What Does It Actually Mean to Work With a Functional Health Coach?

Oct 5

7 min read

5 questions about my approach, functional testing and working together

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about functional health, functional lab testing, foundations, and one of my favorite phrases: Test, Don’t Guess.

But what does any of that actually mean?

And maybe more importantly, what would it actually look like to work with me?

I realized recently that I answer many of the same questions when I talk with women who are curious about health coaching or functional testing.

Do I have to do testing?

Is this just about nutrition?

What kinds of symptoms do you work with?

What happens after I get my results?

How do I even know if I need this kind of support?

So I wanted to put the answers in one place.

Because functional health coaching isn’t about handing you another diet to follow or a long list of supplements to take. For me, it’s about looking at the bigger picture, understanding what your body may be telling you, and figuring out what support actually makes sense for you.

Here are five of the questions I hear most often.

1. What exactly is functional health coaching?

When I talk about taking a functional approach to health, I’m talking about much more than what you eat.

Of course nutrition matters. But so do your sleep, stress, movement, recovery, digestion, blood sugar, hormones, environment and the way you’re actually living your day-to-day life.

Those things don't exist in separate little boxes.

Maybe you're exhausted, your sleep has changed, you're bloated after meals and your body suddenly seems to respond differently to the things you've always done.

We could look at each of those symptoms individually.

Or we could take a step back and ask: What is happening in the bigger picture?

Are you eating enough? Are you getting adequate protein, fiber and carbohydrates? Are you going long stretches without eating and then crashing later in the day? Are you strength training but giving your body enough fuel and recovery to actually benefit from it? Are you sleeping? How much stress are you carrying? Are you having regular bowel movements? Have you checked things like thyroid function, iron or other nutrient levels?

That’s the lens I bring to health coaching.

Rather than immediately chasing individual symptoms, I want to understand the foundations first and then determine whether we need more information.

Sometimes relatively small changes to those foundations make a significant difference.

And sometimes you're already doing a lot of those things and still don't feel like yourself.

That's when it may be time to dig deeper.

The goal isn't to chase every symptom. It's to understand what may be contributing to how you feel and create realistic changes that support your body.

2. Do I need functional lab testing to work with you?

No.

I know that may sound surprising coming from someone who says Test, Don't Guess, but I don't believe everyone needs every test.

Testing is a tool. It's not the entire approach.

Before ordering functional labs, I want to understand what you're already doing.

How are you fueling yourself? How is your sleep? What's happening with your digestion? What does exercise look like? What is your stress load? How well are you recovering?

Because a GI test isn't going to replace eating enough fiber. A hormone test isn't going to replace adequate sleep. And no supplement protocol can compensate for chronically under-fueling your body.

The foundations still matter.

But that doesn't mean you have to “earn” testing by getting all of those things perfect first.

Sometimes a client wants the data upfront—and that's okay too.

I've worked with clients who know they would feel more motivated to make changes if they could first see what was happening in their own body. Having that information can give the recommendations more context. Instead of simply hearing, “You need to prioritize sleep, eat differently or support your digestion,” you may better understand why we're focusing on those things for you.

For some people, that information creates clarity and motivation. For others, it makes more sense to work on the foundations first and see what changes before deciding whether testing would add anything useful.

And sometimes symptoms or health history give us a good reason to gather more information from the beginning.

There isn't one right starting point for everyone.

We'll talk about your symptoms, goals, what you've already tried and what you want to know. Together, we can decide whether it makes sense to test right away, start with foundational changes, or do a combination of both.

When testing is appropriate, I may use functional labs to take a closer look at areas such as gut health, hormones and thyroid function. Rather than randomly trying supplements or making increasingly restrictive changes to your diet, testing can help us make more informed decisions about where to focus.

That's what Test, Don't Guess means to me.

It doesn't mean test everything.

It means use testing when the information is going to help us better understand your body and guide what we do next.

