re here to guide you step-by-step as you transform your passion into a purposeful and profitable career.

Let’s get started!

Understanding the Role of a Wellness Coach

Cass and Tee, I think you made a mistake. I think you mean health and wellness coach. Right?

It does seem like “wellness” is just a word that’s along for the ride, doesn’t it? Like tacked it on just to make the title more sophisticated. 

When you see it floating around the internet and decide to meet up, it’s like an awkward first date who forgot to make dinner reservations. 

You’re left thinking to yourself… Now what?

Let’s clear the fog. While health is an integral part of wellness coaching, wellness coaching isn’t all about health. In fact, it shifts the focus and allows clients to tango with emotional health, environment, occupation, and spirituality.

You get the freedom to dance in more than just the health sphere. That’s a pretty cool role if you ask us!

What is Wellness Coaching?

Let’s get a formal definition in here. 

A wellness coach guides clients on a journey to improve physical health, behavioral health, emotional health, and mental health. 

The emphasis of wellness coaching is making lifestyle changes to improve emotional health. 

Things like stress and bad habits are nailed down and managed.

Habits and stress affect ALL aspects of life. Your goal as a wellness coach is to empower your clients, give them hope, and guide them on a path to a more balanced life. 

What does a Wellness Coach do?

Helping someone iron out their emotional health and start getting things in sync is the balancing act you live for! 

Some things you might take head-on are:

• Managing stress
• Tackling addiction (like cigarette smoking or drug use)
• Improving sleeping habits
• Developing a healthy eating plan
• Weight loss
• Making exercise a regular habit

You get to take a peek into the delicate inner lives of your clients and help them find the underlying causes of their habits and stress. 

What’s REALLY stopping your clients from having healthy habits? What’s throwing the system off?

That’s where you step in as a bonafide wellness coach. You jump into the conundrum like it’s a life raft and uncover the blocks so your clients can step into a transformed and balanced life. 

Wellness Coach vs. Personal Trainer: Key Differences

Exercise? Eating well? I think you just described a personal trainer! I’ll go get my gym bag!

Hang on a minute, coach! Let’s pump the brakes! At first, it might sound like you’ll be spending your days at the gym. 

HOWEVER, a wellness coach and a personal trainer are two different things. 

Let’s look at them separately.

A personal trainer is someone who helps clients get the body physique they want (rock-hard abs, thin waists, and glutes that turn heads). They focus on weight loss, weight training, and forming solid exercise habits. They can suggest ways to conquer the diet portion for an exercise regime, too.

A wellness coach is someone who focuses more on internal work and overall well-being. They make sure that the mind, body, and spirit are balanced. That’s one beautiful interplay of life!

Think about it like this. A person can have a Michelangelo sculpted body, but they might be struggling with stress at work and addiction to shopping. 

The system is not balanced. 

While this person might be in good physical health, the mental health and behavioral health aspects of life need to be addressed. 

That’s when you put on your coaching cape and bring things into balance! You — as a wellness coach — can address the mind, body, and soul without being laser-focused on health only. 

Wellness Coach Job Description

I eat my fruits and veggies like mom told me. I like working out. I’m OBSESSED with psychology. I LOVE helping people overcome their struggles. I think I might have found my calling!

We agree! Wellness coaching is a force to be reckoned with! You are the secret weapon clients have to reach their fullest potential.

But before we go any further, let’s check out the engine before we drive the wellness coach car.

Daily Activities and Client Interactions

The beauty of your wellness coach career is that you can plan and schedule to your heart’s content. 

However, there are some basic pillars you should have in your day.

They include:

• Coaching sessions: in-person or through the magic of the internet, your day will have a block set aside to talk with clients. You’ll figure out their goals, strategize to overcome challenges and get progress updates. You’ll also be their cheerleader when the motivation wells run dry, and the conductor of celebrations when goals are accomplished. 

• Providing continued support for clients: Whether you have set aside “office hours” or you like clients to reach out spontaneously, your day will be interlaced with contacts from your clients who need ongoing support, guidance, and time for reflection. 

