Dr Vicki Bowman, GP, North Norfolk

I was keen to have more effective consultations with patients and promote this transformational mindset. By utilising health coaching skills, my objectives have definitely been achieved. I find consultations less stressful and more enjoyable, I have seen a reduction in prescribing, referral and repeat consultations, and an increase in patient satisfaction.

I have completed a ‘Train the Trainer’ course, have attended regular Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions, and have embedded the role within my day to day work in interactions with patients, staff and colleagues.

I now see every patient contact as an opportunity to tap into a patient's own motivations for wellness. I no longer feel the stress of trying to 'solve' my patients problems and the appointments are conversations rather than transactional consultations. I feel more resilient, I have also found that staff feel more valued and have a greater sense of their own potential.

The main challenges I have found are how to encourage GPs away from a more transactional model and how to make health coaching seem less 'fluffy' to the uninitiated.

I have now found a colleague within my organisation and we are joining forces to try and persuade our organisation to allow us to deliver training which will hopefully allow us to gather more positive evidence...from small acorns, great oak trees grow.

Tips for success in health coaching:

Have an open mind - embrace the shift in mindset
Have a network of enlightened colleagues for support, ideally a 'buddy' in your own organisation
Complete ongoing CPD and opportunities to develop as a coach
Subscribe to updates of progress nationally
Enjoy your conversations

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Kate Nash, Lead Respiratory Nurse Specialist, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

December 17, 2018

I am using health coaching in my clinical practice and have been given eight days per year outside of my existing role to train others.

Nina Finlay, Trudi Dunn, Zoe Noble, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

December 17, 2018

Each of us noted positive clinical experiences resulting from the application of health coaching skills following an initial two-day training course.

David Sweeting and Kieran Morling, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists, East Coast Community CIC

December 17, 2018

We both work with patients suffering with persistent musculoskeletal pain, many have maladaptive coping strategies that contribute to their symptoms.

Ross Joannides, Team Leader, Impact Health Coaching, West Sussex

December 17, 2018

Having previously worked with young adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems, I became very passionate about the opportunity to implement a new approach.

"Conversation doesn't just reshuffle the
cards. It creates new cards."

How talk can change our lives,
Theodore Zeldin

"I particularly valued the sense of presence I felt Penny had during the coaching sessions. She was able to think of ideas or tools to use in the moment. I was offered words of comfort or encouragement when I needed to hear them. I found Penny friendly and empathic, while professional, analytical and with appropriate boundaries and control of the sessions. I genuinely feel the coaching I have received has been exactly what I needed at this point in time."

"Penny is a great listener, empathetic and also has a good sense of humour so makes you feel very at ease. Penny also has an amazing ability to sum up what I have said and help me make sense of it, through discussion and use of different models. I have really enjoyed working with Penny and will miss our sessions!"

"Penny has a great attitude of being supportive but also being frank and honest. I really valued my coaching experience with Penny especially the space she gave me to develop a different, more constructive understanding and perspective of the environment in which I found myself."

"The sessions were hard work, but they provided me with clarity on my key strengths, gave me direction on what was important to me and focussed my attention on what to work on next. I was also able to explore internal barriers and unhelpful beliefs which may be holding me back and identify unwanted behaviours which could led to burn out if left unchecked.Penny was an excellent coach who not only used coaching techniques to help me secure my goal but also gave me time to focus on my wellbeing and work life balance."

"I have really loved Penny's style of coaching and found it a particularly good fit for me. Penny has been super-creative and used a wide range of prompts to help me think in different ways including drawing, meditation, breathing, talking to bits of myself etc. She generates clear and helpful hypotheses which move my thinking on and refuses to let me stagnate.

"Penny was excellent as a coach. I found Penny was able to achieve a lot through this in the short punchy sessions we had. She demonstrated high levels of empathy, compassion but did not collude. She was also able to challenge me when patterns of thinking or behaviour emerged in a way that was helpful. She was excellent at playing back my words to help me think more deeply.Above all her non-judgmental manner and approach and kindness with which she coached was inspirational to me as someone who works in this area – she really is holistic and has so much to offer to clients."

"Penny helped me to have a more positive focus to everyday problems, have a more helicopter view of my future and realise the impact of my NHS devotion on my personal health. While with other coaches sometimes I was ending the session confused and disoriented, Penny managed somehow to always create a direction. I could say that Penny inspirational and challenging at the same time – but knows when to stop challenging and offer focus."

"The coaching has made such a huge impact, not just professionally but on a personal level too. Penny is extremely intuitive, she gets me, and can read into situations things I wouldn't even see, and get straight to the point. I instantly felt at ease with Penny, she's an extraordinary coach who has boosted my confidence in ways that I don't think she can ever appreciate. I could not recommend her highly enough."

"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with my coach and I have found our time hugely beneficial. She has an exceptional ability to create a safe, non-judgmental and positive environment, which allowed me a deeper level of exploration and growth. She helped me acknowledge and process my emotions in the best interest for my future – for example she challenged my thinking in a way that deepened my thinking and opened my mind to alternative possibilities and realities. Penny is a brilliant coach and it has been an absolute pleasure working with her."

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Note on language

Health coaching works with all health and care professionals and peers. Our primary audience is the NHS, therefore all of our resources use the term 'clinicians' in place of 'coaches'. Health coaching skills can be used equally by all health and care professionals and peer coaches.

Similarly, although we wish to avoid language which suggests dependency, for clarity we refer to the term 'patients' to refer to an individual who is seeking care and support.

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