Quinn: Hey I’m Quinn, they them pronouns. (on edge) I am really, really, uh, yeah. Happy to be here.
Wellness Coach: Nice to meet you Quinn, and, I want you to know we’re a team, which means we’re here to work together.
Coach: Reflections invite in the opportunity to show the client that you are interested and listening well, with compassion. It shows the client that what they are saying to you is important and that you are truly invested in their journey. This goes a long way in building trust.
Quinn: Cool, that sounds great. So um.
Lately I feel like I don’t respond to stress well. When work is intense or when something’s going on at home, financially, whatever, It gets to me in ways it didn’t used to, but. So, I’m thinking maybe if I could find ways to just take better care of myself?
Coach: Reflections invite in the opportunity to show the client that you are interested and listening well, with compassion. It shows the client that what they are saying to you is important and that you are truly invested in their journey. This goes a long way in building trust.
Quinn’s thought: I feel like you get where I’m coming from. I’m glad you want to work together on all this.
Wellness Coach: How do you see better wellness helping you with difficult times?
Quinn: I remember a couple years ago, someone in my family passed away pretty suddenly. It hit me harder than I thought it would, and I spiraled. I didn’t feel like doing anything. After a while I got back to, you know, normal or whatever. But I sometimes think about it and wonder if, like, I had a more consistent routine of taking care of myself, maybe I might have caught myself a little sooner. Or better.
Coach: The Wellness Coach asked an open ended question. This invited the client to share in a meaningful way. These types of questions play an important role in keeping the client engaged.
Quinn’s thought: Huh. I’m glad you’re giving me a chance to share my thoughts and genuinely care what I have to say.
Wellness Coach: You see how wellness can help you through challenging moments.
Quinn: Yeah, exactly. I want to feel better prepared for, I don’t even know. Life has a way of going wrong, and, and all we can control is ourselves.
Thing is, as much as I want to make a change, there’s still a lot working against me.
Well, I know I could be doing more to take care of myself. And I manage to go through the steps of, like, looking up healthier foods, making a plan to exercise or have less to drink, but, then life gets in the way. Repeat every 3 months or so.
Coach: The Wellness Coach focused on the client’s intrinsic motivations. Clients who work towards intrinsic goals will likely have a higher capacity for change.
Wellness Coach: Despite your past attempts not sticking, you’re here today. That shows you’re committed to making something work.
Quinn: Thanks! I’d like to think so. But my weeks keep getting caught up with work, TV nights, then I have standing get togethers with family. And I mostly enjoy it all, but.
Coach: Affirmations help clients become aware of and tuned into their own personal strengths and values that can be used towards the changes they are trying to achieve.
Quinn’s thought: I do put a lot of work into myself. I appreciate you saying so.
Wellness Coach: So you want to find a way to balance the rest of your activities with things like being active and eating healthier.
Quinn: Yeah. I guess all the parts of my life I enjoy contribute to taking care of myself. So, from there it’s more about finding the right balance.
You know, talking about some of my challenges has me thinking.
(scoffs) This isn’t the first time I’ve considered a lifestyle change.
I haven’t had formal conversations about wellness before, the way we are now. I’ve done, you know little competitions with friends, and tried to look after myself on my own. It’s not much, but, it’s something, I guess.
Coach: The Wellness Coach focused on the client’s intrinsic motivations. Clients who work towards intrinsic goals will likely have a higher capacity for change.
Wellness Coach: Today you want to build on what you’ve done in the past.
Quinn: I’m hoping to try something that I guess feels more me. And fits my needs.
Quinn’s thought: I feel like you really understand what I’ve been saying, and you’re paying attention to me.
Wellness Coach: You want to find an activity you enjoy so it’ll be easier to stick with it.
Quinn: Yeah. I never got to decide what we were focusing on with those little competitions, so, what we’re doing now already feels pretty different.
You know, talking about my past experiences, maybe we can switch gears and focus on right now.
Most days I feel kind of drained. Not just tired, although my sleep schedule’s all over the place, most nights I only get a few hours, but it’s also like. Things are going by in a blur. Just have a hard time feeling good about most things, even things that are basically going okay. But sleep’s the thing I want to get straightened out first.
Wellness Coach: The amount of sleep we get affects so much about how we feel. What have you tried in the past to get more sleep?
Quinn: I tried limiting my screen time in the evenings, and gave up drinking coffee, for a little while at least. But I still keep staying up too late doing stuff because maybe I had to work late and I’m trying to get at least one thing I do just for me in there. But honestly, lately, even the things I enjoy doing feel less like things I enjoy doing.
Coach: The Wellness Coach asked an open ended question. This invited the client to share in a meaningful way. These types of questions play an important role in keeping the client engaged.
Wellness Coach: So, you took some initiative like limiting screen time and drinking less coffee, and you still want to find the right approach to get more sleep.
Quinn: Exactly. One of the big reasons I came in today was because what I’ve tried on my own works okay, but with your help, I’m hoping to figure out the right approach, or combination of approaches, to get more sleep.
And, like I said, I have thought about how hard it is to feel grateful about my life, if you have any thoughts on that.
Coach: Reflections invite in the opportunity to show the client that you are interested and listening well, with compassion. It shows the client that what they are saying to you is important and that you are truly invested in their journey. This goes a long way in building trust.
