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What Is Wellness Coaching?
Many of us struggle to navigate health challenges or care recommendations. While wanting something to change, we can often lack a clear plan to achieve our wellness goals.
Working with a kidney wellness coach can help you determine what is getting in your way and how to leverage your strengths so you feel more in control and able to make healthier lifestyle choices. A coach does not tell you what your goals should be, but helps you identify them and develop a path to achieving them.
If you need a little encouragement and support from someone who understands kidney disease, then kidney wellness coaching might be a good fit for you. Information shared in private sessions is confidential.
What Participants Had to Say
“I feel that the coaching is a valuable resource that every kidney patient and caregiver could benefit from. These are hard times and even harder when faced with kidney disease. The Wellness Coaching is a breath of fresh air and a guiding light to be your better self, one step at a time.”
“I already had a good plan in place, the coaching helped me put into perspective the behaviours to help cope if you don’t make your goals because you don’t have a good day for example. Helped me to learn how to regroup and pick it up the next day and don’t be so hard on myself...”
* Health Wellness Coaching Research
The Effectiveness of Wellness Coaching for Improving Quality of Life
Frequently Asked Questions
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Coaching is an active partnership between coach and client that aims to help the client set and achieve goals for growth, improved health, and wellness. In coaching, the client is viewed as the expert of their own self, and the coach is the propeller that helps the client move forward.
During the coaching process, the Coach uses specific strategies and skills to help the client define clear goals, identify what is getting in their way, and develop a plan to move in the direction they want, in line with their values and beliefs.
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Coaching is future-focused offer to help clients successfully set and achieve goals, using accountability and tailored strategies. While counselling is a therapeutic process that often focuses on the past and/or present to explore and treat trauma or other mental health challenges. Coaching does not ignore what has happened to you in the past, but it also is not going to focus on it. Coaching is best suited for individuals who are ready for change and growth, and who are prepared to invest energy into this process.
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Kidney Wellness Coaching is available to Canadian residents who are living with or at risk of kidney disease, their care partners (loved ones who support them), and kidney donors.
This coaching is especially helpful for people who are going through a major life change, feeling “stuck,” or looking to (re)define their goals in light of health challenges or changes.
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Any subject that impacts your health or wellbeing is welcome. Your goals do not have to be related directly to your kidneys.
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No problem. The coach will work with you to explore what is working well in your life, and where you might want a change. Through thoughtful conversation and reflection, you will be supported to define an achievable goal that can propel you to move in a direction that feels right to you.
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Francine has worked as a Social Worker in renal services for over a decade. She has experience supporting patients and their care partners through all stages of kidney disease, including individuals with a new diagnosis, dialysis patients (HD, PD, HHD), those going through the transplant process, and those who choose Conservative Management.
That said, Kidney Wellness Coaching does not replace any part of your Health Care Team. Francine’s experience in Renal informs her coaching practice and allows you to speak about your experiences living with kidney disease without having to explain the basics (e.g. what is a GFR?). Coaching supplements the support you are getting from your team and as you decide, may help you to incorporate recommendations from your care team into your daily life.
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It’s free! Thanks to the Kidney Foundation supporters, kidney patients, their care partners or living organ donors are offered up to three individual half hour sessions with the coach.
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Yes. Coaching sessions are private. Professional coaches follow strict ethical rules to protect your information. The only thing the coach will share with the Kidney Foundation is when you’ve completed your session, so we can send you a survey to get your feedback.