What is Cannabis Coaching?
Cannabis Health Coaching
The world of cannabis medicine is a far different experience for patients than any other treatment option. With so much control over medicine choices and dosing, many patients are overwhelmed with all there is to learn before they can really get the most out of medical cannabis.
Doctors are an integral part of the process and can provide invaluable guidance and direction, but there is often just not enough time to cover it all. In most areas, there’s also a lack of quality cannabis physicians. Many patients find themselves in large commercial “rubber stamp certification” type outfits with little actual medical care.
Cannabis Coaching can help fill this gap.
Health & wellness coaching uses evidence-based practices and strategies to help people make health changes that stick. Cannabis coaching is a specialization of health & wellness coaching, blending established coaching practices and methods, with cannabis specific guidance and education. Cannabis coaches empower patients to build confidence and become active participants in their cannabis care so they can meet their health and wellness goals. They teach clients how to integrate cannabis as a tool for larger health and wellness, and not just as a bandaid to cover symptoms.
What You Can Expect in Cannabis Coaching
Empathy, privacy, non-judgement, and an encouraging open ear
Assistance setting realistic goals and action plans while tapping into your motivation
Support and accountability to help you follow through
Positive, strengths based questions & conversations meant to move your life forward
Help figuring out the “hows” of implementing health changes - including answering all your cannabis questions
Connection to resources & tools to better achieve your goals
What Cannabis Coaching is Not
Counseling and Therapy
There is overlap between techniques used, but coaching and counseling are distinctly different modalities. Coaching typically is more present focused than therapy, and is driven by discovering what is already within you to set and achieve concrete goals.
Education and Consulting
Cannabis education is woven into many coaching programs, but just providing cannabis education is not coaching, it’s consulting. Information is everywhere. We live in an information overload society. How many times do we read the latest health buzz, think “I need to do this!” and never follow through? I can give you all the cannabis education and information in the world, but when we dig a little deeper and tap into your motivation, strengths, and goals long standing change - and a healthier you - is much easier to achieve.
Medical Diagnosis & Guidance
Coaches do not diagnosed or treat disease. That’s for doctors and other licensed health professionals.
How I Became a Cannabis Health Coach
When I made the transition into cannabis coaching I’m not sure Cannabis Coaching was actually a “thing.” As I left my counseling career to run Florida Medical Cannabis Clinic, I also began to shift my focus in my already established part-time Health & Wellness Coaching practice. I remember the day I decided to rebrand my website, remove my other coaching services, and focus on Cannabis Coaching. I scoured the internet to see if there were any other Cannabis Coaches out there and I couldn’t find anything. Not a single one. I was shocked. Since that time Cannabis Coaching gained some steam, and there are a few certification training programs up and running. With the blurry line between medical & recreational cannabis, I can only imagine that Cannabis Coaches will be an important piece in the way cannabis education and medicine meets the hands of patients in the years to come.
Requirements to be a Cannabis Health Coach
Truth is - there are none. There are no regulating boards or body specific to Cannabis Coaching, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to look for when choosing a quality coach. Health coaches come from a wide variety of backgrounds - and there are certifications and standards abound.
My personal journey to coaching started with another similar helping profession - counseling. I have a Master’s Degree in Mental Health & Rehabilitation Counseling and am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, an area of counseling specializing in people with disabilities and chronic conditions. After graduate school, I sought additional training and certification through Primal Health Coaching and the Wellcoaches Health & Wellness Coaching Certification Program. I chose the Wellcoaches program as it’s a rigorous scientific based coaching program and allows me to sit for the newly established National Health & Wellness Coaching Board Certification. I’ve continued to maintain certifications from both of these organizations, which requires ongoing testing and/or continuing education. I’ve also completed the Healer Certification - a cannabis specific program - in addition to relentless self-study and 2 years working with cannabis patients.
