Editor’s note: the following guest column was submitted by UNI Student Wellness Services.

We are very excited to announce that Student Wellness Services is now offering Wellness Coaching here at UNI.

Wellness Coaching is a way for students to create the life they want by exploring their strengths and focusing on their health and well-being. Through the process of coaching, students may increase self-awareness and self-efficacy, achieve goals and have an increased sense of life satisfaction, purpose and meaning. 

Students being coached may see personal growth in areas such as stress management, eating well, physical activity, sleep, financial management, relationships and other wellness areas.

Coaches will partner with students in a thought-provoking and creative process, inspiring them to maximize their potential. Coaches view the student as the expert in their own life, providing support and guidance through the process.

The eight dimensions of a wellness model are utilized (intellectual, emotional, spiritual, environmental, financial, occupational, social and physical) to assess which wellness dimension(s) the student’s goal will address.

Wellness coaches utilize a strengths assessment developed through the VIA Institute on Character. The student is asked to complete the assessment prior to the first appointment with the coach.

The coach reviews the assessment before meeting with them and refers to the strengths throughout the coaching process. The following video provides an overview of these character strengths: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq-rOelLciE.

Wellness Coaching is free for all enrolled UNI students.

On average, sessions last about 45 minutes, and the number of sessions depends on the individual needs of each student.

Wellness Coaching sessions take place in the Student Health Center, where graduate students and professional staff have been trained to provide coaching.

Students can make an appointment by visiting: https://studentwellness.uni.edu/wellness-coaching. Come check it out!

— Brooke Hottle, Graduate Assistant, Student Wellness Services