3. What kinds of symptoms or concerns do you typically work with?

A lot of the women who come to me wouldn't necessarily describe themselves as “sick.”

They just know they don't feel like themselves anymore.

Maybe you're tired all the time despite feeling like you should be getting enough sleep.

Maybe your body composition is changing even though you're exercising and eating “healthy.”

Maybe you're dealing with bloating, constipation, diarrhea or other digestive symptoms that seem to come and go.

Maybe you're noticing more hair shedding, cravings, energy crashes, poor exercise recovery or changes in your menstrual cycle.

Or maybe you're somewhere in your 40s or 50s and wondering:

Is this perimenopause...or is something else going on?

Sometimes you've already been to your doctor. You've had bloodwork done. You've been told everything looks normal.

And yet you still don't feel well.

Those are the kinds of situations where I want to take a closer look.

I work primarily with women in midlife who want to better understand what's happening in their bodies and support themselves through this stage of life without immediately resorting to eating less, exercising more or jumping from one wellness trend to another.

I also work with clients outside of that demographic when my approach is an appropriate fit, including couples who want to improve their health together.

You also don't have to feel terrible before asking for support.

Some women come to me because they feel relatively good and want to be proactive about their health as they move through midlife.

You don't have to wait until something feels broken to start paying attention.

4. What actually happens when I work with you?

This is probably the question people are most curious about because functional health coaching can sound a little mysterious from the outside.

It isn't.

We start with a complimentary 30-minute discovery call.

This gives me a chance to hear what's been going on, what you're struggling with, what you've already tried and what you're hoping to change.

It also gives you a chance to ask questions and decide whether my approach feels like a good fit.

If we decide to work together, we'll determine what testing makes sense based on your symptoms, history and goals.

Once your results are available, we meet for a comprehensive results session.

And this is an important distinction:

I don't just hand you a stack of lab results and send you on your way.

We walk through what we're seeing, how different findings may fit together, and what we're going to do with that information.

From there, I create an individualized plan that may include nutrition, lifestyle and targeted supplement recommendations based on your needs.

Then comes a piece I think is incredibly important: coaching.

Because knowing what to do and actually figuring out how to do it in your real life are two very different things.

You have work. Kids. Travel. Holidays. Stressful weeks. Restaurants. Workouts. Nights when you don't sleep. Days when everything goes sideways.

Your health plan has to exist in that life.

That's why the coaching and ongoing support matter just as much to me as the testing.

Information gives us direction. Coaching helps you turn that information into change.

5. How do I know if working with a functional health coach is right for me?

You might be ready for this kind of support if you're tired of guessing.

Maybe you've tried changing your diet.

You've bought the supplements.

You've exercised more.

You've Googled every symptom.

You've listened to podcasts and followed health accounts and saved so many posts that you now have more information than you know what to do with.

But you're still wondering:

What does MY body actually need?

Or maybe you're doing a lot of things “right,” but something still feels off and you'd like someone to help you look at the bigger picture.

You may also simply want accountability.

Sometimes you know what you should be doing, but you need help turning that knowledge into habits you can actually maintain.

And sometimes you want to be proactive. You want to understand what's happening in your body now so you can better support your health, strength, energy and longevity moving forward.

You don't need to know which test you need.

You don't need to have your symptoms figured out.

And you certainly don't need to arrive with the perfect diet or lifestyle.

That's what the conversation is for.

Still not sure? Start with a conversation.

If you've been wondering whether functional testing or health coaching could be helpful for you, the easiest first step is a complimentary 30-minute discovery call.

Book here: https://l.bttr.to/Y9HOt

We'll talk about what's been going on, what you've already tried, what you'd like to change and whether my approach makes sense for you.

And if I don't think functional testing or working together is what you need, I'll tell you that too.

Because the goal isn't to test everyone.

The goal is to help you better understand your body and determine the next step that actually makes sense for you.

Test, Don't Guess.

Small shifts create big change.