Empower Your Wellness Journey with Integrative Health & Wellness Coaching in Brooklyn, NY
Working with a Health and Wellness Coach (HWC) can be transformative for individuals seeking to optimize their well-being and maximize their potential across multiple dimensions of life. At Mind Body Psychiatry, our coaching approach recognizes that wellness is holistic—encompassing the interconnected physical, emotional, social, and environmental aspects of your life.
Wellness exists on a continuum, and no matter your current state of health, there is always potential to advance toward greater vitality and balance. Our coaching partnership helps you mobilize your internal strengths and external resources, develop effective self-management strategies, and make sustainable, healthy lifestyle changes that align with your personal values and vision.
What is Health and Wellness Coaching ?
Health and wellness coaching is a client-centered process where coaches partner with you to facilitate and empower the development and achievement of your self-determined health goals. Unlike clinical providers who diagnose and treat specific conditions, wellness coaches focus on:
- Wellness promotion rather than treating disease
- Mobilizing your internal strengths and external resources
- Developing self-management strategies for sustainable lifestyle changes
- Supporting you in achieving health goals that align with recommendations from your healthcare providers
- Facilitating insight, goal setting, and accountability to foster positive change
As your coach and facilitator, Shoshana creates a supportive partnership that honors your wisdom and autonomy while providing the structure, accountability, and encouragement to help you thrive.
How Health & Wellness Can Help
Research-Supported Benefits
Growing scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of health and wellness coaching for numerous aspects of well-being:
- Stress management & mental well-being
- Weight management & sustainable nutrition
- Cardiovascular health & cholesterol management
- Diabetes & glycemic control
- Hypertension
- Quality of life for those with chronic conditions
- Smoking cessation
- Adoption of healthy lifestyle habits
- Overall wellness and life satisfaction
The Coaching Approach
Working with a coach provides unique benefits that complement traditional healthcare:
- A safe, empathetic environment for meaningful exploration
- Active listening and thoughtful reflections that deepen your self-awareness
- Support in finding your own solutions to personal challenges
- Focus on the present and future while drawing wisdom from past experiences
- Guidance in pursuing goals that align with recommendations from your healthcare providers
- A structured approach to implementing sustainable changes
Our Health & Wellness Program
Structured Support for Lasting Change
Mind Body Psychiatry offers a comprehensive coaching program designed to provide consistent support while respecting your autonomy:
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Discovery Call (30 minutes, Complimentary)
Begin with a no-cost discovery call to explore your goals, discuss the coaching process, and determine if our approach aligns with your needs.
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General Laboratory Testing
This initial session establishes the groundwork for your coaching journey. Together with Shoshana, you'll:
- • Explore your wellness vision and aspirations
- • Identify key strengths and resources
- • Understand current challenges and opportunities
- • Develop initial action steps aligned with your goals
- • Create a personalized framework for ongoing session
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Follow-Up Sessions (Five 45-minute sessions)
Scheduled approximately every two weeks over a three-month period, these sessions build on your foundation:
- • Review progress and celebrate wins
- • Explore challenges and adjust strategies as needed
- • Deepen insights and self-awareness
- • Refine goals and action steps
- • Build motivation and accountability
- • Develop sustainable practices for continued growth
Program Structure
- • Six sessions total over three months
- • Flexible scheduling to accommodate your needs
- • Option for professional collaboration with your healthcare team (with your permission)
- • Comprehensive support between sessions
- • $300 monthly investment ($900 total for the program)
Meet Your Coach
Shoshana Silverman Belisle, NBC-HWC
Shoshana (she/her) is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach who draws upon her extensive knowledge and training in integrative healthcare, holistic health, and mental health care to help clients make sustainable lifestyle changes that support their overall well-being.
Driven by a lifelong passion for holistic wellness, she provides a client-centered, empathic, and strengths-based approach to helping you enhance your well-being, optimize your health, and lead a more connected, authentic, and purposeful life.
As a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), Shoshana has completed rigorous training in coaching methodologies and passed the national board examination administered in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners—ensuring the highest standards of coaching excellence.
