Watching wellness coaching in action is thrilling! If you’re wondering what wellness coaches do, don’t miss this job description. Learn how to become a wellness coach, plus career tips for wellness coaching.

Along with the proper training and certifications, a wellness coach must be passionate about the field and the people she coaches.  Here, we learn how this life coach uses her passion and drive to help women lose weight, achieve their goals, and live their best lives.

Laurie Runyan knows in her soul that she was born to coach.

“I’ve always been an intuitive person, which helps me really get into someone’s heart and mind to assist them with the personal issues that are stopping them from being their best.  I have been there myself, and I know how freeing it is to release those fears and make the necessary changes to live life from a place of confidence.”

Laurie loves what she does and is more than happy to share her enthusiasm with the world.  Here’s her view on wellness coaching, plus career tips for coaches.

Wellness Coach Job Description

As she works with clients through her company Inner Thinner Peace Coaching, Laurie deals with women who not only need to lose weight, but have lost themselves somewhere along the way.  “I coach the woman who is ready to reconnect with who she is inwardly.  As she gives herself permission to be empowered and realizes that she deserves to be healthy and happy, her true identity emerges along with a smaller waistline.”

Laurie also says that weight gain is not just about the love of food.  “There is a deeper underlying reason for weight issues.  Food is usually a place of safety or hiding, and I work to bring the reasons for hiding out into the open so my client does not have to turn to food anymore.  Once a woman finds her inner strength, she realizes that she actually has the power over food instead of the other way around.”

In addition to group and individual coaching sessions, Laurie hosts her own radio show on the Voice America Health and Wellness Channel, sharing her expertise on empowerment all over the world.  She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and also has accreditation through the International Coaching Academy (ICA).

How Much Do Wellness Coaches Make?

Laurie offers one hour of coaching at $75 per session; if a client would like several sessions she also has a package of 8 for $520.  Laurie does most of her work over the phone, so she can coach clients from all over the country.  Occasionally she offers a complimentary group or individual session so you can see if she is the right coach for you.

Different wellness coaches charge different rates per hour.

The Best Parts of Wellness Coaching

“I love hearing a client’s progress as she discovers her power and regains her confidence.  I can hear the difference in her voice when she taps into her inner drive.  The drive is there from the beginning, but as it becomes stronger I share in the joy my client is experiencing in her own life once again.  It’s an amazing feeling when you realize you have helped someone find herself – the woman that was there all along but got lost is now found!”

The Downside of a Wellness Coaching Job

Laurie admits to a couple of challenges, but they are ones she knows she can handle.  “There are times when I really wish I could be with a client in person instead of just on the phone.  Coaching is very intimate; it’s a place of safety and warmth.  It would be an honor to sit with a client during a breakthrough and offer a hug, Kleenex, or a smile.  My intuition makes up for not being physically present, which my clients sense as they speak with me.  I’ve never had any of them express concern over us not being in the same room together, but it would still be nice to do sometimes.”

Her other challenge comes in the form of marketing herself as a wellness or weight loss coach.  “Advertising and marketing are areas I have struggled with in the past, but I have learned to embrace these challenges because I’m so passionate about my business and services.  It’s amazing just how much I have learned about marketing in the last couple of years!”

Career Tips for Wellness Coaches

“My biggest tip would be to take a marketing class so you can learn how to best advertise your services,” Laurie says.  “This was extremely helpful for my business.  Also, figure out who exactly is your target audience.  This way you can narrow it down to the clients that fit best with your style.”

For more career tips, read  What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful — it’s a bestselling book on Amazon.

For a more unusual life coaching job description, read What Does a Manicurist Life Coach Do?

If you have any questions or thoughts on wellness coaching, please comment below.

If you would like more information about Laurie and her coaching services, please visit her at Inner Thinner Peace Coaching and listen to her on the air at Voice America.  You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Written by Marie Cauley, a freelance writer and blogger based in Cleveland who also covers TV dance shows for Ballroom Dance Channel.  Follow her on Twitter or visit her Facebook business page Marie Cauley, Freelance Writer and Author.