Functional Medicine Health Coaches can bridge the gap between a person and their doctor, helping clients better understand both their doctor’s diagnosis and their doctor’s recommendations for treatment. Implementing lifestyle changes in response to such recommendations can be daunting. Health Coaches are a key resource in a person’s support system that can keep them on track to achieve better heath and move them towards wellness rather than dis-ease. Functional Medicine Certified Health Coaches use a whole systems approach that integrates the principles of Functional Medicine, functional nutrition, eating psychology, and positive psychology. A Functional Medicine Health Coach will also be in regular contact with a person on their journey to wellness. They are there to listen to a person’s unique story and work with them on the daily lifestyle factors that significantly influence their quality of life such as: their local community, diet, home environment, school, workplace and faith-based communities. Health coaches help people on the path they choose to take to improve their health. Health Coaches are uniquely trained to help people come to understand what matters most to them, and become empowered to make lasting lifestyle changes to achieve their goals.

• Coaches provide one on one proactive and personalized support to empower people to take an active role in improving their own health through lifestyle changes.
• Coaches provide support between doctor’s office visits by addressing how environmental and lifestyle factors influence the emergence and progression of disease in everyday life.
• Coaches help people explore their options for improvement and provide resources that can assist them in making informed decisions.

• sessions are generally 45 minutes in length (although an initial intake session is generally 60 minutes in length). sessions can be conducted by video conference, by phone or in person depending on desire and location
• Client’s share what’s on their mind, how they have generally been doing and how they’re feeling
• Melanie works with you to identify barriers to healthy lifestyle changes
• Melanie offers information, with the client’s permission, on strategies to improve health
• A plan is co-created: Clients, with the coach’s help,  make a comfortable and attainable plan

• In coaching sessions, the client is the one who determines what topics will be focused on. Examples include adhering to practitioner recommendations, dietary plans, sleeping better, weight loss, developing and sticking with an exercise plan, cognitive health, performance enhancement and ways to reduce stress.

• Melanie is a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, as granted by the Functional Medicine Academy, Inc., FMCA is the only Health program that is in collaboration with the Institute for Functional Medicine. Melanie has completed FMCA’s ReCODE (Reversing Cognitive Decline) course for Coaches. She is also a Heart Math Certified Mentor, as well as a Registered Nutritionist. Additionally, Melanie is a National Board Certification Health Coach.

• No. Health Coaches are not dieticians, nurses, nurse practitioners, or physician’s assistants. Health Coaches provide support and information so that clients can make choices and decisions that optimize a healthy lifestyle. Health Coaches do not diagnose or treat diseases or psychiatric conditions, write prescriptions, or provide therapy. Working with a Health Coach is not an alternative to seeing a doctor or licenced medical practitioner.

• Health coaching helps to bridge the gap between everyday life and doctor’s office visits. Melanie can consult with your doctor, with your permission, and work collaboratively to achieve your desired health outcomes.