Mayo Clinic Health Coaching programs draw upon the expertise of Mayo Clinic specialists, and integrate the latest scientifically-supported behavior change theory to help participants make lasting changes in their health habits.

Health Behavior Change Programs Draw
on Mayo Clinic Experts to Help People
Make Lasting Changes

Information is important to health behavior change programs, but information delivery alone is unlikely to help most people make a lasting change. (For example, this statement isn't likely to get a person up and moving: “According to public health guidelines, you should accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week, so please begin that immediately.”)

Behavioral scientists and evidence-based clinicians increasingly support interventions based on collaboration and building of self-confidence and problem-solving skills for change, rather than one-way information delivery from the “expert” to the health consumer. Two examples of approaches used for enhancing people’s abilities to make and maintain health behavior change include self-management education and motivational interviewing.

Self-management education

Individuals with chronic conditions are challenged with medical management, such as taking medication properly, changing their diet and self-monitoring blood sugar; management of their multiple life roles (e.g., work, family); and management of emotional responses such as frustration, anger, or fear due to the presence of a chronic condition. Self-management education is meant to assist health care consumers by improving their confidence in their ability to manage the many challenges associated with living a healthy life and managing chronic conditions. Individuals are empowered to collaborate with their health care providers. Self-management education complements and extends beyond traditional education by emphasizing problem solving, enhancing self-confidence for change, and collaborative goal setting for behavior change.

Motivational interviewing

This counseling style emphasizes the importance of expressing empathy, avoiding direct confrontation with an individual’s resistance to change — which is thought to increase resistance — and enhancing the individual’s self-efficacy (confidence in ability to successfully make a change). A goal is to develop a discrepancy between the individual’s current behavior and overall goals and values. Interventions utilizing motivational interviewing techniques have been used for reduction of health risk behavior (e.g., exercise, diet, alcohol and tobacco interventions).

These approaches are integrated into clinical health behavior change services at Mayo Clinic, and into the development of health intervention programs offered to organizations telephonically.

Mayo Clinic Health Coaching programs draw upon the expertise of Mayo Clinic specialists in behavioral psychology, preventive medicine, endocrinology, nutrition, sports medicine and internal medicine for developmental direction of our programs. Program modules integrate the latest scientifically supported behavior change theory with our clinical experience to help participants make lasting changes in their health habits.

The Mayo Clinic Health Coaching programs' collaborative approach requires skilled guidance by behavior change professionals. Our lifestyle coaching counselors are degreed in psychology, social work, sociology and counseling. Lifestyle coaching counselors receive specialized training in behavior change and motivational interviewing techniques in order to lead program participants more effectively through the behavior change process.