124 | Coaching vs. Advice: Simple Skills That Transform Your Practice

Coaching Skills for Clinical Practice. Because if you want patients to actually change, you need to coach—not just prescribe.

I’m joined by Annie Wildermuth—RD, PA, PhD-trained researcher, and certified leadership & performance coach. Annie breaks down what real coaching is (and isn’t), how to spot legitimate coach training, and the exact questions that open patients up—without adding time to your visit. You’ll walk away with a pocketful of phrases to build trust, reduce defensiveness, and get to the real barrier faster. 

HERE ARE 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Coaching ≠ mentoring, consulting, or therapy. Coaching is forward-looking and non-prescriptive—designed to help patients surface their own best next step (not adopt ours). 
2. Swap “why” questions for “what” or “how.” “Why” invites judgment; “what/how” lowers defenses and yields a deeper understanding in less time. 
3. Three levels of listening. Move beyond content-only listening to “complete” listening—words + tone + context + body language—so you don’t miss what the patient is saying without words. 

Want to ask me a question? Leave me a message here!

Transform obesity care in your practice and master the skills to help patients make lasting changes. Join the Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course here. Use code POD15 for 15% off!

Connect with Annie:

 Website: First Road Leadership
LinkedIn
Instagram: @anniethePAC 

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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.