You Don’t Have to Build a Private Practice to Be a Health Coach

When people qualify as Health and Wellness Coaches, there is often an assumption that the next logical step is to build a private practice.

Create a website. Build a social media presence. Find your niche. Market your services. Attract clients.

And while private practice can be an incredibly rewarding pathway, I think we need to have a broader conversation about what it actually means to practise as a Health and Wellness Coach.

Because what if building a private practice isn’t the only way to use your qualification?

What if your health and wellness coaching skills could become part of the work you are already doing?

The challenge of building a private practice

There are some incredible Health and Wellness Coaches who have built successful businesses and are doing amazing work with their clients. Their success stories can be inspiring and demonstrate the real impact health and wellness coaching can have.

I run a local health coach community group, and the feedback I hear is that for other qualified coaches, constantly seeing successful private practices online can sometimes feel intimidating.

You might start questioning yourself:

Why haven’t I built a successful business yet?

Am I doing something wrong?

Have I invested in a qualification that I’m not even using?

The reality is that being an excellent Health and Wellness Coach and being a successful business owner are two very different skill sets.

Not everyone wants to become an entrepreneur. Not everyone enjoys marketing, selling, creating content or constantly promoting themselves online.

And honestly, that’s okay.

Perhaps most importantly, not every Health Coach needs to build a private practice to make meaningful use of their coaching skills.

A different pathway: embedding coaching into your existing career

My own career has shown me that there can be another pathway.

I work as a Senior Career Consultant in workplace rehabilitation and career development. My role involves supporting people through significant periods of career transition, often following an injury or illness and the challenges that can come with returning to work.

On paper, I’m a Career Development Practitioner.

But over time, I’ve found that my skills as a Health and Wellness Coach have become an important part of how I support my clients.

One client reflected:

“After working with Merly, I feel empowered and in control. I’ve learned how to set clear boundaries between work and family life, and my stress levels have drastically reduced. I now manage my time more effectively and no longer feel like I’m just surviving … I’m thriving, both in my career and as a mum.”

Another client described my support as being:

“Instrumental in helping me navigate a challenging period in both my professional and personal life.”

And I think this highlights something that many of us already know: careers and wellbeing are deeply interconnected.

It can be difficult to have a meaningful conversation about someone’s career without considering things like their energy, stress, confidence, motivation, values, health and overall wellbeing.

Similarly, someone recovering from a psychological or physical injury, or an illness, may have the skills and experience to return to work. But they may still need support to rebuild their confidence, establish sustainable routines or navigate the emotional challenges that can come with a major life and career transition.

This is where I’ve been able to bring my health and wellness coaching background into my existing professional role.

My niche didn’t replace my profession, it strengthened it

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that you don’t necessarily need to leave your existing profession to develop a niche.

Sometimes, you can bring your niche into the work you’re already doing.

My particular area of interest is the intersection between career wellbeing and burnout recovery.

Rather than positioning this as something completely separate from my career development work, I’ve been able to explore how these areas can complement one another.

This has also created opportunities for me to contribute to service improvement and development within my organisation.

My role includes responsibilities such as career coaching, supporting clients to build resilience and career wellbeing, and promoting the health and wellbeing benefits of good work.

I’m also involved in developing an internal career development program, where I’m exploring ways to strategically incorporate elements of health and wellbeing coaching into the broader service delivery.

And I’ve seen first hand how a coaching approach can support meaningful outcomes for people navigating significant career and life transitions.

One client described me as:

“More than just a coach, Merly has been a true advocate, believing in my potential even when I had doubts.”

Another shared:

“Through our work together, I’ve gone from feeling low in confidence to reconnecting with a sense of pride in my achievements.”

These experiences have reinforced something important for me. Sometimes, the most meaningful part of our work isn’t necessarily helping someone achieve a particular outcome. It’s helping them reconnect with their own strengths and recognise that they are capable of moving forward.

For me, this is an exciting example of how a Health and Wellness Coach can create opportunities within an organisational structure, rather than assuming that private practice is the only pathway available.

Could your existing career be a place to practise your coaching skills?

This has led me to wonder how many other qualified Health Coaches are already working in roles where their coaching skills could add significant value.

Perhaps you work in:

• HR
• Healthcare
• Community services
• Education
• Disability services
• Leadership or management
• Allied health

You may already be having meaningful conversations with people about their goals, challenges, behaviour, motivation and wellbeing.

You may already be supporting people through change.

You may already be using some of your coaching skills without even realising how valuable they could be within your existing profession.

So perhaps the question isn’t “how do I leave my career and become a full-time Health and Wellness Coach?” Perhaps the question is “how can I use my coaching skills to enhance the work I already do?”

Creating opportunities from within

Of course, embedding health coaching into an existing profession or organisation requires thought and professional judgement.

It’s important to work within your scope of practice, understand the requirements of your role and ensure that any new approach complements, rather than duplicates, existing services.

But I also believe there is an opportunity for Health and Wellness Coaches to become a little more creative about how we position our skills.

If you’ve completed your Health and Wellness Coaching qualification and are struggling to build a private practice, I really want you to know this:

You haven’t failed.

Your coaching qualification and skills don’t become less valuable simply because you haven’t built a large social media following or filled your calendar with private clients.

You may simply need to think more broadly about where and how those skills can be applied.

Take a look at the career and professional experience you already have.

Look at the industry you currently work in.

Think about the challenges the people around you are experiencing.

Ask yourself where a coaching approach could add value.

Could you incorporate coaching skills into the work you’re already doing?

Could you help improve an existing service?

Could you identify a gap and create something new?

Could your understanding of health and wellbeing bring a different perspective to your profession?

You don’t necessarily have to abandon the career you’ve already built to become a Health and Wellness Coach.

Sometimes, your Health and Wellness Coaching qualification can help you see your existing career differently.

My health and wellness coaching qualification has also strengthened my professional identity within my day-to-day career. As an HCANZA Accredited Professional Member, I believe my health coaching background adds another layer of credibility and expertise to the work I do. 

So before you assume that private practice is the only way forward, take a moment to look at where you are right now.

There may be more opportunity there than you think.

 http://www.nurtureambition.com/bio