Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQ
A health coach can support you in making sustainable lifestyle changes to improve your health, feel better, and work towards achieving your personal goals
Health coaching helps you identify areas of your life where you can make changes to improve your health and wellbeing, and explore the mental and emotional factors influencing those changes.
If you’re feeling stuck or frustrated with your health, a coach can help you identify obstacles and find personalized strategies to move forward.
A health coach walks alongside you, helping you create your own path toward improved wellbeing, offering support and believing in you as you work towards the life you want to build.
I specialize in supporting people who are navigating stress, weight struggles, chronic conditions, and mid-life changes as they work toward making sustainable, healthy lifestyle changes.
I KNOW you’ve struggled. If you’re like many of my clients, you carry a heavy emotional load when it comes to your weight, health, diet, and exercise. Maybe you’ve felt unheard, dismissed, or even scolded by doctors. Maybe you’ve been given strict rules that feel impossible to follow—or ones you have no interest in following.
That’s where I come in. Together, we’ll break free from the cycle of frustration and create a realistic, sustainable approach to your health—one that works for you, not against you.
Health coaching is different. My approach is different.
I offer practical, evidence-based strategies that fit seamlessly into your life, rather than quick fixes, restrictive diets, and confusing information that can feel overwhelming and frustrating.
First and foremost:
- My coaching is rooted in positive psychology, tapping into your strengths, and moving you forward in a way that aligns with who you truly are
- Coaching isn't about telling you what to do; rather it's about helping you explore strategies that work for you and support your health goals.
- I offer a compassionate, whole-person, weight-inclusive approach to health.
- I provide a gentle, supportive, nonjudgmental space for you to build new healthy habits and improve your overall wellbeing.
- I believe everyone has the capacity for positive change, and I am passionate about helping you find that capacity within yourself.
- I help people become more aware of how their daily habits can influence their long-term well-being.
As a health coach, I combine my education, training, and experience with an evidence-based coaching model to help you create sustainable, healthy behaviors. My approach focuses on whole-person wellbeing, recognizing that health is more than just numbers (such as weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) or a disease diagnosis. Using the Wheel of Health, we will explore how all areas of your life contribute to your overall wellbeing.
Coaching is about helping you move away from approaches that may not have worked in the past and towards a strategy based on what truly motivates you. I will help you develop a personalized health plan that reflects your goals, taps into your strengths, and fits your unique life.
Your journey will be entirely individual. Everyone is different, so no one’s path is the same. We will work together to identify what works best for you. Think of coaching as a series of experiments—trial and adjustment—until we discover what clicks for you.
Along the way, I will support you as you uncover obstacles, develop strategies for overcoming them, and gain insight into what motivates you, what holds you back, and how to move forward.
Most importantly, we will establish the support and accountability that will set you up for long-term success in a sustainable way.
Information and Education
At its core, health coaching is about behavior change.
However, with the overwhelming amount of health information available, many clients seek clarity and guidance.
As a registered nurse and lifestyle medicine health coach, I rely on evidence-based science to guide our approach. Research supports the idea that lifestyle changes in areas such as plant-forward nutrition, regular movement, restorative sleep, stress management, social connections, and avoiding harmful substances can play a significant role in improving overall health and potentially preventing or managing chronic conditions.
In group coaching, we’ll explore generalized, evidence-based health information. Together, we will discuss how this information can be applied to your life and how you can use it to develop new, healthier habits.
In 1:1 coaching, when relevant and with your consent, I will share health information that is tailored to your individual needs and goals.
Common areas for coaching include incorporating exercise and movement, improving sleep habits, implementing stress management techniques, developing healthy eating habits, and making lifestyle changes to manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and reduce the risk of metabolic disease and chronic illness.
However we can work on anything that will help you feel your best, improve your health, and reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Using an evidence-based coaching process, we will collaborate to address what's holding you back and co-create a plan to increase your energy, improve your health, and help you get back to doing the things you love.