Quinn’s thought: I feel like you really understand what I’ve been saying, and you’re paying attention to me.
Wellness Coach: I was curious, how do you show appreciation for the things you do accomplish? Taking time to reflect on what we value can increase our well being.
Quinn: I’m not sure I really “appreciate myself?” I always feel like I have a to do list, like, a mile long, so, finding time to think about myself? I’m just so drained. I get what you’re saying though, maybe I lose track of the parts of my life that make me grateful.
Coach: The Wellness Coach asked an open ended question. This invited the client to share in a meaningful way. These types of questions plan an important role in keeping the client engaged.
Wellness Coach: So, you feel like it would be easier to reflect on what you’re grateful for if you got more sleep and had more energy.
Quinn: Yeah, I guess. I like the idea of stopping and reminding myself about that stuff. Maybe if I got more sleep, it’d help me juggle work and other obligations.
But, thinking about what I might or might not change, it, um, makes me think, you know, what would a specific plan look like?
Coach: Reflections invite in the opportunity to show the client that you are interested and listening well, with compassion. It shows the client that what they are saying to you is important and that you are truly invested in their journey. This goes a long way in building trust.
Wellness Coach: What’s a good goal to help you get more sleep?
Quinn: Hmm. I know I’ve had weekend nights where I meet up with a friend for drinks and (small chuckle) I drag myself home at like, three in the morning and end up feeling it all week. So, maybe I could try to even things out a bit and avoid those really, really late nights.
Coach: The Wellness Coach asked an open ended question. This helped her gather information that the client felt was pertinent to them. These kinds of questions also help a client to build their wellness vision and increase their self efficacy and awareness.
Quinn’s thought: I appreciate you asking me to share.
Wellness Coach: Okay, so it might work better to set a consistent sleep schedule.
Quinn: Yeah, like, even on the weekends, setting a specific time to go to sleep and wake up and sticking with it might be something worth trying.
Coach: The Wellness Coach asked an open ended question. This helped her gather information that the client felt was pertinent to them. These kinds of questions also help a client to build their wellness vision and increase their self efficacy and awareness.
Quinn’s thought: I’m glad you understand where I’m coming from.
Wellness Coach: You see how encouraging yourself to go to sleep a little earlier on the weekends could help.
Quinn: Yeah, yeah exactly. I know it’ll be hard work to try and get my sleep schedule more consistent, but, when I think about not being so tired? That could make a huge impact on my life.
Coach: Affirmations help clients become aware of and tuned into their own personal strengths and values that can be used towards the changes they are trying to achieve.
Wellness Coach: So you’re thinking about the ways a more consistent sleep schedule would benefit you.
Quinn: When my sleep schedule’s all over the place, it throws me completely out of whack. So if I can even things out, pfft. I can actually be a human, and stop, I guess, sleepwalking through my life.
Coach: The Wellness Coach focused on the client’s intrinsic motivations. Clients who work towards intrinsic goals will likely have a higher capacity for change.
Quinn’s thought: If I really think about my well being, I do care about staying active, being healthy, and, and I’d like to better myself.
Wellness Coach: As a reach goal, how would you feel about writing down something you feel grateful for every day?
Quinn: Hmm, I could see value in that. Maybe that’d help me sort of, think more positively.
For now, I’m wondering if this is a plan I can actually stick with.
I, I guess I’ll be able to follow through on the plan we made? I’m not totally sure. Usually I have to kind of, try before I know whether a change will stick.
Coach: The Wellness Coach asked an open ended question. This helped her gather information that the client felt was pertinent to them. These kinds of questions also help a client to build their wellness vision and increase their self efficacy and awareness.
Wellness Coach: So, even if you feel some uncertainty, you’re willing to try and see how changing your wellness goes.
Quinn: Right, exactly. If I don’t try, then nothing will happen. So, might as well try.
Coach: Reflections invite in the opportunity to show the client that you are interested and listening well, with compassion. It shows the client that what they are saying to you is important and that you are truly invested in their journey. This goes a long way in building trust.
Wellness Coach: Tell me more about the value you see in a change like this.
Quinn: I don’t know. Partly I want to prove that I can? And that I’m worth the investment.
Quinn: Okay! Well, I feel like we’ve talked about a lot today.
Coach: Before the client leaves it’s a good idea to summarize the visit.
Coach: Today we talked about wanting to take care of yourself for when things go wrong, how sometimes you feel stuck in a loop when trying to make a change, getting more sleep and thinking about what made you grateful, and a goal to have consistent sleep and wake times throughout the week. And as a reach goal, writing what makes you grateful. Also, how you would have to try the plan to see how easy it was to stick to it.
Quinn: Yeah, all that sounds right! Thanks again for talking, I’m feeling pretty good about everything. Hopefully next time we talk I’ll have good news for you.
Pic 3: The screen changes to one where Quinn stands alone in front of a blue background.
(to viewer)
Quinn: I felt pretty good when I left the coaching session.
I knew the plan, try to stick to a sleep schedule, and maybe try writing down what I feel grateful about.
By the time I came back, I was getting more sleep!
(proud) And, I’d started a journal of what made me grateful.
It helped me keep in mind how I wanted to look after myself, and cultivate more energy and enjoyment in my life.
Uh, I have to say, I’m, I’m really glad I came to get some help with my wellness routine. I can see myself continuing to work on it for a long time to come!