Health and Wellness Coaches Scope of Practice

Inspired by week 12 discussion post fromAdvanced Coaching, COA660 at MUIH www.muih.edu 

What does “scope of practice” mean?

The scope of practice outlines the actions (or procedures) that a practitioner is permitted to take in accordance with their professional license or the ethics of their profession.  

Why is it important to health and wellness coaches?

Health and wellness coaches, like any practitioner, need boundaries and a container for their work. The scope of practice helps define what health and wellness coaching is and how a practitioner can practice within that profession. The scope of practice for health and wellness coaches helps support and guide them in the face of confusing situations. It is also a reminder of the profession's values and intent. 

ICHWC Scope of Practice

How does the scope of practice relate to ethics and, specifically, the ICF/ICHWC Code of Ethics?

A Health and Wellness Coach must practice within the scope of practice in order to conduct themselves ethically. Practicing outside the scope of practice as a Health and Wellness Coach can lead clients to misunderstand the abilities of the coach(coaching) and can undermine the work of other coaches. The ICF code of Ethics elaborates on the Health and Wellness Coaches scope of practice. It gives specific details on how a coach can coach within the scope of practice, meet their client's needs, and the standards of the profession. 

https://coachfederation.org/code-of-ethics 

https://ichwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Final-Code-of-Ethics-Feb-1-ICHWC.pdf 

How does it relate to the ICF and ICHWC competencies?

Coaches who can practice health and wellness coaching with skill in the ICF and ICHWC competencies will have no need to breach the code of ethics or scope of practice in order to serve their clients. Meeting and exceeding these competencies naturally leads to strong coaching abilities within the scope of practice. 

Health and Wellness Coaching is a new profession and practitioners can call themselves health and wellness coaches without adhering to the scope of practice or the practicing the ICF and ICHWC competencies. Coaches who meet the competencies will experience deeper more sustainable results with their clients and naturally practice within the scope of practice. 

https://coachfederation.org/core-competencies 

How does the scope of practice relate to information sharing?

The scope of practice is especially important to information sharing. As a coach, I see my primary role as helping my clients become more in touch with their own intuition and confidence that they have the resources within themselves to live a life of wellness. When I provide information I can rob the client of the confidence that comes from arriving there themselves. The scope of practice illustrates that regular information sharing is not health and wellness coaching, but that some information can be shared when it is in the client’s best interest. A coach adhering to the scope of practice, the ICF and ICHWC code of ethics, and skilled in the ICF and ICHWC competencies will be able to share information in support of their clients and help clients find the information themselves to build their own skills and confidence. The scope of practice also highlights that if a coach holds active and nationally recognized credentials they may provide expert guidance related to that topic. 

Nurture Peace with Presence: SHINE

I have always been a healer. I have always been one to question and look for ways I could serve. I have a desperate dream that we can all live in greater harmony with each other. 
As I grew up, and then navigated this world as an adult and a parent, I found more and more "problems". How could I help when there were so many causes that needed attention, so many issues that needed so many champions? 

We each have a purpose in this world, we each make a difference. Our tiny everyday actions really are felt far and wide. Today, many causes have come to light and the champions are ready to serve. Everywhere you look there are folks creating change. Unfortunately, change is hard. What we want does not materialize because we realize we want it. We cannot suddenly change ourselves and we certainly can not suddenly change others. Change takes time. 

I developed The SHINE program as a way to support the champions. Those of you who realize we need to change and are trying to be a part of the solution. No matter what your cause, no matter what your calling, no matter who you are The SHINE Program is here to support you and your wishes for your family and the world. 

I hope you will explore how you can  Nurture Peace with Presence and join me in this initiative.  This program is a culmination of my personal practice, professional work, and academic study. I look forward to sharing it with you. 

Let it be so.

I have a special offer (outlined below) for a group of special people. I don't know who these people are yet, but I cannot wait to find out. In order to make my offer, I need to provide some background information. 

This work, healing work, is intuitive and creative. It cannot be done without a lot of freedom and also a great deal of structural support. I see in our world a great need and call for healers, and yet, our world does currently enable them to do this work. This creates a little problem for the healer. She/he is called to do work, and its feminine in nature ( creative, intuitive) and she/he cannot do this work without freedom. The freedom comes from the container ( masculine) for the work. This healer would be happy to accept chickens and your thanks for her work, but the mortgage company and insurance companies will not accept these forms of payment. Our financial systems, and our social understanding of value, are all very masculine. So, as a healer, I need the masculine to create a container for my work, so I can be free to creatively and intuitively meet with people who want to heal themselves, grow and unfurl into this world. I need to be sure my family is supported, I need to be sure I have time to do my own work and study. I also need to feel that those who find my services valuable can financially afford my services, and that they recognize the energetic exchange we share in our work together. How in the modern world is this going to happen? Well, I have a plan. And I would like to find a small group of special individuals to give it a try with me. We will create a container for our work outlined below. This container will allow us to know what to expect, and give us the freedom to do our work. I am hoping that with a small group of individuals, I can practice this new format and hopefully use this as a way of making wellness more accessible for all of us.

Wellness Package Plan                                                                                                                     $125 monthly investment (6-month commitment) 

1hour online/phone session per month

Weekly email correspondence

Individualized Practices, self-assessments, and literature  

Essentially, as the client, you will agree to paying for one session per month with a commitment of six months. This commitment allows me the freedom to offer all the other support at no charge. Meeting together once a month lays the foundation for our work, and the on-going support by email and additional practices allows that you can get the benefits of engaged month-long support with greater affordability. 

I know this package has a potential to foster transformation. I am excited to get to work. Sign up here.

How I serve caregiver, empaths, teachers, and healers

I am not overly comfortable with labels, so instead of telling you what I am, I would like to tell you what I do. I provide a secure space, I listen deeply with intuition and experience, and I use powerful questions to illuminate your own answers. Sometimes I illuminate the light, sometimes the dark. This is how I serve caregivers, empaths, teachers, and healers.  

If you are a caregiver, empath, teacher or healer, you know the weight you carry to fulfill your calling. In a world of conflict, it is our role to protect, embolden, translate, guide and aid those in our community. There is little time for rest, and yet we know rest is required to continue the work ahead. My role is to provide a space for this inner work. As caregivers, empaths, teachers, and healers we value connection and sharing of energy. It is often lonely ( even painful) to self-care and engage in our spiritual practices alone. We gather strength from the concern of others, and so we need this concern in order to grow ourselves. We need the concern and connection of others to dive deeper into the depths of our own practice. 

Caregivers, empaths, teachers, and healers need a place where they can be free of concern for the feelings of others and also look at the parts of themselves which they seek to grow. Caregivers, empaths, teachers, and healers are not perfect and sometimes we cannot unpack that less ideal self in front of those who need us to be strong, wise, and loving. There needs to be a place for the caregiver to be cared for, the empath’s feelings to be their own, the teacher to expand for their own sake, and the healer to soothe their own wounds. I hold this space. 

The further you walk down the path of enlightenment the more clear it becomes that you are the only guide, that does not mean you need to walk alone. For caregivers, empaths, teachers, and healers: Connection is required, being seen and heard are required, sharing and being witnessed are required. These are deep guiding values we hold for ourselves as we navigate the world and it is important they be reflected back to us. Especially, when we need to do our own deeper work. Especially when we need a place of non-judgment to investigate our impulses or emotional barriers. 

I hold space for expansion. I listen, illuminate, reflect, and witness your inner work. What kind of support do you need to explore more deeply?

In your service, 

Sherene