• Refining your wellness coaching knowledge: Stay effective and relevant by being up to date with the newest science-back behavioral modification techniques. Know what’s fresh in the nutrition and fitness world. Dive deep into the world of spirituality and psychology. Life-long learning should always get its own time block!

• Cultivating your role in the collective: Don’t be an island! Connect with other life, health, and wellness coaches. Build a referral system to get a steady stream of clients. Discover what other coaches are doing to stay ahead of the game. Be the wellness coach who shows up to bounce off ideas, and connect with the collective to get support for yourself and your ambitions!

• Running a fantastic coaching biz: Any business has back-end tasks that need to get done. This includes invoicing, client acquisition, marketing, networking, and scheduling. 

Long-Term Objectives for Wellness Clients

Are you tired of band-aid solutions? So are we! 

That’s why we love coaching!

It lets you take a magnifying glass to the underlying causes of personal development blockers: Things that squash a person’s TRUE potential. Once you figure out the root cause you can remove them and create lasting transformation.

It’s truly a fulfilling and rewarding career. 

Here are the long-term objectives that umbrella your client’s goals that you’ll see as a wellness coach.

1. Be empowered to regulate emotions: Reactions to the world are in our control. Once your clients master their emotions, doors of opportunity and new perspectives open up.

2. Be consistent with fitness and nutritional needs: Diet and exercise are the building blocks of overall well-being. 

3. Learn to be the ringmaster of stress: Stress underpins nearly every aspect of life! Being in control of it gives your clients the ability to keep the circus from getting out of control. 

4. Making and sticking to lifestyle changes: Burn the ships and start from a clean slate. You’ll help clients take on new habits that build the lifestyle they dream of. 

5. Increase self-awareness and learn to switch to detective mode when new issues arise: It’s inevitable! New problems are going to spring up, but this time, your clients will be able to tap into their muscle memory of working with you and will have formed new strategies to identify and overcome their struggles. 

The Path to Becoming a Wellness Coach

Ready to flex your coaching muscles? Let’s go through a warm-up first to prevent any cramps to your style and make a smooth journey to becoming a stellar wellness coach. 

It’s like if you got off the couch and started training for a marathon. It’s doable. But it’s better if you’ve been running a few miles each day already. 

Likewise, the more your background and education support your goals the less work you’ll have to do! 

Relevant Educational Background

Here are some academic degrees that can boost your wellness coach career. 

• Nursing
• Medicine
• Physical or occupational therapy
• Nutrition
• Counseling
• Psychology
• Dietetics
• Kinesiology

Some program certifications you can tack on to brighten up your wellness coach education are:

• Personal training certification
• Wellness, health, or life coaching certification
• CPR and AED certification
• Health education certification

Don’t shy away because you don’t have any of these! These are gravy! You can still stay on this career path even without a sparkly degree or certificate. 

We all start somewhere! 

With some elbow grease focus, you can gain the experience and confidence you need to be a fabulous wellness coach. 

Gaining Health, Fitness, and Coaching Experience

Ever heard of the red car theory? The idea is that you don’t notice red cars until you start looking for them. Then… you realize they’re everywhere!

It’s the same thing with wellness coach opportunities. You don’t notice opportunities until you start looking for them.

You just gotta start the search!

Here’s a list to start sniffing out opportunities like a bloodhound.

1. Work at a gym, fitness center, or health center. Be around all things health and wellness. You never know when an opening or opportunity will open up. Plus you’ll beef up your knowledge (and quite possibly yourself LOL!). 

2. Start a blog or create content around wellness coaching. The more you learn, the more you’ll stay relevant. You might see opportunities to collaborate with others or a potential client shimmy your way. Psst, we have a FREE Blog Planning Checklist for you.

3. Volunteer. Find ways to work with people, even if it means volunteering your time in the evenings or during the weekend. There are community centers and non-profits who would love and are always on the lookout for fresh new assistance.

4. Work with family and friends. “You WILL be my guinea pig, little brother.” When it comes to family, that may be how the conversation goes. However, if you have friends or family that have bad habits and could (willingly) use coaching. Take a leap and work with them. 

5. Get coaching or shadow a coach. Demystify the whole wellness coaching thing by being a participant in the process. As a shadow or client, the knowledge you’ll gain is priceless. 

