The module aims to critically review the development of and underpinning principles of health and wellness coaching. The groundwork will be laid for a mind-set shift in the student approach to facilitating clients to make changes in their health and wellness. The expert versus the coaching approach will be critically explored and the key values and ethics of coaching will be distinguished. The key relational skills of coaching will be practiced and critically reflected upon in this module.

This module will also critically review the concepts of wellness and well-being, the risk factors and clinical parameters measured in the main chronic illnesses, the behaviours conducive to a healthy lifestyle particularly in relation to healthy eating and physical activity. This evidence will be applied in a coaching context facilitating students and their prospective clients to make changes to their lifestyle behavioural practices (if desired) conducive to health.

1. Discuss the core components of health and wellbeing and critically explore the need for a paradigm shift from the expert to the coaching approach in supporting health behaviour change

2. Debate the theories and key values underpinning coaching psychology

3. Discuss the professional standards, ethics and legal guidelines for health and wellness coaching

4. Evaluate the development of and apply coaching relationship skills with clients in the virtual environment

5. Debate guidelines for and apply mechanisms utilised to determine nutritional status of individuals and explore the role of nutrition in the management of obesity and related health issues.

6. Discuss the principles of nutrition and review the current evidenced based recommendations for healthy eating.

7. Critically discuss and apply mechanisms utilised to determine activity status of individuals and explore the role of exercise in the management of obesity and related health issues.

8. Evaluate the evidence-based recommendations for optimal physical activity in the maintenance and promotion of health.

This module aims to advance the participants' knowledge and understanding of the underpinning theories of health and wellness coaching. Key constructs of positive psychology, the transtheoretical model of behaviour change, appreciative inquiry, and motivational interviewing, theory and practice, will be critically explored and key skills developed and critiqued. The student will apply knowledge and develop skills by coaching practice clients.

1. Evaluate and apply appreciative inquiry and motivational interviewing approaches in coaching sessions

2. Establish an individual or group coaching programme with clients face to face or in a virtual environment

3. Reflect on engagement in the coaching relationship and approaches to promote it in facilitated structured reflection sessions

4. Debate the concept of ambivalence and apply and reflect on strategies for responding to discord and sustain talk

5. Critically reflect on exploring motivation, measuring importance and confidence and the power of accountability in goal setting

6. Demonstrate and reflect on skill development in the assessment of the client behavioural goal achievement and tracking and measuring progress on outcomes

7. Critically discuss self-efficacy theory

8. Explore and apply strategies in coaching to improve sleep

9. Evaluate and apply strategies to generate positive emotion for the coach and the client

This module aims to introduce the underpinning theories of health and wellness coaching and set the scene for the implementation of a coaching model in practice. The transtheoretical model of behaviour change, appreciative inquiry, and motivational interviewing, theory and practice, will be introduced and key skills demonstrated. The contribution of the underpinning theories of coaching to the development of self-efficacy will be critically discussed. This module aims to develop the student’s ability to implement and critically analyse coaching practice by facilitating coaching sessions with one volunteer client.

1. Discuss and demonstrate the core ethics, values and principles of an effective coach/client relationship

2. Explore and debate the use of the transtheoretical model of behaviour change to underpin the coaching approach

3. Explore and implement the spirit, core principles and skills of motivational interviewing

4. Critically discuss the principles of positive psychology and the appreciative inquiry approach in coaching

5. Undertake and evaluate the steps to taking a holistic client health and wellness assessment

6. Coach people to create a compelling vision and critically reflect on the techniques used to do this

7. Utilise and reflect on coaching the client in setting three month and weekly SMART (specific, measurable, action- based, realistic, time-lined) behavioural goals

8. Demonstrate the presence of and critically discuss the importance of empathy in the coaching conversation