What Exactly Is Women’s Health Coaching?

Hello there!

In recent years, the rise of women’s health coaching (to include fertility coaching, menopause coaching and endometriosis coaching) has transformed how women access support for their bodies, hormones, and emotional well-being. But what exactly is women’s health coaching — and why is it becoming such a vital part of modern healthcare?

I'm Liadh Fitzgerald, CEO of Women’s Health Network (Europe), and I’ve witnessed first-hand how powerful this work can be — not just for symptom support, but for helping women feel heard, understood, and in control of their health journeys.

And because of that WHN, is on a mission!  A mission where we re-write the rules of female health care.  Where we support women to become the go-to female health advisors within their communities - and it's a mission that can start with YOU and with women’s health coaching at the very heart of it.

Women’s Health Coaching: A New Approach to Lifelong Health

At its heart, women’s health coaching is a collaborative, supportive process that empowers women to better understand their bodies, navigate health changes, and make informed decisions. A women’s health coach works alongside a client to explore her physical health, hormone regulation, emotional well-being, and often, the personal experiences that shape her journey.

It’s not just about giving advice — it’s about creating a safe, supportive space where a woman’s story is heard, her symptoms are understood in context, and she is guided toward sustainable change.

The Difference Between a Health Coach and a Women’s Health Coach

While general health coaches may focus on lifestyle changes like diet, exercise and stress management, women’s health coaches specialise in the unique stages and experiences women face — including:

• Menstrual health and cycle awareness

• Fertility and reproductive health

• Pregnancy and postnatal transitions

• Perimenopause and menopause

• Endometriosis, PCOS, and other gynaecological concerns

• Emotional recovery after medical trauma

OUR version of a certified women’s health coach brings both clinical knowledge and coaching skills, integrating tools from functional medicine, trauma-informed care, and emotional resilience coaching.

Why Women Are Seeking Health Coaches More Than Ever?

Many women report feeling unseen or dismissed in traditional healthcare settings. They are often left with unanswered questions, vague diagnoses, or a lack of holistic support. Health coaching offers something different.

Women’s health coaching is personal, empowering, and whole-person centred. It considers the physical, emotional, relational and lifestyle factors that influence a woman’s well-being — helping her move from survival to thriving.

How Does Women’s Health Coaching Work?

Every coach will have their own approach, (and we teach a specific one) but typically a coaching journey includes:

• Initial consultation: where your story, goals, and challenges are explored

• Health history and symptom review: with an emphasis on cycles, stress, and lifestyle

• Goal setting and personalised plans (non-medical, educational, and practical)

• Ongoing support: through regular sessions to build confidence, resilience, and results

Rather than “fixing” symptoms, women’s health coaches support cause exploration and mediators, body awareness, and self-advocacy. It’s about guiding, not diagnosing.

For Practitioners: Bridging Coaching with Clinical Practice

If you’re already working in women’s health — as a nutritionist, therapist, acupuncturist, doula, or another modality — women’s health coaching can enhance your work deeply. By integrating coaching skills into your practice, you can move from directive care to collaborative support — helping clients feel heard, respected, and involved in their healing journey.

Here are a few ways to start blending coaching into your sessions:

• Listen beyond symptoms: Ask open-ended questions like “What’s this been like for you?” or “What do you feel your body is trying to say?”

• Shift from prescription to partnership: Rather than telling clients what to do, explore together what feels achievable and aligned.

• Hold space for the emotional layer: Symptoms often carry stories — about medical trauma, dismissal, shame, or fear. Coaching gives you tools to meet these stories with empathy.

• Support self-belief: Use reflective language to help clients trust their bodies again and make sustainable changes.

At WHN, we believe the future of women’s healthcare lies in therapeutic guides — professionals who blend physiology, coaching, and emotional holding.

Is Women’s Health Coaching Right for You?

If you’re tired of short appointments, contradictory advice, or feeling like no one is truly listening — women’s health coaching might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Whether you’re preparing for pregnancy, navigating menopause, living with endometriosis, or simply wanting to feel more connected to your body — a coach trained in women’s health can help you feel seen, supported and empowered.

Ready to Work With a Women’s Health Coach?

At Women’s Health Network, we train the next generation of women’s health coaches — and we support thousands of women through every stage of life.
Find out more about our programmes, or connect with us to find a certified coach near you.  (Read one of our case studies below!)

👉 Learn More About Women’s Health Coaching

Case Study:

Meet Emma* (*not real name), 35, who came to our practitioner-coaching clinic concerned that for 2.5 years she'd been trying to conceive and had just been diagnosed with “unexplained infertility.”
Emma had a history of irregular cycles post-contraceptive pill, mild endometriosis, high stress levels due to a demanding corporate job, and her emotional state was overwhelmed, isolated, and disconnected from her body. Emma described herself as “stuck in limbo.”

Our Initial Fertility Coaching Session

Emma was referred to me by a friend who had also experienced fertility struggles. In our first session, she wept. Not because of anything I said — but because she finally felt seen.

“No one’s ever asked me how I’m feeling. It’s always been about my test results.”

Using the WHN coaching framework, we began with:

• A full health and lifestyle intake (including menstrual mapping and stress patterns)

• Emotional mapping (identifying grief, disconnection, and burnout)

• A values-based discovery conversation to better understand what mattered to her beyond the thoughts of baby

Let's Look at Our Key Coaching & Functional Focus Areas

1. Cycle Literacy & Empowerment

• We taught Emma to track her cycle — not just ovulation, but patterns in mood, energy, cervical fluid, and sleep.

• She realised she wasn’t ovulating regularly and often experienced spotting. This insight re-framed her understanding of “unexplained” infertility.

2. Nervous System & Stress Work

• Introduced simple breathwork and a nightly wind-down routine.

• She created a "body trust journal" to reconnect with herself and celebrate small physical shifts.

3. Lifestyle & Nutrition Exploration

• Gently explored potential contributors (e.g., skipped meals, caffeine reliance).

• Referred to a functional nutritionist for targeted support, while continuing emotional coaching.

4. Identity & Voice

• We worked on her narrative: from “I’m broken” to “I’m learning how to support my body.”

• Supported her in advocating for herself at medical appointments — including requesting a second opinion on the endometriosis diagnosis.

What Happened Next?

Over 4 months of bi-weekly coaching:

• Emma’s cycles became more regular and symptom-free.

• Her language shifted. She began saying: “I feel hopeful.” “I'm starting to trust myself.”

• She returned to painting — something she hadn’t done in 7 years  (we always encourage what I call re-discovering 'food for the soul').

• She felt clear enough to take a 3-month career break, something she once thought impossible.

Emma and her partner are now in early-stage IVF, but with a completely different mindset.  She (they really!) no longer feels like fertility is something happening to her but instead that she's finally a participant in my her own health journey.

Emma’s story is not about a pregnancy outcome. It’s about reclaiming her sense of self, re-centring her body, and entering IVF with dignity and clarity.  As a coach, I didn’t ‘fix’ anything — I created a space where she could re-meet herself.

Even when the path is complex or medicalised, coaching helps women reconnect with:

• Their inner authority

• Their body’s signals

• Their capacity to choose

Fertility coaching isn’t about the outcome. It’s about who she becomes on the way.  Our WHN coaches can graduate into fertility as their speciality at the end of their Women's Health Coach training to become a 👉 Reproductive Health Support Specialist & Fertility Advisor as well as a Certified Women's Health Coach.