Top Wellness Coach Certifications

One of the BIGGEST opportunities you don’t to miss out on is getting a certification. 

Here’s a truth bomb: If you’re feeling a little lost on program structure, getting clients, and how to actually DO a coaching session — a wellness coaching program is going to clear up the confusion.

It’s like finding the answers in the back of a math book! 

We’ve done a little digging and page-turning to find you the top certifications the internet has to offer. 

Read through and see if one of these wellness coach certification programs is giving you the right vibes!

Wellcoaches: This program uses evidence-based coaching tools to help you reach coaching excellence. It’s a real-time interactive course chock-full of psychology and scientific studies. The program makes you an employable expert upon completion of the course. 

National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching: This one isn’t a course, but a search engine to find a wellness coach program. Apply the filters and get going!

Institute for Integrative Nutrition: Don’t let the “nutrition” throw you for a loop. This page offers two health-focused coaching programs. The courses help coaches AND clients reach their goals. It also helps you to understand your clients on a deeper level.

Health and Nutrition Life Coach Certification (Accredited): This course gives you everything you need to have a successful coaching program. Nutrition and exercise programs, assessments, behavioral modification techniques, client health screenings, custom health packages, etc. If you ever had any questions about how to run your coaching program, the answer is probably in here!

International Coaching Federation: Last, we can’t forget about the ICF. They’re kinda a big deal! They provide accreditation to wellness coach programs. Use their Education Search Service to find a program that’s a perfect fit. If you go through them you know FOR SURE you’re getting a good education, because they have made it their mission to produce coaches who strive for excellence. 

Starting Your Coaching Practice

Ready to show em’ what you got? You have the education. You have the experience. You have the wellness coach certification!

There’s only one thing left to do…

Make your wellness coaching dreams a reality!

Here’s what you need to do to get started.

Step 1: Legal considerations: Choosing the right business structure

The business world is a jungle! It’s a diverse and beautiful place, but one bad slip-up or one bad encounter can cripple your business. 

Setting yourself up with the right business structure is like bringing a first aid kit and locator beacon along for your adventure. It keeps you safe. 

One of the best ways to stay safe is to make your business an LLC. 

You’ve seen it before — these three little letters trailing behind a business name. They aren’t there for decoration, coach. They stand there like guards!

LLC stands for Limited Liability Company. When a business is registered as an LLC this means that if the business is sued, the claimant can’t go after your personal assets (think: house, car, personal investments). The only thing impacted will be your wellness coach business assets. 

Step 2: Conducting market analysis

Now that you’ve put a fortress around your personal assets, you can set out fearlessly. 

But first, you need a map! Knowing what’s going on in the market can tell you exactly where you need to go. 

This is where you figure out who your IDEAL CLIENT is and what their pain points are. 

You figure out where to find them and how to talk to them. 

Don’t forget you’re not navigating this jungle alone! You have other wellness coaches who are trying to make it through, too. Be sure to take a look at how they’re selling their offers, how they’re pricing and structuring their coaching programs, and what message they’re sending out to attract clients. 

When you have all this intel, you can set off on your wellness coach journey knowing you’re going the right way and not wasting time taking detours. 

➡️ Looking for a hand? Our FREE Marketing Research Workbook is designed to guide you through the ins and outs of market research, making sure you’re fully prepared before you launch your strategy.

Step 3: Developing your signature program

Before you move on to step three make sure to review step two! 

Why?

Because you should have been a super sleuth and have a detailed idea of how coaching programs are structured — and HOW they’re offered to clients by other coaches. 

They can be your point of reference for creating a signature wellness coaching program. 

It’s totally ok to emulate coaches who inspire you! 

But don’t be afraid to mix and match. Create a program that not only brings waves of transformation but also one that compliments YOUR coaching talent. 

Which brings us to step 4. 

Step 4: Designing your brand identity

You’ve cherry-picked the best of the best from coaches who inspire. You’ve sorted, reorganized, and curated a perfectly structured wellness coach program. Now, you have to add your unique spice and flavor. 

Think about this for a moment. 

There’s a cafe or coffee shop on just about every corner street in the U.S. 

And they. JUST. KEEP. OPENING. MORE.

