What is a "Diabetes Coach" exactly? Basically, a D-Coach is a cross between a life coach and a health coach, consultant, counselor. In other words, they work to help people pursue specific goals by helping them examine obstacles and providing concrete steps and accountability.
"I fight for my health every day in ways most people don't understand.
I am not lazy.
I am a warrior."
- GoodTherapy.org
Diabetes coaching and consultation is a term used to describe a healthcare provider who is a cross between a life coach and wellness and health consultant. Upon diagnosis, doctors will often refer a patient to a local clinic or hospital to learn how to manage their diabetes after the initial diagnosis. Often patients with long-standing non-compliant diagnoses will be referred to a diabetic counselor, or another educational group meeting with someone who is versed in the management of T2 Diabetes, especially if their weight, A1c’s, or additional complications have occurred.
While T2 Diabetes is a chronic inflammatory disease, there is a fast-growing trend among health care professionals who ascribe to the belief that T2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease, compared to T1’s who simply don’t manufacture enough insulin in their bodies, naturally. They believe that T2’s can reverse their diabetic condition, and assist the client in learning how to put their diabetic condition into remission by re-learning what got them there in the first place. Diabetic Educators teach clients how to identify diabetic red flags, and how to adjust habits that increase the likelihood of diabetic chronicity and inflammation.
Diabetic Consultants is an expert specializing in Diabetic management. They often assist in providing specific and personalized treatment options. It is expected that clients will follow through on the recommendations of the Consultants. They are generally more directive in their management style, reminding clients to take their meds, record their food, and telling clients how to fix their diabetic symptoms. Clients experience a more 1-1 accountability with their Consultant and sessions are generally held weekly to bi-monthly.
Diabetic Coaches refer to the professional who will come alongside the client and work with the clients who are more resistant to self-directed care of their condition. The lack of self-directed care can is often be motivated by a lack of education and seriousness about the condition, and not understanding how far-reaching Diabetes is in terms of negative consequences upon their health.
This will often turn to fear when Diabetics realize that they are sitting on a time bomb and they control the outcome. A Coach’s role is one who will partner with the client and is not afraid to ask questions of the client that promotes self-discovery on what the client wants (goals). He/she might ask the client “What will it take to get to your goals?” “What is blocking your efforts?”
A Diabetic Counselor is a health care professional who addresses the diagnosis, develops a treatment plan, identifies obstacles that a patient will use to sabotage their success. Their role is one of guiding the success of the interventions, encourages the patient, promotes change that supports the client’s efforts, asks the “Why” type questions, explores stuck-ness of the client, assesses the issues and actions the clients take in learning to manage their condition.
The Counselor will guide the client in taking personal responsibility in meeting goals, identifying and changing out behaviors, beliefs, self-talk, and other resistant behaviors that undermine the success of the client’s efforts. He/She will call out obstacles, promote exploration of self-care, and alternatives to addressing their conditions. A Counselor will assist in addressing issues that undermine client compliance. They fearlessly address the ongoing resistant behaviors that keep the client from acting in their own best interest.
The reality of these roles sometimes overlaps, depending on what the client needs. But it is important to understand that any of these roles will also benefit the client by collaborating as a team, with the focus on the changes that heal in the life of the Client.
We offer the most up-to-date support to the Diabetic and family while offering important clinical research, and steps to management and recovery. It is our belief that using nutraceutical support is a key method in gauging the use of medication, and learning how your own body metabolizes certain foods in the control and management of T 2 Diabetes.
We offer remote, online webinars, free consultation for individual or group diabetics, and private pay for diabetic individual or group Coaching-Counseling-Consultations for $50.00 pp, 2x a month. Individual 30 minutes, Groups (1-10) Consultations/Coaching (1-2 hours, depending on questions, needs, and participation). Offered 2 x a month.
