A Coaching Model Created by Maria Tsoutsani
(Health & Wellness Coach, GREECE)
Working more than 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry I have seen so many people struggling with their health. They take medications, undergo surgeries followed by more medicines, they’re in and out of the hospital and the vicious circle continues. Doctors advise changing health behaviors, but it’s rarely followed.
People need to change the way they live but let’s face it, change is difficult. No question about that. And sustained change is even more of a challenge. This might be because the benefits (longer life, preventing a heart attack or diabetes 2, or delaying a cancer diagnosis) are so far in the future, abstract and not certain. Unfortunately, most often, people have other, more immediate reasons for their behavior.
According to WHO up to 80% of cases of coronary heart disease, 90% of type 2 diabetes cases, and one-third of cancers can be avoided by changing to a healthier lifestyle.
My model argues that the pillars of health are diet, exercise, environment, lifestyle, and mindset and there must be a golden ratio among these 5 areas for an individual to be healthy. Everything in our universe is built by following the rule of the golden ratio for beauty and balance to exist. We are not an exception to this rule, at least not without consequences.
The φ model will enable the coachee to gain this balance through 3 steps
In the first step of my model, I will help the coachee to explore deeply all these segments and observe everything: their personality, their environment, relationships, diet, lifestyle, so that s/he will understand the source of the disease. We will look at
- Nutrition: Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food. Food is Medicine. I will help the coachee to choose predominantly whole, plant-based foods that are rich in fiber and nutrients such as vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
- Exercise: Regular and consistent physical activity that can be maintained daily throughout life – walking, swimming, cardio, and strength training
- Environment: which consists of three parts:
- The first one is the physical environment that surrounds the coachee– do they live in a city? Is there pollution in the atmosphere? Do they live close to nature? Is the water their drink clean? Does it contain chlorine?
- The second is the people who surround the coachee – do they have toxic relationships? Do they have any loved ones? Do they live close by? Do they have people who care about them and will support them throughout their life?
- The third is work – do they like their job? The work environment? Do they feel fulfillment from the job? Does s/he do it only for money?
- Lifestyle: smoking, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, low quality sleep, stress all these things affect to a high degree our health outcome.
- Mindset: the mind can be a powerful healing tool when given the chance. The idea that the brain can convince the body of a fake treatment is the real thing — the so-called placebo effect — while the same sometimes can cause illness. It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has. Does this person want to be healthy? Is There a belief that if I am sick I will have the attention of other people? Deep inside, have they given up the will to live?
In the second step, I will enable the coachee to understand the importance of these pillars, to understand that every pillar has its own dynamic and contributes more or less to their health. I will enable them- through the coaching process and theories like self-determination theory and motivational interviewing- to create strong and sustainable motivation by relating to the worth or value of any pillar. We will work together to cover all the basic needs and reduce resistance to behavior change.
I will also use several tools, techniques, and assessments: reframing, overshooting, shifting focus, emphasizing autonomy“running head start,” “looking forward,” and “values exploration
In the third step when the change will have materialized, I will partner with the client to create a smart plan. This plan will be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
So, in the end, the client will have a new life, harmony, and balance
