Health History 101: What is it and why is it important?
If you’re considering working with a health coach, chances are they’re going to ask you to complete a health history form. For each coach, this form is likely to look different, but they all serve the same purpose: to get an idea of your current health and your health-related goals.
Every health coach will go about this process differently, so I’ll be mostly focusing on my current process and what to expect if you choose to do a health history consultation with me! ((:
health history 101: what is it and why is it important?
what does a health history form include?
After contacting me with your interest in my coaching services, I will send you a health history form (via email or text) that fits you best (I have forms for men, women, seniors, teens, and transgender individuals) and ask you to fill it out to the best of your ability.
At the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, our health history forms cover everything from your job, how many hours of sleep you get, to what you regularly ate as a child. The goal is to dip into multiple areas of health and wellness because we know that those affect your health just as more – possibly even more than – the stereotypical areas of food and fitness.
The form that I use currently does ask about weight and if you are wanting to experience any weight changes, which I know can be something that’s possibly triggering for a lot of people (including me). If there is something you’re not comfortable filling out – no matter what it is – that’s no problem; just answer what you’re comfortable sharing!
Once you’ve completed your health history form, I ask that you send it right back to me so that I can briefly look over it before we meet for our consultation.
what is a health history consultation?
The health history consultation will take place over the phone, video call, or in person – whichever is most convenient and whatever you are most comfortable with! This consultation is completely FREE and will last no longer than 50 minutes.
During this time, we’ll go over the form that you completed beforehand. I’ll ask questions about anything and everything in order to get to know more about you, your life, and your current health status. I will be taking notes during our meeting, but don’t let that scare you! I’m just writing down what you tell me so I can remember all that I’m learning about you. ((:
As I mentioned earlier, the purpose of a health history consultation is to get to know you better and discover how your current health status is, but it’s also a great way for both of us to determine if we’re a good match! You can get a sense of myself and how I work, but I can also get to know you to see if you’d be a client I’d love to work with.
I won’t be sharing any health advice during this initial consultation because the purpose of these meetings is to get to know one another, but I would definitely share any tips that I think would help you if we decided to work together!
why is a health history important?
As I mentioned earlier, the purpose of a health history consultation is for me to grow familiar with your health status, get to know you, and determine if we are a good coaching-client fit.
Every answer that you provide on your health history form will be valuable information to me as your potential health coach. Knowing about any past health complications or any health issues that may run in your family gives me an idea of what I would be working with and what to have in mind when making recommendations.
Knowing your eating and sleeping habits, as well as how often you exercise and what kind of exercise you enjoy, is another important piece of getting to know you because these are often areas of life that people want to improve, and I would be able to help with that!
Another big piece of the health history form and consultation is discovering what your goals are. Maybe it’s to exercise more, get high-quality sleep, or figure out which eating style makes you feel best. Whatever your health goal(s) may be, that’s a super important piece of information when I’m first getting to know you because I want to be confident in my abilities to help you reach those goals.
While a health history consultation might sound a little intimidating, it doesn’t have to be that way! My goal is to make you as comfortable as possible so that we can truly get to know each other.
I love meeting new people and learning all about them and their life, so I would love to get the chance to meet with you and discuss your health and wellness goals!
interested in a health history consultation?
Currently, I am available for FREE health history consultations!! If you’re interested or have any other questions about this process, I would love to hear from you…
Please reach out to me on Instagram (@marissajohenry) or send me an email at marissajohenry@gmail.com! I’ll do my best to answer any additional questions you have and send you a form to complete. And then we can work to set up a date and time that works best for the both of us!
I look forward to working with you! ((:
