Health Counselor

What a Health Counselor Does

Health counselors, also known as health coaches, are qualified professionals who have expertise in nutrition and wellness and can help patients live longer, healthier lives. They work with individuals and groups to develop methods that can help them achieve health goals, change behaviors and avoid illness and injury. Some of the most common issues they deal with are weight loss, food cravings, sleep, energy and appropriate nutrition. While health counselors are focused primarily on physical health, they can also help clients to improve other aspects of their lives from relationships to overall happiness. Much of their work is done through discussions with clients, but they will also provide tools and instruction on ways to live healthier and develop better habits. Health coaches can be found in hospitals, weight loss centers and in their own private practices, providing help and motivation to those who want to make changes in how they see their health and their bodies.

How to Become a Health Counselor

Becoming a health counselor follows the same path as many other counseling professions. First, students will need to enroll in a bachelor's degree program for counseling or psychology. Because health counselors focus on health and nutrition issues, they will need to take courses that also touch on these issues, helping them learn more about the body and what it needs to function properly. Additionally, those in this field should remember that if they want to counsel others on health they'll need to live a healthy life themselves to set a good example. While a bachelor's degree might suffice in some states, others will require a master's degree so investigate this beforehand. After graduation, you'll need to get certification if you want practice in your state. This can be offered through general counseling boards or through those more specifically dedicated to health counseling.

Career Outlook for Health Counselors

As of 2009, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index reported that over 63.1% of adult Americans were overweight or obese with fewer than half exercising even one day a week. With such shocking statistics, there are no shortage of people who could use the services of a health counselor. As people look for ways to live healthier and change their lifestyles, more qualified professionals are needed to help them do this and the demand for these positions will increase over the next few decades. Most work for health counselors will be found in group or private practices, but other facilities may be looking to hire these kinds of professionals as well. Employment of counselors as a whole is expected to increase 18 percent through the next decade, making the chances of finding work better than average. Factors like location and education will also influence the ability of individuals to find employment, and in certain parts of the country, especially big cities, services of health counselors may be much more in-demand.