Everything you need to know about wellness coaching, a new support offered by Candidate Services
What is wellness coaching?
Wellness coaching is a new service provided by Reach to ensure that all candidates can persist and thrive in their jobs, academic programs, and personal lives. Wellness coaching is a space to reflect holistically on one’s life and identify areas one would like to create change.
As educators, we also know that our sense of purpose and engagement within communities can be deeply fulfilling, and yet, we often give so much of ourselves to others that we don’t prioritize our own wellbeing.
Everyone has the right to pursue wellness and experience it in all areas of their lives. We recognize that many of our candidates are facing systemic barriers to their wellness— and, we’re committed to helping educators push back on those barriers and advocate for themselves and others. This means that our work is emotionally and intellectually draining at times, so prioritizing our holistic wellbeing is critical to remain committed to the journey in the long run.
Why might I want to work with a wellness coach?
Wellness coaching is a great additional support in coping with the external and internal challenges of being an educator and a Reach candidate. Because wellbeing is a state that is constantly in flux, we don’t pursue “perfect wellness” through coaching. Rather, we strengthen self-awareness, self-compassion, connection, personal agency, and purpose in order to make small changes and navigate challenging situations.
There are many powerful outcomes to working with a wellness coach. Many people experience personal growth and an increased ability to maintain the practices and routines that support their wellbeing. Additionally, educators get clarity on their personal and professional values, define their vision for a sustaining and holistic career, and cultivate greater gratitude and mindfulness.
What can I talk about with a wellness coach?
Anything you’d like! Wellness coaching is a safe space to talk about work, school, and your personal life. Whether you’re struggling to balance the demands of your program, feeling overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities at home, or looking for support in identifying your own values as an educator, a coach can be a great resource for you.
How much time does it take?
We are offering two forms of wellness coaching this year:
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Individualized Coaching Cycles |
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An individual coaching cycle is three sessions, each lasting either 30 or 50 minutes. After 3 sessions, you have the opportunity to decide to continue with another 3 sessions, or end your coaching work there. Candidates can complete up to 12 sessions total between September and May. |
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Topic-Focused Single Sessions |
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Single sessions are 75 minutes and focused on a specific topic or challenge, such as:
These are longer, one-time sessions meant to help you evaluate a current situation and come up with an action plan to move forward. |
How do I access wellness coaching?
Please reach out to your dedicated advisor – as listed on your Sonis dashboard – or email CandidateServices@reach.edu (undergraduate) or Grad@reach.edu (graduate) to start or continue your wellness journey.
The process is simple to access wellness coaching:
- Talk with your advisor about whether you'd like to engage in a cycle of 3 sessions, or just a single session
- After getting a referral from your advisor, your advisor will share the link to the Reach Coach Gallery with you, where you can browse the available coaches.
- Once you choose a coach, you'll schedule your session with them directly from the Reach Coach Gallery.
Who are the wellness coaches?
The Reach Wellness coaches are all current or former educators from across the country. Previously, they worked with a nonprofit organization, edwell, to provide wellness coaching for educators. Now, they are part of the Reach team and are excited to be supporting candidates!
Wellness coaches are teachers, administrators, yoga instructors, musicians, artists, and much more! After your advisor shares the link to the Reach Coach Gallery with you, you can read more about each coach’s background and interests.
Are my conversations confidential?
Your wellness coach will do everything they can to keep the contents of your conversations private. Your coach will not report anything from your conversations back to your professors, advisors, mentors, or employers. If your coach is concerned that you may be at risk of harming yourself or others, they will break confidentiality in order to keep you safe.
There is a longer confidentiality agreement available to review when you sign up for wellness coaching, and is part of the wellness coaching client agreement that you’ll sign.
How is coaching different from therapy?
Wellness coaching is not therapy and our coaches are not clinical mental health service providers. While there is certainly some overlap, their training is different from that of a therapist or counselor.
Wellness coaches are there to guide your own self-reflection and self-learning process. They alongside you identify strategies to improve your wellbeing, and offer resources or suggestions, but they don’t have all the “answers” for you. Often, therapy has a greater emphasis on healing from past experiences, while coaching is much more focused on your present state and goals for the future.
What if I need to see a therapist or counselor?
If you are concerned about your mental health and would benefit from working with a licensed and trained mental health provider, we encourage you to seek support. Our Manager of Candidate Wellness and Accessibility, Sarah Barnes (sbarnes@reach.edu) can work with you to identify providers in your area.
Who can I contact with additional questions?
Please reach out to Sarah Barnes, Manager of Candidate Wellness and Accessibility, at sbarnes@reach.edu if you have any additional questions about coaching.