They there Coaches,

Welcome to our first Deep Dive! This series is dedicated to providing you with in-depth information on career development topics and specializations in health and wellness coaching. I plan to release a new issue every 4 to 6 weeks (we’ll see how that goes 🤣), and my goal is to help fill the gaps in our collective understanding of the current state of HWC as a career.

In today’s issue, we dive into Lifestyle Medicine. I have some ideas for future issues, but I’d love your input on what you’d like me to explore next. If you could take a minute to respond to the poll below, I’d greatly appreciate it!

You’re amazing - thank you for being here,

Leslie

Let’s gooooooooooo!

Lifestyle Medicine

What is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle Medicine is a medical specialty that uses evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches to treat, prevent, and reverse chronic health conditions. It emphasizes preventing disease over curative treatment and focuses on the root cause of lifestyle related disease through six primary pillars - a plant based and whole food diet, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections. LM is delivered by licensed clinicians who are trained and certified specifically in this specialty.

LM represents a paradigm shift in treating disease by prioritizing lifestyle changes, where patients actively participate in their care, leading to long-term empowerment. Unlike conventional medicine, which focuses on symptom management with patients in a passive role, LM emphasizes behavior and lifestyle changes. It differs from Preventive Medicine, which focuses on screening and early detection, and from Functional Medicine, which takes some similar approaches but also explores root causes through genetics, environment, and novel treatments. Integrative Medicine shares similarities but combines conventional and alternative approaches. Many clinicians certified in multiple modalities integrate different elements from these disciplines to best meet individual patient needs.

The Role of the HWC in LM

As Lifestyle Medicine (LM) emphasizes a lifestyle-first approach to patient care, health coaches are uniquely positioned to support this specialty. Tailored behavior change support is crucial for achieving positive outcomes, and LM, as a behavior change specialty, leverages coaching, behavioral science, and positive psychology to empower patients. Lifestyle Medicine explicitly recognizes the importance and value of health coaches and as a result, offers an avenue for translating that value on a grander scale. This is particularly significant as Lifestyle Medicine expands its influence to other organizations which have embedded LM into its practice guidelines such as the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.

HWC Career Prospects in LM

Lifestyle Medicine (LM) is experiencing rapid growth in the U.S. but still faces challenges including recognition as a distinct medical specialty, integration into mainstream medicine, reimbursement issues, and cultural factors that influence the adoption of LM practices. While Lifestyle Medicine represents one of the most promising pathways for Health Coaching to become part of standard healthcare practice and to be reimbursable by insurance, it’s important to acknowledge that there are still obstacles to widespread recognition of both fields. The efforts of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to increase education, recognition, and awareness paint a bright future for LM, and by extension, for health coaching within the ACLM ecosystem.

If you're a coach interested in taking client referrals from or working directly with a medical practice, connecting with an LM practitioner in your area is a good starting point. Even if they don't currently work with a coach, they may be more amendable to establishing a partnership compared with other clinicians due to their familiarity with the profession. If you’re interested in working with an LM oriented organization, check out the ACLM’s Health Systems Council. Many of these companies employ health coaches.

Currently, many Physicians, Nurses, and Physician Assistants working in Lifestyle Medicine are also trained as coaches and own their own coaching practice, and the ACLM has coach training geared towards these practitioners. However, a growing number of LM practitioners are utilizing separate health coaches and the organization’s Health & Wellness Coaching Member Interest Group is working to define a common job description for HWCs working in this specialization.

I have yet to see a job description that specifically requires a Lifestyle Medicine Coaching Certification, however you can find HWC roles in Lifestyle Medicine programs at practices and hospitals. It’s highly likely these roles will require either the NBC-HWC credential or training through Wellcoaches, as there is a clear partnership between the College of Lifestyle Medicine and Wellcoaches coach education program.

Learn More About Lifestyle Medicine

If you're interested in specializing in Lifestyle Medicine as a Health Coach, numerous resources can help you decide if this path is right for you. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is the leading professional society for medical professionals interested in Lifestyle Medicine. It offers opportunities for medical providers to become board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine, along with practice resources and professional networks.

It's important for coaches to note that they cannot become board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine unless they are clinical providers in an allied health discipline. This restriction makes sense since coaches are not clinically licensed and cannot diagnose or treat diseases. However, the ACLM offers a Lifestyle Medicine Coach certificate that provides high-quality education in Lifestyle Medicine within the coaching context, supporting coaches in their individual practice or as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Currently, the ACLM is offering 5 free CEUs to NBC-HWCs as an introduction to Lifestyle Medicine. This is a great way to explore the discipline and decide if it's a specialization you'd like to pursue. Health Coaches are also eligible to join the ACLM as Affiliate Members, gaining access to special member interest groups, including one dedicated specifically to health and wellness coaching.

Conferences

Lifestyle Medicine Conference
American College of Lifestyle Medicine
October 27-30, 2004
Orlando, FL & Online
NBHWC CEUs available for attendees

Lifestyle Medicine Summit
October 18-24, 2024
Online Livestream
NBHWC CEUs available for attendees

International Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference
September 20-23, 2004
Anaheim, CA & Online
Availability of NBHWC CEUs currently pending

Conclusion

While there is still much opportunity for widespread growth and acceptance of the specialty, Lifestyle Medicine offers a promising opportunity for networking as an HWC because it’s a specialty that openly values health coaching to support patient outcomes through lifestyle behavior change.

Are you currently working as a health coach in a Lifestyle Medicine context? What questions do you still have about Lifestyle Medicine as a health and wellness coach? Let me know by responding to this email!

Humor Rx

About

The Health Coaching Jobs Newsletter is a one woman operation fueled by a passion for supporting coaches and the growth of the health and wellness coaching industry.

As the newsletter grows, I would love to hear from you! Send an email to [email protected] - share how your job search is going, how your coaching is going, and what you’d like to see in future newsletters!