The Role of the Behavioral Coach

“Behavioral Coach” is the term we use for the Masters- and Doctoral-level therapists who work with our students in individual and group sessions.

We use the term “Behavioral Coach,” because the CBT Program at Wellspring is a very active, practical process of changing behavior, rather than the passive therapy often depicted in popular culture. Wellspring Behavioral Coaches quite literally “coach” students through the process of lifestyle change.

We also use the term “Behavioral Coach,” because we strongly believe in the “athletic metaphor” for weight control.

All Wellspring Academies students are “athletes in training” in that they are transforming their bodies in ways that their biology resists. Human biology isn’t designed to run a mile in 4 minutes or throw a fastball at 90 MPH. But through training and perseverance, these feats are common for elite athletes.

In the same way, the human body isn’t designed to lose weight and keep it off. Rather, our biologies were designed tens of thousands of years ago to store fat to survive famine. Biologically, we are all still “hunter-gatherers.” However, biology is not destiny. By mastering the Wellspring program, students can return to a healthy weight and stay there for the rest of their life.

Contact with the Behavioral Coach

Your child’s individual Behavioral Coach will become your primary point of contact at Wellspring Academies. For the first week or two, many families will choose to have daily contact with the Behavioral Coach to ensure that their child is acclimating well to the new environment. Wellspring Behavioral Coaches schedule lengthy phone sessions with families at least weekly, and prepare a written report for families every other week.

If your child is struggling, you’ll likely hear about it first from the Behavioral Coach, and will be prepared to navigate any challenging communications or phone calls, to help your child continue on the path to successful long-term weight control.