Why Most Health Coaches Are Still Missing the Point

Three years ago, I was that trainer who thought a good meal plan and workout routine could fix anyone. Then my own anxiety disorder hit like a freight train, and suddenly I understood why my clients kept "falling off the wagon."

The health coaching world is buzzing about this big shift—how people now care about mental health and overall wellness 5x more than looking good in a bikini. Everyone's talking about it like it's some revolutionary discovery. But here's what's bugging me: we should've been doing this all along.

The Industry's "Aha" Moment That Came Way Too Late

Yeah, I see the stats everyone's throwing around. Mental health is the new priority. Stress reduction trumps six-pack abs. Wellness is worth more than appearance. And suddenly every coach and their mother is pivoting to "holistic health."

But let's be real for a second—were we really that blind before? I mean, how many clients did we watch struggle with emotional eating, stress-driven binges, or workout boycotts during tough life periods? How many times did we prescribe more discipline when what they needed was understanding?

The pandemic didn't create these needs. It just made them impossible to ignore.

What's Really Driving This Shift (Hint: It's Not Just COVID)

Sure, the 2020s threw us all for a loop. But I think something deeper is happening here. People are getting smarter about their health choices. They're calling BS on the "no pain, no gain" mentality that left so many of us burned out.

I've noticed my clients aren't just tired—they're tired of being tired. They're done with coaches who treat symptoms while ignoring the person behind the problems. They want someone who gets that their relationship with food is connected to their relationship with stress, which is connected to their relationship with themselves.

This isn't about jumping on some wellness trend. It's about finally acknowledging that humans are complex beings, not just bodies that need optimization.

The Mentorship Gap That's Killing Our Industry

Here's where most certification programs are dropping the ball—they're still teaching coaching like it's a formula you can memorize. Take this course, learn these techniques, get this credential, boom you're ready to change lives.

But coaching isn't calculus. It's more like jazz—you need to know the fundamentals so well that you can improvise when life throws curveballs at your clients.

And that only comes from practice. Real practice. With real feedback from people who've been in the trenches.

I've watched too many well-intentioned coaches flame out because they got the theory but missed the nuance. They knew what to say but not when to shut up and listen. They had all the right tools but no idea how to read the room.

Why PN's Approach Actually Makes Sense (Even Though I'm Usually Skeptical)

Look, I'm not here to sell you on any particular program. I've seen enough coaches get swept up in shiny new certifications that promise to transform their practice overnight.

But there's something different about what Precision Nutrition is doing with their Level 2 program, and it's not the fancy "deep health" branding (though I do like that they're addressing the whole person).

It's the mentorship piece. For 20 weeks, you're not just consuming content—you're practicing with feedback from coaches who've actually done this work. That's how you develop intuition, not just knowledge.

The fact that they started this as their internal training program tells me something too. They weren't creating it to sell; they were creating it because they needed their own coaches to be better.

And honestly? The national board certification pathway is smart positioning. Whether you care about credentials or not, having that option opens doors. Some clients want to see those letters after your name, and there's nothing wrong with giving them that confidence boost.

The Real Question You Should Be Asking

But here's what I really want you to think about: Are you ready to do your own deep work first?

Because here's what no certification will tell you—the coaches who create the most profound transformations are the ones who've faced their own shadows. They know what it feels like to be stuck. They understand the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it.

If you're considering any advanced training, ask yourself: Am I doing this to get better at helping people, or am I doing this because I think it'll make my business more successful?

Both reasons are valid, by the way. But be honest about your motivations.

The Bottom Line (From Someone Who's Been There)

The health coaching field is evolving, and that's a good thing. We need coaches who can hold space for the complexity of human change. We need people who understand that sustainable transformation happens on multiple levels—physical, emotional, mental, maybe even spiritual.

But we also need coaches who've done the work themselves. Who know that the real magic happens in the relationship between coach and client, not in the latest methodology or credential.

So if you're looking at advanced training—whether it's PN's program or something else—here's my advice: Choose something that challenges you personally, not just professionally. Something that makes you uncomfortable. Something that forces you to examine your own relationship with health and change.

Because at the end of the day, your clients don't need another expert telling them what to do. They need a guide who's walked the path and can help them navigate their own journey.

And that? That can't be taught in any certification program. It can only be lived.

What's been your experience with the shift toward holistic health coaching? Have you found training that actually prepared you for the messy reality of human change? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.