FERRUM, VA, September 13, 2023 – Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance Johanna Ferguson presented “Enhancing Student Health, Wellness and Success Through Group Health and Wellness Coaching” at the first Inquiring Minds of the fall semester on Wednesday, September 6.
The Inquiring Minds series offers lively, informal presentations and activities on a variety of interesting topics for the entire College community.
Ferguson has recently completed a Ph.D. in Health Sciences with a concentration in Health Promotion and Wellness from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, UT. She has also earned certification as a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach as part of the program.
Ferguson entered the health and wellness industry due to her experience as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer.“Being a long time instructor and personal trainer, and trying to help people reach their goals can be frustrating,” she shared. “This type of behavior change and putting together some of these theories behind how we help people was really interesting to me,” Ferguson said.
During her presentation, Ferguson provided background information about her topic and explained the responsibilities of a health and wellness coach, as it is a relatively new profession. “Health and wellness coaches work on lifestyle behavior change for individuals. We work to help change habits that can impact our overall health and wellness. Coaches are also being used in healthcare, specifically in insurance,” Ferguson explained.
“Coaches assist their clients and patients in developing self selected goals, and coaching has demonstrated positive outcomes for people with major health issues” she continued.
Ferguson also explored the potential for group coaching in the health and wellness sector. “It could be potentially cost- saving. It’s higher impact, meaning, you can treat more people all at once. Group coaching also offers a more unique experience that you might not get with one-on-one coaching,” she says.
Ferguson’s research focused on determining the effectiveness of including a group health and wellness coaching protocol in a college level health and wellness course. To conduct the study, she utilized students from her HHP-200: Health and Wellness classes, which is a requirement for health and human performance majors. One class included a group coaching component, while the other one was taught using the standard course format. Ferguson concluded that healthy lifestyle interventions work in college students.
After completing her Ph.D. and defending her thesis, Ferguson plans to continue researching techniques and practices for improving student health and wellness through HHP-200 classes and coaching.