Dr. Karen Lawson on the Evolution of Health & Wellness Coaching & Becoming a Health Empowerment Specialist

In this episode of The Health and Wellness Coach Journal Podcast, Dr. Jessica Singh speaks with Karen Lawson, MD, DABIHM, NBC-HWC, founder and CEO of IHWC Productions, a consulting company that works with programs and individuals to advance and expand training in Integrative Health Coaching and Holistic Healthcare, and she provides virtual Health Empowerment Services to individuals directly. She served as the founder and Director of Integrative Health Coaching at the University of Minnesota from 2005–2022. She is a physician, board-certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine and a founding board member of the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching and Past-president of the American Holistic Medical Association. A published author and researcher, Dr. Lawson speaks internationally to diverse audiences on the potential of holistic health care practices, the role of spirituality in health and healing, and the power of health coaching.

Dr. Lawson reflects on the experiences that led her from conventional medicine into integrative health and health coaching, including the early work that helped demonstrate how coaching could support meaningful behavior change. She shares the grassroots efforts that brought leaders in health coaching together to develop standards for the field, eventually leading to the creation of a nonprofit organization, a partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners, a program approval process, and an individual certification exam.

Together, Dr. Lawson and Dr. Singh explore the role of coaching within the healthcare system, the importance of staying within the coaching scope of practice, and the differences between holistic, integrative, and functional medicine. Dr. Lawson also discusses her work in Health Empowerment and the need to help individuals take control of their own health beliefs and behaviors and be in charge of their healthcare experience.

Drawing on more than two decades of training coaches, Dr. Lawson shares guidance for coach educators and coaches alike, including the importance of going beyond minimum competencies, developing skills through supported practice, caring for one’s own wellbeing, and staying aligned with one’s values and integrity.

This episode offers coaches, healthcare professionals, and coach educators a look at the evolution of health and wellness coaching, the importance of staying within coaching scope of practice, and the role of whole-person and integrative approaches in healthcare. Listeners will also hear Dr. Lawson’s reflections on practicing in alignment with one’s values, caring for oneself in order to hold space for others, and helping people become more empowered in their health and healthcare experience.

Connect with Karen Lawson, MD