The Compassionate Approach - A Real Story

Read how the Compassionate Approach works in our Health Coaching Programme

Janet* was referred into Be Well Doncaster for support with her weight management. She mentioned she had been in a vicious cycle of trying to get a handle on managing this consistently. Throughout the first session she discussed with her coach some of the barriers she was struggling to overcome. These included: not viewing themselves in a positive light, prioritising family over everything else, trying to diet but this was unsustainable as they felt as though they had no discipline when it came to eating. They also mentioned they had high blood pressure, as well as sleeping poorly.

To address these issues, she worked with her coach on implementing practical day to day changes to begin overcoming her barriers. The first of which revolved around trying to address some of her problems around sleep. She rearranged her bedroom into a much more welcoming space and only went up there to sleep. In a more well rested state, she was aware that she had to begin working on herself. This included: meditations, journalling, and extra bible study.

Throughout the course of the coaching process, she discussed with her coach how to implement productive coping strategies into her daily life. Social support and faith were big factors for her. She explained how she would spend time with her friends and family, alongside having a strong social circle within her church. She begun to lean on these networks a little more and was more open to accepting support.

Being able to come and discuss her issues and understand where her strengths lie was important to Janet as she was able to identify what her priorities were. Doing this allowed her to develop her sense of self, develop healthier boundaries and build a foundation for her to continue to progress. She only begun working on her weight management towards the end of the coaching process, she started to become more active doing body and soul workouts, once again incorporating the facilitating factor of her faith. This is alongside beginning to do seated exercises at home and already noticing improvements in her energy levels. She was also much more mindful of her dietary choices.

It is important to note, Janet moved over to the UK from Zimbabwe and for her, adapting to a new way of life, embracing new customs and new approaches to her own personal self-care were huge steps that have led her to where she is today. With the help of coaching, she now feels more comfortable in her own skin, she is developing into the role model she wants to be for her children. She revamped her wardrobe to better reflect the person she wants to be, and to represent who she really is.

Janet was referred in for support with her weight management, but by addressing the underlying issues that were preventing her for being consistent with her lifestyle changes, coaching has supported her to build a much better foundation for her to better self-manage her own health and wellbeing.

*pseudonym - names are kept confidential.

Refer Yourself to Health Coaching here: How 1:1 Coaching Works

Read More on the Compassionate Approach here: The Compassionate Approach