When you work with a health coach, you may find it easier to make progress and experience positive changes in areas that are important to you.
Through our work together, you’ll gain insight into your habits and behaviors, identify obstacles, and develop strategies to create lasting change without self-criticism.
By focusing on your potential, you may begin to notice positive results, leading to improvements in your health and your overall wellbeing.
Many clients experience clarity, insight, and support through coaching calls, whether you're being coached directly or listening to others during a group session. Coaching can help you explore your challenges and gain valuable perspectives on creating positive change.
You can bring a variety of topics to a coaching session, and coaching may support you in overcoming obstacles that impact your health and wellbeing. It offers a space for growth, helping you work toward your goals and enhance both your life and health.
The National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) credential identifies a health coach that meets rigorous training and education requirements, demonstrates coaching competencies, and adheres to ethical and legal guidelines. Given in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners, it indicates the highest professional standard in the health coaching field.
Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based approach to reducing chronic disease risk by replacing unhealthy behaviors with positive ones such as eating healthfully, being physically active, managing stress, avoiding risky substance abuse, adequate sleep and having strong social connections.
National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches, particularly those certified as Lifestyle Medicine Coaches by ACLM, are uniquely positioned to support clients in making changes in the lifestyle areas listed above. Lifestyle Medicine Coaches are trained to educate, equip and empower their clients with lifestyle choices that can prevent, treat and possibly even reverse chronic disease.
Education, Training, and Certifications
- Bachelor's Degree in psychology
- Associate Degree in Nursing
- Health Coach Training - Duke Health (2018)
- National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (2019)
- Certified Lifestyle Medicine Coach (2019)
- Certified in Type 2 Diabetes Remission by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (2023)
- HearthMath Certified Practitioner (2021)
- Breath as Medicine Facilitator (2021)
Experience
- Registered nurse since 2004 - worked High Tech, Homecare, and Hospice
- Coached patients referred by the lifestyle medicine clinic at North Start Health, Springfield, Vermont (2019 - 2023)
- Helped to create and coached clients in a coaching pilot for VillageMD, a national primary care company
- Coached private and group clients in my own business since 2018
More FAQ
The Practice Better Client Portal will be the "hub station" of our work together! Your Client Portal is a HIPAA compliant client record system that is private, safe and secure. You will use your portal to log into video sessions, sign paperwork, read your session notes, schedule appointments, pay for sessions, and chat securely with me between sessions.
All clients are automatically granted access to their Client Portal upon scheduling a Health Coaching Package or joining a coaching group. To access the Client Health Portal on a computer, click HERE or at the top right hand sign of this webpage. For easy access, be sure to bookmark the link. You can also download the app for your phone/tablet in the Apple Store or Google Play.
You can message me via secure messaging in the Client Portal. I will respond during my regular business hours. Please keep in mind that I have other clients, so response time will not be immediate but will be within a short time.
Success will be different for everyone. When we work together, we will set a goal and work towards reaching it.
In short, therapy is working on what has happened in the past, and health coaching is working on what is currently happening and what you want to create in the future.
I offer both private coaching and group coaching, with the flexibility to work together until your desired outcomes are achieved. In your Complimentary Clarity Call, we’ll discuss what’s happening for you and create an initial coaching plan together, setting the foundation for your journey toward improved health and wellbeing.
Yes, health coaching is for everyone who wants to make positive changes to their health—but there’s an important 'but.' To get the most out of health coaching, you need to be ready to explore change and take action. Don’t worry—I’ll be there to support and guide you every step of the way!
In some cases, clients may have other challenges to work through first, and addressing those can make them more prepared to embrace positive lifestyle changes. Your FREE Intro Session is a great opportunity to explore whether health coaching is the right next step for you right now
No, I can't guarantee specific results—but I can guarantee my commitment to your success.
