Turn advice into action so change sticks

Around 80% of people struggle to achieve their health goals due to deeply ingrained habits, especially those related to food, which are often influenced by emotional connections. Health coaches are experts in the science of behavioural change, helping you navigate these challenges with clarity and ease.

They understand the difficulties of making lasting changes because they’ve often faced similar obstacles themselves. As your guide, supporter, and accountability partner, health coaches make it easier to stay on track. Many of our patients find the support from their health coach invaluable, often realising its true importance after experiencing it firsthand.

Health coaching is a key part of our service because it’s essential for achieving lasting results. While it’s a departure from traditional healthcare approaches, we believe that combining functional medicine with coaching is the most effective way to drive meaningful change. It’s this holistic approach that has contributed to our success, including winning the 2024 ATMS Clinic of the Year award. We’re confident that working with a coach will set you up for long-term success.

You might be able to tell from your previous experiences with change. If you've seen practitioners and started off strong with lifestyle change, taking supplements and staying on track but then adherence has dwindled or completely dropped off, coaching is ideal for you.

It's one thing to introduce a change, and quite another to stick with it over time. Having a coach to support your change behaviour is ideal for this scenario.

Our coaches work with people who:

• May not yet be patients at Melbourne Functional Medicine, yet want to get started with health change in a practical way, our coaches are open to new clients
• Existing patients of the clinic working with a practitioner either
  • just starting care
  • navigating a tricky aspect of their current treatment plan
  • those who have completed our healthcare program and want continued guidance to stay on track over time

Your practitioner sets the clinical direction: diagnosis, testing, treatment plan.

Your health coach helps you live it, turning that plan into daily habits and helping you through the practical and emotional side of change.

Not like a coach. Your practitioner will guide you towards your best clinical treatment plan. In reality, they seldom have enough time to explore how you might implement your plan. Practitioners haven't had the same training a coach. While they are well suited to guide your treatment, a coach is your best fit for change.

Yes. We hear this a lot and for some people, it's correct. For many people who do change well, coaching adapts to a higher support role around resources, continuity of care and advocacy adding value in other ways.

No. Your practitioner will establish your treatment plan. Your coach is there to ensure you have the resources, the plan and that you understand what habits might get in the way of success. Coaching is more listening than telling because there is nothing more powerful than you coming up with your own answer. What is often missing are the right questions to help you see what gets in the way.

Our health coaches are fully accredited by HCANZA (Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association), which means they meet rigorous standards of professionalism, training, and ongoing development.

All our coaches are highly experienced working in a healthcare setting, and in addition have firsthand experience navigating their own health challenges. This gives them a deep sense of empathy and understanding for what it’s like to make meaningful changes to diet, lifestyle, and habits.

They’re not just knowledgeable – they’re compassionate, supportive partners who walk alongside you throughout your health journey.