Health coaching package

In your first session, your coach will discuss your health goals, any current practitioner-led recommendations, what area of lifestyle support you need and work on determining your next best action.

Actions are ‘stress tested’ to ensure they are realistic, specific and support you to gain a high level of confidence in your ability to execute on them.

If you do not have specific goals, your coach can support you in reviewing your current lifestyle habits and co-creating a plan to move towards health habits that you want to embed into your every day.

Health coaching is a method used by certified experts in behaviour change, mindset, and habits to guide people towards desired health outcomes. This approach involves stages and tools based on motivational interviewing, self-determination theory, positive psychology, social cognition, emotional intelligence, and neuroscience.

In health optimisation, these experts might be known as biohacking, longevity, or lifestyle coaches. While anyone can call themselves a coach, only those with approved training, relevant insurance, and continuous education can be HCANZA accredited. At Melbourne Functional Medicine, all our health coaches meet these standards, reflecting our commitment to integrity and excellence.

Health coaching is facilitative, not prescriptive. According to Wellness Coaching Australia, it is a “client-centred, collaborative intervention aimed at supporting sustainable lifestyle change. Clients set their goals, with the coach providing skills and knowledge to support the change process.”

Similar to executive, mindset, leadership, and life coaches, health coaches offer guidance and support for change and development, using proven methods to help individuals achieve their goals.

Health coaches at Melbourne Functional Medicine are trained in the health pillars of:

• Nutrition

• Sleep

• Recovery

• Stress management techniques

• Movement

And additionally can support patients with:

• Using wearable technology

• Using CGMs

• Functional lab testing

Health coaching is not therapy. It is not counselling, nor is it a “talk fest”.

Health coaching is not a lifestyle prescription. Health coaches take the lifestyle prescription provided by the health professional, often your functional medicine practitioner or integrative GP, and work together with you to ensure it is implemented.

Coaches are bound by a professional scope of practice. They do not:

• Diagnose medical or psychiatric conditions

• Develop treatment plans

• Provide psychotherapy

• Order or interpret lab testing

• Recommend supplements

While they always show up in support of you, a coach will never:

• Make a change for you

• Nag you

• Be responsible for your change

Health is complex, requiring clinicians to undergo years of training and practice. Health coaches operate distinctly from primary healthcare providers to ensure safety. They avoid giving advice, treatment plans, or diagnoses, leaving these tasks to qualified professionals.

Health coaches are not fitness coaches

Patients often think health coaches are like fitness coaches, but their roles are different. Fitness coaches provide both the plan and hands-on implementation, guiding you every step of the way.

Health coaches, however, can’t be with you 24/7 as you implement your health plan. They don’t manage your daily routines or remind you of every task. Instead, during your sessions, they help you create a clear action plan, identify barriers, and boost your motivation. This way, you can make meaningful changes on your own time.

If you have an EA or PA, you know the benefits of having someone support you and keep you on track. At Melbourne Functional Medicine, working with a coach to optimise your health is optional but highly recommended. In your initial session, you’ll review your health strategy and medium-term goals, breaking them into actionable steps.

Coaching can be scheduled on an ad-hoc basis or bundled into a three-month package with weekly appointments and digital message access. If you want to add a coach to your team, just let your practitioner or concierge know.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to each of the questions, you know you’re ready to work with a health coach to optimise your health:

• When it comes to feeling ready and willing to make lifestyle changes, on a scale of 1-10, (10 being most ready and willing) I am at least a 7

• I take full responsibility and ownership over my health choices

• I am willing to trust the process, whilst I might love to know why, or question things, I am now willing to take the direction of my practitioner and get the guidance to simply make it happen

• I am open to being in a health partnership consisting of myself, my practitioner and my coach

• I have the energy and capacity for change in that my health is at a good baseline level, and I wish to amplify it

• I believe I can sacrifice immediate gratification for the big picture

• I understand health optimisation is personalised, n=1 medicine is about being curious, experimenting, tracking learning and having a growth mindset. I am ready and willing for this

If performance, outcomes and health optimisation habits for life are important to you, a health coach is an invaluable addition to your team. Bringing a coach onto your team will allow you to move faster, with more precision and longer-lasting results.

This package includes up to 12 sessions, along with additional value-added support. Coaching session frequency is customised to you, and could look like:

• Weekly 30-minute sessions

• Fortnightly sessions of 30 to 60 minutes

• Or a combination that best fits your schedule

The value-added support features:

• Practitioner-reviewed food plans, personalised recipe guides, and curated resources to enhance your knowledge and health habits

• Digital access to your coach between appointments

• If you’re also seeing a practitioner, your coach will act as a conduit to your practitioner enabling answers to questions in between appointments.

Yes. You’ll be able to directly message your coach for digital support between appointments.

Lab data interpretation is not in scope for a health coach, however this is something our practitioners can help with. If that is a service you are interested in, check out our test interpretation service.

You can read more about our values and philosophy on our about page and even more reasons to choose us here.

Payment plans are not available for this service.