Areas of Focus in Health & Wellness
Health and wellness coaching addresses the full spectrum of lifestyle factors that influence well-being, including:
Physical Wellness
- Nutrition: Finding sustainable eating patterns that nourish your body and align with your preferences
- Movement: Developing enjoyable physical activity routines that fit your lifestyle
- Sleep: Optimizing sleep quality and establishing healthy sleep habits
- Energy management: Creating patterns that support consistent vitality throughout your days
Relational & Environmental Wellness
- Social connection: Nurturing meaningful relationships that support your well-being
- Environmental influences: Optimizing your surroundings to promote health
- Life transitions: Navigating changes with intention and resilience
- Purpose and meaning: Connecting daily choices to your deeper values
Mental & Emotional Wellness
- Stress management: Building effective practices to navigate life's challenges
- Mindfulness: Developing present-moment awareness for greater peace and clarity
- Work-life integration: Creating balance between professional demands and personal needs
- Time management: Aligning your schedule with your priorities and values
Throughout the coaching relationship, you remain in the driver’s seat—determining which areas to focus on and setting the pace for growth and change.
Coaching vs. Therapy: Understanding the Difference
While both coaching and therapy involve meaningful conversations in a safe, confidential space, they serve different purposes:
Therapy (Clinical Intervention)
- Focuses on healing, processing, and resolving psychological challenges
- Addresses past traumas, emotional difficulties, and mental health conditions
- Diagnoses and treats specific mental health disorders
- Typically covered by health insurance with appropriate diagnoses
Coaching (Wellness Support)
- Focuses on enhancing well-being and creating positive lifestyle changes
- Addresses present circumstances and future possibilities
- Empowers clients to set and achieve self-determined goals
- Typically not covered by health insurance (may be eligible for FSA/HSA funds)
At Mind Body Psychiatry, we recognize the value of both approaches. For clients experiencing significant mental health challenges, we recommend first working with our clinical team to address these concerns. Many clients find that combining therapy with coaching provides comprehensive support for both healing and growth.
Begin Your Coaching Journey
Taking the first step toward positive change is as simple as scheduling a complimentary discovery call with Shoshana:
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Book your free 30-minute call
To discuss your goals and explore how coaching might support you
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Experience a personalized foundation session
To establish your wellness vision and initial action steps
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Engage in transformative follow-up sessions
To build momentum and create lasting change
For questions about coaching services at Mind Body Psychiatry, please email Shoshana directly at shoshana@mindbody7.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between wellness coaching and therapy or counseling?
While therapy and coaching both involve meaningful conversations within a safe and confidential space, they serve different purposes. Therapy and counseling are clinical interventions designed to help clients alleviate mental and emotional suffering, resolve traumas, address dysfunctional behaviors, and process difficult emotions. In contrast, coaching is not a clinical service. Coaches don't diagnose, treat, or prevent health or mental health challenges. Instead, coaches empower, motivate, and mobilize by asking powerful questions, helping clients craft visions, and developing action steps that align with self-determined goals. At Mind Body Psychiatry, we offer both services and can help determine which approach best suits your current needs.
Is wellness coaching covered by insurance?
Coaching is typically not covered by health insurance since it's not considered a medical service. Most coaching clients pay out-of-pocket or have employers that offer coaching as part of employee wellness programs. Some Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA) allow funds to be used for coaching services, but this varies by plan. We recommend checking with your FSA or HSA administrator to learn if this option is available to you. We're happy to provide any documentation needed to support reimbursement requests.
Can I use wellness coaching as a substitute for therapy?
No. If you're experiencing mental or emotional distress—including depressive symptoms, anxiety, panic, acute or chronic stress, suicidal thoughts, or other distressing psychiatric symptoms—it's critical to work with a licensed clinical provider. Once you're receiving appropriate mental health care, you and your clinician may determine that coaching could provide complementary support, especially for implementing lifestyle changes that support overall wellbeing. Coaching can be particularly helpful when your clinician makes lifestyle recommendations that are challenging to implement amid daily life stresses. In these cases, a health and wellness coach can help you develop strategies to make sustainable changes that fit within your busy schedule.
What topics can I address in wellness coaching?
