In this day and age, it’s more about mental fitness and less about “mental health.” You probably get the idea. There’s a movement to move away from the stigmifying words we use to describe mental wellness because we need to be more resilient than ever before. Health care delivery has become more accessible, through different models of primary and advanced care, and this is where health coaches really shine. Corporations, health care organizations, even schools are all offering mental health coaching.

Mental health coaches help identify patterns of stress in daily life, work, or at home. Another advantage of using a highly trained mental health coach is the combination of accessibly and affordability. There are subtle differences between mental health coaching and mental health counseling. Counseling addresses traumatic experiences, persistent longer-term behavioral issues, and deal with the past. Mental health coaching focuses on the present and future. Additionally, mental health coaches help identify current or present stressors and also their impact of feeling healthy and balanced.

Courtney Marchesani, M.S. is a Mind-Body Medicine practitioner and highly trained mental health coach. She also specializes in work-life balance, reducing the impact of stress, and deep self-care practices.