This is the eighth episode of our special podcast series exploring the Sept/Oct themed issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal on professionalization and advocacy. In this episode, we’ll discuss the professionalization in Wellness Coaching, with Margaret Moore, a contributor to the article in the themed issue entitled "Lessons Learned from the Wellness Coaching Profession: The Path to Healthcare Recognition."
Margaret is a trailblazer in the wellness coaching (aka health and well-being coaching) field. With nearly 25 years of experience, Margaret shares her entrepreneurial journey and offers unique insights into the professionalization of wellness coaching. Discover the parallels between wellness coaches and exercise professionals as they both strive for recognition within healthcare, and learn about the importance of collaboration, unified standards, and national credentials in driving this change.
Margaret's story is an inspiring testament to the power of adaptability and strategic positioning. She recounts her unexpected path to engaging with major healthcare organizations, illustrating the importance of quality work and collaboration with other experts in the field. Through Margaret’s compelling narrative, uncover how wellness coaching is carving its place in healthcare, and what it means for the exercise profession.
This episode explores the complexities of gaining acceptance and reimbursement in clinical practice, while highlighting the evolving acceptance of lifestyle medicine. Learn how language and strategic positioning have been crucial in navigating healthcare policy, and the role of evidence-based practices in advancing the field.
Margaret’s collaboration with scientists and her role in creating the industry-first coach training curriculum designed for health professionals and training thousands of coaches underscore the importance of using science to inspire positive change, offering a guide for both wellness and exercise professionals seeking to make their mark.
Our Guest: Margaret Moore, MBA NBC-HWC
Margaret Moore/Coach Meg, MBA, is an executive coach, coaching leader and entrepreneur. Following 17 years in the biotech industry, in 2000, Margaret founded Wellcoaches Corporation, a School of Coaching for health professionals which has trained 16,000 coaches in 50 countries. She is co-founder (2009) and chair of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital and a course director of the Harvard Medical School Coaching in Leadership & Healthcare conference. In 2010 Margaret co-founded the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Board of Medical Examiners, establishing coaching standards, coach certification, CPT (billing) codes and healthcare reimbursement of coaching services in the US.
Margaret is co-author of 26 peer-reviewed articles and 10 book chapters on coaching, the peer-reviewed Coaching Psychology Manual published by Wolters Kluwer, Harvard Health books Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life and Organize Your Emotions, Optimize Your Life, and a co-editor and chapter author of the American Medical Association’s Coaching in Medical Education. Her new co-authored book ‘The Science of Leadership: Nine Ways to Expand your Impact’ will be published by Berrett Koehler in summer 2025.
Links from this Episode:
Article: Lessons Learned from the Wellness Coaching Profession: The Path to Healthcare Recognition
https://www.wellcoachesschool.com/