Health and wellness coaching typically addresses topics related to the six dimensions of lifestyle medicine: physical activity, nutrition, sleep health, stress management, healthy relationships, and avoiding risky substances. However, since wellness is holistic, coaches recognize that many aspects of life influence wellbeing, including career satisfaction, creativity, spirituality, hobbies, volunteering, and more. Improvements in these areas can directly impact your experience of health and vitality. While coaches are skilled listeners who provide support across many life domains, they will identify when topics require clinical expertise and help you find appropriate care or resources when needed.
Are coaches licensed providers?
Generally, coaches are not licensed healthcare providers, though some may hold dual credentials. A National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) has completed rigorous training in coaching skills and methodology and has passed the national board exam administered by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners. Since coaching is not nationally or state-regulated, it's important to verify your coach's credentials. Only properly trained professionals can use the NBC-HWC designation. At Mind Body Psychiatry, Shoshana holds this respected certification, ensuring she meets the highest standards in the coaching profession.
Will wellness coaching help me feel better and achieve my goals?
Health and wellness coaching is an evidence-based approach shown to help clients make meaningful and sustainable changes in many areas that impact wellbeing. The coaching relationship is a client-centered partnership designed to empower you as you design your vision of a healthy life and find sustainable ways to move toward that vision. While the coach provides structure, support, and accountability, ultimately you determine your goals and drive your results. Success depends significantly on your readiness for change, commitment to the process, and follow-through on agreed actions. Our coach commits to showing up fully for you and supporting your journey, but cannot guarantee specific outcomes.
How long does the coaching relationship typically last?
Our structured program includes six sessions over three months, providing a foundation for meaningful change. Many clients find this timeframe sufficient to establish new patterns and develop self-sustaining habits. Others choose to continue coaching on a maintenance basis with monthly sessions after completing the initial program. Some clients return periodically for "booster" sessions during life transitions or when facing new challenges. During your foundation session, your coach will discuss timeframe expectations based on your specific goals and circumstances.
How is wellness coaching different from working with a personal trainer or nutritionist?
While personal trainers and nutritionists provide expert guidance in their specific domains (exercise programming or dietary planning), health and wellness coaches focus on the behavioral and psychological aspects of change across multiple wellness dimensions. Coaches help you explore your motivations, overcome barriers, develop sustainable habits, and integrate changes into your unique life context. Rather than prescribing specific exercise routines or meal plans, coaches help you discover what approaches work best for your body, preferences, and lifestyle. Many clients work with both specialized experts and a coach, with the coach helping implement the expert's recommendations in a sustainable way.
What if I have a specific health condition? Can coaching still help?
Yes. While coaches don't treat medical conditions, they can help you implement lifestyle recommendations from your healthcare providers and develop strategies that support your overall wellbeing while living with health challenges. Coaches are skilled at helping clients navigate the emotional and practical aspects of managing health conditions, including adherence to treatment plans, stress management, and finding balance. With your permission, our coach can collaborate with your healthcare team to ensure alignment between your coaching goals and medical recommendations.
What happens in a typical coaching session?
Each coaching session is unique and client-driven, but typically follows a consistent structure. Sessions begin with exploring what you want to focus on that day and reviewing progress since the previous session. Your coach will ask powerful questions to deepen your self-awareness, help you identify options, and support you in determining specific action steps. Rather than telling you what to do, your coach facilitates your own discovery process and decision-making. Sessions conclude with clarifying commitments and establishing accountability measures. Throughout, your coach provides encouragement, reflects your strengths, and helps you navigate obstacles—all while keeping the focus on your self-determined goals.
How do I know if I'm ready for coaching?
Coaching tends to be most effective when you're:
- Motivated to make positive changes but perhaps unsure how to proceed
- Open to exploring new perspectives and approaches
- Willing to dedicate time between sessions to act on commitments
- Ready to take responsibility for your choices and actions
- Able to focus on wellness goals without acute mental health crises that require clinical attention
How much does coaching cost, and what payment options are available?
Our comprehensive coaching program includes six sessions over three months for a total investment of $900, billed at $300 per month. This includes one 60-minute foundation session, five 45-minute follow-up sessions, email support between sessions, and resources tailored to your specific goals. Payment can be made by credit card, HSA/FSA cards, or check. We require a commitment to the full program, as sustainable change requires consistent engagement over time. For those with demonstrated financial need, limited sliding scale spots may be available—please inquire during your discovery call.