5 Important Boundaries Wellness Coaches Should Set With Clients
Boundaries are the backbone of any successful wellness coaching relationship. This article demystifies the top 5 crucial limits that coaches must maintain, shared through the lens of seasoned industry professionals. Dive into the wisdom of maintaining professional roles, ensuring clients' commitment to goals, and more for a thriving coaching practice.
- Clients Must Take Action on Goals
- Maintain Professional Role as Consultant
- Clear Scheduling and Time Management
- Define Scope of Role as Coach
- Clients Must Be Curious and Open-Minded
Clients Must Take Action on Goals
One crucial boundary I set with my conscious trauma-informed life coaching clients is that I must see them take action on the goals we set together. While I'm happy to offer guidance, accountability, and support, real progress happens when clients actively implement the strategies we discuss. This boundary ensures that our work together is results-driven and that clients remain engaged in their own transformation process.
I communicate this boundary clearly during our initial consultation, where I explain that I can't do the work for them, but I will be their partner in creating actionable steps. We set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) goals during each session, and I ask clients to report on their progress before our next meeting. I also make it clear that if they're not taking action, we may need to revisit our approach or even reassess whether coaching is the right fit for them at the moment.
To enforce this boundary, I check in with clients about their progress regularly, offering encouragement when they've taken action but also reminding them of the importance of staying accountable. If progress stalls, I have open and honest conversations with them, helping them break down any barriers and motivating them to get back on track. Clarity is key!
Maintain Professional Role as Consultant
Boundaries are an integral part of maintaining structure, safety, and taking care of yourself and others. As such, they are an important part of having a professional practice. One boundary that I implement in my practice is to maintain my professional role and therefore I do not engage with clients in any manner that might distract from my role as a consultant. Setting boundaries can be easier said than done at times. I've found that boundaries are easier to implement and more outright respectful if there is a two-part focus: 1) I highlight my prioritization and 2) I cultivate a strong internal locus of control.
For example, I may say to a client that my priority is to assist and offer my professional services to them and if I step out of this role, it could interfere with the way they experience me, receive subsequent advice, or build resentments surrounding the process of wellness coaching, thereby hindering my ability to truly help them.
This example clearly communicates my priority and demonstrates self-mastery over the situation (internal locus of control); i.e., I am not asking for a behavior change on their part, but instead, I am communicating what I am willing to do or not do.
This approach models respect, professionalism, and helps create safety and structure within the client relationship.
Clear Scheduling and Time Management
As Dubai's pioneering 24/7 recovery facility, one of our most essential boundaries is clear scheduling and time management. While we believe in being accessible (hence our round-the-clock service), we emphasize that true wellness requires structure and commitment.
We communicate this by being transparent about our session durations and encouraging clients to honor their scheduled times. Just as our ice baths have specific optimal durations for maximum benefit, coaching relationships thrive on clear temporal boundaries.
We enforce this respectfully through:
Pre-booking systems
Clear session timeframes
Educational communication about why timing matters in recovery
Automated access codes that maintain schedule integrity
This approach ensures both clients and coaches maintain professional relationships while maximizing the benefits of each session. Just as our facility combines accessibility with structure, our boundary-setting reflects our commitment to sustainable wellness practices.
Define Scope of Role as Coach
Good day,
What is one crucial boundary you set with your wellness coaching clients?
I am Dr. Gregory Gasic, a Neuroscientist, scientific consultant, and Co-founder of VMeDx. One crucial boundary I set with wellness coaching clients is clearly defining the scope of my role as a coach rather than a healthcare provider. While I offer guidance rooted in scientific principles and evidence-based strategies, I emphasize that wellness coaching is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This boundary ensures clients understand that I support their well-being, such as improving habits, mindset, or self-care strategies. Still, their primary healthcare providers or specialists must address any medical concerns or decisions. Establishing this boundary maintains ethical practice, prevents overstepping professional roles, and fosters a collaborative approach where coaching complements, rather than replaces, medical care.
How do you communicate and enforce this boundary to maintain a professional and respectful relationship?
To communicate and enforce this boundary, I start by clearly outlining the scope of my role during the initial consultation or onboarding session. I explain that while I provide evidence-based guidance to support their wellness goals, any medical concerns, diagnoses, or treatments must be directed to their healthcare provider. This is also documented in a written agreement or consent form, ensuring transparency and mutual understanding. I reinforce this boundary when necessary throughout the coaching process by redirecting medical questions or concerns to their physician or specialist. For example, if a client raises a health issue outside the scope of coaching, I might say, "That's an important concern, and I recommend discussing it with your doctor to ensure you receive the appropriate care." I also ensure that my language and approach are collaborative and respectful, emphasizing that the client's overall care team, including me as their coach, is working together to support their well-being. By maintaining open communication and consistently reinforcing this boundary, I build trust, foster professionalism, and ensure the relationship remains respectful and ethically grounded.
Clients Must Be Curious and Open-Minded
The guiding principles I ask of my clients from the beginning are to be curious, open-minded, and committed. There are times when I come back to these core principles and remind them. My boundary is not to work against questioning the process and thus sabotaging it. Basically, I ask them to open their boundaries. I need clients to be deeply engaged and open to unconventional coaching methods. An important factor in helping them trust the process is that we clearly define their goal beforehand, what they want to achieve. We define this goal in detail to achieve clarity. There is also clarity in defining the milestones we want to achieve. When I choose the methods to get them there, I make them achievable, but they are often on this particular path for the first time, so they have to go through it until they reach each milestone. This requires curiosity, and in itself is a great way to learn to stay curious when entering uncharted territory, as we often do in these fast times.