You could say all coffee is the same and we don’t need more hole-in-the-wall coffee establishments. However, we know that’s not true. AT ALL!

Everyone does something a little different… even though everyone is selling plain ol’ coffee. 

See where this is going?

You might feel there’s so much competition and that you’re just another face in the jostling crowd, but you are A UNIQUE wellness coach. 

Spend some time understanding what makes you different.

(HINT: Your background is one-of-a-kind). 

Embrace it and INFUSE that uniqueness into your brand identity.

➡️ Not sure where to start? Let our Brand Clarity Guide show you how to harness your individuality and make your wellness coaching brand unforgettable.

Step 5: Building a professional coaching website

Wow! Step five and we already have so much. A business entity, a target audience, an offer, and a signature brand identity.

They’re like a cat clawing to get out of the bag. It’s time to let it out and be seen by the world.

The best way to do that is to make a wellness coach website!

A website is like your storefront. You put your offer and ESSENCE on display for people to take a sample of. 

We HIGHLY recommend you give it tender love and attention because people make quick judgments based on what they read and see. 

Like 0.05 seconds fast!

If you have a website with an unclear message, jumbled text, stock photos, and pixelated chaos…

Not good, friend! That’s a great way to CHASE clients away! 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we’ve made it easy to get started. 

Take a look at our website templates. You’ll have a shiny professional–looking website without the worry. 

Step 6: Launching your services

Launching a wellness coach biz takes planning. It’s not a setting and forgetting situation.

It’s setting a date, and working until everyone who knows you, KNOWS about your coaching biz — plus a few thousand people on the internet. 

Here’s what you do to prepare for your launch date.

1. Create a freebie to build your email list. It can be a how-to guide, fitness plan, meal plan, or e-book that you freely share with people in exchange for their email addresses. Once you have a few emails, you can promote your services. Struggling to come up with the perfect freebie? We’ve got you covered! Our Freebie Offers Guide for Coaches outlines 100 freebie ideas across all coaching niches. 

2. Post on social media. Sharpen your wellness coach prowess by continuing to learn about wellness coaching and share informative and engaging posts. Then share your services! We love using Tailwind to schedule social media posts! 

3. Start a blog. This is a lot like social media in that you keep learning. Write blogs and show your expertise. You’ll have more room here to touch on pain points and share with potential clients that you can help solve the pain points. 

4. Go analog and create business cards and flyers. Yes! They really do still work. Leave them in places (with permission) like fitness centers, clinics, gyms, college campuses, and grocery stores. 

Once your date hits, you should have created some buzz and an audience for your wellness coach services.

The great thing is once you get to step 7…

Step 7: Attracting and retaining wellness coaching clients

You have a program, social media/community presence, freebie, or blog that’s gonna put the pedal to the metal and drive people to your coaching biz. 

Ok, we know what you’re thinking. Is this actually going to work? 

We know it will, coach! That’s because you’ve secretly been building a basic funnel.

(Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are we changing car oil now? What’s a funnel!?)

We’re glad you asked! 

That’s just a fancy marketing term for increasing points of communication with your client until you build trust. You take your clients on a journey through awareness, interest, and conversion. 

Once you connect with your clients enough, they’ll know you’re serious about wellness coaching, and will see you as an authority in the wellness coaching space.

It works like this:

Awareness: A potential client stumbles on your social media and binges through your scroll-stopping content. They are now aware that your wellness coaching exists!

Interest: Your potential client sees “link in bio” for a really cool freebie. For example a step-by-step meal planning menu and ingredient list PDF download. They’ve been wanting to eat healthier and save time, so they can’t wait to download it and finally get some guidance! Your client is interested in what you have to share with the world. Psst, with Flodesk it’s easy-peasy to set up a landing page for your freebie. 

Conversion: The last part of the funnel. Your potential client gives you their email address and you send them the PDF download. They read through the content and they LOVE it! But strap yourself in because this is where it gets fun! You now have their email address and send emails to them (at least once a week!). And because they loved the PDF they keep reading your emails. You build a connection over time and voila! One day they inquire for services. 

