My Scope of Practice
Nutritional Health Coaching Scope of Practice
From the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
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Conditions
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
Work with people who are generally healthy with mild health concerns such as:
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Headache
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Fatigue
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Sugar cravings
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do not:
Claim to cure disease or work with people with complex, advanced diseases such as:
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Cancer
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Kidney failure
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Serious eating disorders
Age
Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Work with adults
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Get written authorisation from a legal guardian to work with children
Nutritional Health Coaches Do not:
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Work with minors without written authorisation from their legal guardian.
Medical
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
Suggest that a client:
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Ask their doctor about alternatives to medication
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Get a second doctor’s opinion if they are unsure
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
Suggest a client:
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Stop or change prescription medication or stop seeing their doctor
Diet
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Suggest ways to “crowd out” the following: caffeine, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, junk food, and dairy
Nutritional Health Coaches Do not:
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Suggest a client exclude major food groups or recommend extreme detox programs
Supplements
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
Recommend:
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Fruits, vegetables, and water
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Superfoods
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Speaking to their doctor about supplements
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
Recommend:
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Controversial supplements or very high doses
Relationships
Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Give people time to talk about the important relationships in their lives.
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Promote participation in social events to meet new people.
Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
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Promote major changes like divorce or support passive aggressive behavior with friends and/or family
Career
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Recommend that clients explore new hobbies and interests
Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
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Recommend that your client quit their job
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Spirituality
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Advise clients to engage in self-reflection and experience nature
Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
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Advise your client to change religious affiliation
Liability
Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Get liability insurance
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Use a programme agreement when working with clients.
Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
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Call themselves a registered dietitian or nutritionist
General
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Nutritional Health Coaches Do:
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Partner to inspire and co-create transformative growth
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Help strategise from the side-lines
Nutritional Health Coaches Do Not:
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Diagnose, treat, or prescribe
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“Play the game” for their clients
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Ethical Declaration
As a Nutritional Health Coach I will:
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Ask powerful and illuminating questions
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Provide clients with a safe, non-judgmental space to discuss their celebrations, concerns, and obstacles
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Respect personal and physical boundaries
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Create sustainable accountability
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Define and manage the health coaching relationship with clear agreements
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Promote confidentiality, security, and privacy
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Be clear and upfront with regards to payments
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Let my clients know what they can expect from me as a coach
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Discuss conflicts of interest
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Always be professional
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Give good client service by returning phone calls and emails in a timely fashion
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Be on time for sessions
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