There is no question that managing ongoing or chronic health conditions is the health challenge of our time. Half of all adults are dealing with at least one chronic medical condition. Of those, approximately 23% are dealing with multiple conditions (Boehmer et al., 2016). The numbers are increasing both as the population ages and as more younger people develop conditions. This is a staggering number of people.

Managing these conditions can be overwhelming and frustrating for both the patient and the clinician, resulting in a downward spiral that helps neither. Our medical system, as it stands now, is simply not equipped to manage these numbers. Patients are overwhelmed by their experience and feel isolated and ashamed. Clinicians have limited time to connect with patients to understand their struggles and they also can feel overwhelmed by the immensity of the problem, increasing their stress. When patients are unsuccessful with implementing their treatment plan, clinicians see them as  “non-compliant”.  The patient can become overwhelmed, embarrassed, and scared. In this highly charged medical environment, neither the caregiver nor the patient benefits. This dynamic is a recipe for failure.

Healing Ground Health Coaching can interject fresh insight into this downward spiral by shifting the patient’s attention from an over-stressed medical system and into their own story. Because I am not trained as a conventional medical practitioner, I am able to partner with the client to provide a fresh perspective.. This allows them to move from a defensive posture into a more centered and present state. The client is then better able to marshal their internal resources necessary to move out of helplessness and into action. As they take steps toward sustainable lifestyle changes, they begin to take responsibility for their well-being.