ABSTRACT
Could there be two routes and two practices of health coaching that include both of these options? Both routes could require training and examination in the theories, strategies, and interviewing skills that are specific to health coaching. Because of pivotal differences in underlying education and health service experience, the expectations of performance that would be warranted by each of the two routes are likely to be significantly different. It is reasonable to expect that consumers of health coaching, both the public and sectors of the health care industry, would need to be informed of the difference and distinction between the training and experience of each type of health coach. The National Consortium for Credentialing of Health and Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC) wrestles thoughtfully with these issues. This organization has a leadership board of which I am a member, and the consortium has a membership of individuals and entities, many of whom are licensed in health care, and some who are not. The Appendix includes a list of the leadership group. The goals of the NCCHWC make sense to us when they include deepening the professionalization of a domain of health service, defining parameters and core competencies of practice, and creating guidelines for education and training at an affordable cost in various U.S. sites. Because health coaching for many years has been loosely defined and practiced
by people who may or may not be licensed in a recognized health profession in their state (for example, a fitness coach or a life coach), the double task of ensuring scientific and ethical integrity, while also being sufficiently inclusive of existing talent and practice, has been a challenge for NCCHWC.
