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WHAT IS A MENTAL HEALTH COACH AND IS IT FOR YOU?

Mental health coaching incorporates various aspects of health, well-being and life coaching. Mental health coaches address areas in your life which you may be be struggling with – for example, stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, low mood or feelings of overwhelm, etc.

Coaching in itself is a strengths based process, focusing on where you would like to be and help you to create the steps necessary to get there. Although your past is an important – coaching however, is interested and focused on where you are heading.

Mental health coaching also concentrates on building resilience with the aim of reducing future mental illness relapses. A mental health coach will have experience in dealing with people experiencing depression / anxiety and other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, ADHD and bipolar disorder etc. They will work with the individual to identify triggers which may cause the individual’s mental health to deteriorate and intercept early when possible.

I know what what you’re thinking. I was never diagnosed with a mental illness this isn’t right for me. Let me tell you this anyone regardless if you don’t have a mental illness you can still get the benefits that mental health coaching provides. If you simply wish to experience more resilience and understanding about what makes you tick. This can help if you need help with feeling lost, uninspired, unmotivated or directionless.

How are Mental Health Coaches Trained?

Mental health coaches are often trained in general life or health coaching and choose to specialize in mental health from there. There is no specific training for Mental Health Coaches so there are few mental health coaches around. I believe for a mental health coach to really be effective and have true impact on their clients he/she should have a background in mental health and psychology etc. I have been a mental health coach for over 3 years with 9+ years experience in the field of psychology and mental health and I have studied mental illness for quite sometime.

Mental Health coaches can be health psychologists, nurses, social workers or others who have previously worked in the mental health field. Ideally, for the purposes of mental health coaching, you may want to ensure your coach has training in the area of mental health and has a background in understanding mental illness.

HOLISTIC APPROACH

When it comes to mental health – we can not separate the mind from the body. We know now that what happens in the body is reflected in the mind as well. There are numerous reason someone maybe struggling, mentally and the good news is that there are many ways to support mental health along with traditional methods such as medication and therapy.

Taking care of your mental health may need a Holistic Approach whereas the ‘whole-body’ needs be addressed for optimal mental health. A truly holistic approach will include dietary, nutritional, physical health and lifestyle factors alongside psychological therapy techniques traditionally used.

Coach Amy

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