I promise to coach you, help you gain clarity on what’s happening for you, and provide the tools, techniques, and guidance to support lasting change. The results, however, are up to you. Like anything in life, what you put into health coaching will shape what you get out of it.
Show up, get coached, be open to possibility, think outside the box, and experiment with what works for you. Many clients find that their coaching experience leads to meaningful changes—often in ways they never expected.
Health coaching isn’t a detox, cleanse, or one-size-fits-all program. In fact, 1:1 coaching isn’t really a program at all—it’s a process.
Through a series of conversations, we’ll work together to uncover what truly motivates you, develop a plan that aligns with your values and health vision, and create sustainable habits that fit your lifestyle.
Along the way, we’ll identify obstacles that may be holding you back and develop strategies to overcome them. I’ll provide support, accountability, resources, and referrals when needed—all to help you turn your health vision into reality, step by step
I will not be telling you what to do!
And really, as an independent adult with your own unique personality and circumstances, you probably wouldn’t want cookie-cutter instructions anyway!
In our work together, you are the expert on you. You’ll always have the final say in what your goals are and how you’ll achieve them. My role is to guide, support, and help you uncover the strategies that work best for you.
As a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, I work within the scope of my role—meaning I won’t prescribe medical treatments, design a diet plan, or tell you exactly what exercises to do. However, if you or I feel that additional support would be beneficial, I can assist with referrals to other providers as needed.
Although I am local to the Southwestern Vermont area, I work remotely and can practice as a Health Coach under my nursing licenses (NY license and VT Compact license). I can work in NY, VT, and many other states as shown on this map. If you do not reside in a participating state, please contact me to discuss how else I can support you.
1:1 Sessions
If you’re unable to attend a 1:1 session, you must notify me at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled session. Sessions canceled with less than 24 hours' notice or missed without notice will be considered "no-shows." No-show sessions cannot be rescheduled and will be deducted from your package.
I understand that emergencies happen. At my discretion, I allow one last-minute missed session without penalty.
Package Expiration:
1:1 coaching packages have expiration dates. Extra weeks are built into the package to allow flexibility. For example, a 3-month package includes 10 sessions and must be used within 12 weeks. Full details will be included in your coaching agreement.
Group Sessions, Webinars, Workshops, and Jumpstarts
Due to their group format, these sessions cannot be rescheduled.
Cost and Payment FAQs
You will either sign up through a link and pay immediately, or I will register you and you will receive an invoice. Either way, you will pay through a secure server, using a major credit card or Apple Pay.
Note that the answer to this question may change within the next few months!
As of January 1, 2024, Medicare will be covering health coaching, however details are not yet available.
At this time, most insurance companies are not covering health coaching, however yours may. My recommendation is to contact your insurance provider and ask if health and wellness coaching is a covered service using CPT CODES 0591T, 0592T, or 0593T. In instances where they will cover coaching, I am able to provide a superbill that you can submit for reimbursement.
Most likely yes! you will need a letter of medical necessity, from your medical provider. Your HSA/FSA provider will likely have a simple form on their website that can be used for this purpose. The letter must include a medical diagnosis that supports the need for services. Your HSA/FSA should be able to answer any questions regarding this process. Once you have this letter from your medical provider, you can pay using your FSA or HSA card, just as you would a credit card.
Let's talk! I strive to provide options to meet the needs of all income levels.
1:1 Health Coaching:
It is my mission to serve you. If you are not 100% satisfied, I will gladly refund any unused sessions (minus a fee to cover the credit card reversal charge) with no questions asked. You will be removed from, and no longer have access to Program Modules upon early termination of coaching.
Group Coaching:
Group Coaching is non-refundable once the group has started. I understand that life emergencies do come up, and we can discuss those on a situational basis.
Workshops, Webinars, Jumpstarts:
Workshops, webinars, and jumpstarts are non-refundable. I understand that life emergencies do come up, and we can discuss those on a situational basis.