➡️ Need email marketing help? Our Email Marketing Toolkit for Coaches has over 30 pieces of content, including templates, swipe files, and list growth strategies, to guide you from start to finish and grow your client base with ease.

That’s the beauty of a funnel! It lets you “talk” to your client more until eventually they see you as the expert coach that you are. 

Why Choose Wellness Coaching as a Career?

We’re living in an extraordinary time where more people are becoming health-conscious. People want to make sure they have the right information and guidance to reach their goals. 

If there was ever a time to jump in the river and become a wellness coach, this is the time!

Making an Impact on Individuals’ Health and Well-being

ANYONE can Google an eating plan, fitness programs or strategies to manage stress. But the internet can’t be a guide with a human touch like yours.

That’s where you come in like a shooting star. You take the whole idea of going on a solo wellness journey and turn it on its head. 

You have the ability to make an impact on people’s wellness journeys. You cheer them on, foster self-awareness and self-reflection, AND streamline the path to crushing goals. 

You have the IMMENSE talent of cultivating breakthroughs and empowerment. 

That’s a pretty awesome reason to choose a wellness coach career!

➡️ Not sure where you truly shine? Our FREE My Zone of Genius workbook helps you pinpoint your unique strengths and focus on what you do best in your wellness coaching career.

The Growing Demand for Wellness Coaches

But is it healthy for your wallet? There are bills to pay and food to put on the table — we get it!

And we can confirm.

The wellness coach industry is growing!

According to Statista, the health and wellness coaching industry is expected to generate $17.37 billion this year. Plus more people are taking to the internet to find solutions for their well-being. Read the stats here.

There’s more than enough pie to go around.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Wellness Coach

Starting your journey as a wellness coach can feel like navigating uncharted waters, but we’ve got your back! Below, we’re answering some of the most common questions people have when considering this fulfilling career path. Let’s dive in!

What does a wellness coach do?

A wellness coach helps clients improve their overall well-being by guiding them through lifestyle changes that promote better health. This could include creating personalized fitness plans, offering strategies for stress management, improving nutrition, or helping clients develop healthy habits. Unlike a dietitian or personal trainer, a wellness coach takes a holistic approach, working on both physical and mental well-being. You’re essentially a partner in your client’s journey to a balanced, healthier life.

How does a wellness coach make money?

There are several ways a wellness coach can make money, and the beauty is that it’s adaptable to your unique style and audience. Most wellness coaches earn through one-on-one coaching sessions, either in-person or virtually. You can also create group programs, online courses, or workshops. Some coaches even develop products like e-books, meal plans, or fitness challenges that they sell as passive income. And don’t forget about affiliate marketing! Partnering with wellness-related brands can be another revenue stream that complements your coaching.

What do wellness coaches charge?

The rates for wellness coaching vary depending on experience, niche, and location, but most coaches charge anywhere from $50 to $200 per session. Some wellness coaches also offer packages, where clients can purchase a series of sessions at a discounted rate. If you’re just starting out, you might want to offer a free consultation or a sliding scale to attract clients. As you gain experience and build your reputation, you can gradually raise your prices to reflect your expertise.

Can I call myself a wellness coach?

Yes, you can! There are no official licensing requirements to call yourself a wellness coach, though getting certified can help build credibility and trust with potential clients. Certification programs, like those offered by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching or other accredited organizations, provide valuable training and demonstrate your commitment to professional development. While not mandatory, being certified can give you an edge in a competitive market.

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide gave you the confidence and clarity you need to take the first step toward becoming a wellness coach!

To recap, we started by breaking down the role of a wellness coach and what makes it different from other careers in health and fitness. We also explored the steps to becoming a wellness coach, from gaining experience and certifications to setting up your coaching practice and attracting clients.

Finally, we answered some of the most common questions people have when entering the wellness coaching field, like how much coaches charge and whether certification is necessary.

Now, we’d love to hear from you:

What part of becoming a wellness coach excites you the most?

Are you looking forward to developing your signature wellness program or maybe diving into certifications to level up your expertise?

Or perhaps you’ve got a burning question about something we covered in this post.

Whatever’s on your mind, let us know by leaving a comment below – and don’t forget to share this post with fellow aspiring wellness coaches!