Season 1, Episode 4 - Dr. Jessica Matthews, Behavior Coach Expert

The Medical Fitness Podcast

Dr. Jessica Matthews is an industry leader who I could have on the podcast a dozen (or more) times to talk about completely different topics that she’s become a subject matter expert on. We revolved this talk around health coaching, and more specifically, behavior change. This topic is something she’s very passionate about, and during the interview she gave a bunch of great practical information that we can all apply.
From a scientific standpoint, the principles and approaches to how to improve fitness, eat healthy, manage stress, and optimize sleep are pretty well established. The problem is that people don’t take the time to learn and abide by the principles.
On the topic of behavior change and how to influence the masses to change behavior and stick to it, that’s the million dollar question that has yet to be fully answered.
Fortunately, we have Dr. Jessica Matthews to listen to and learn from on this topic.
Things we discussed included:
•Training, education, and credentialing with health and wellness coaches, what this field of practice has done right, how to differentiate between “good” and “bad” (or not so good) health coaches, and what they got right that the fitness industry can learn from.
•The theoretical underpinnings of behavioral science and the practical coaching skills – i.e., the science vs the art.
•What coaching looks like in a clinical setting.
•Behavior change and why it’s the foundation of Lifestyle Medicine.
•Why every clinician and fitpro should take a “coach approach” (it doesn’t require becoming a health coach).
•Important tips for helping people change their behavior.
•A plug for a health coaching conference she and her husband have developed which is scheduled for this June in San Diego, CA.
Guest Speaker Bio:
Jessica Matthews, DBH, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, FACLM
Dr. Jessica Matthews is an associate professor and program director in the College of Health Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). An award-winning and innovative educator, she created the Master of Science in Kinesiology- Integrative Wellness program at PLNU, a graduate degree blending lifestyle medicine and health and wellness coaching.
Additionally Dr. Matthews serves as director of health and wellness coaching at UC San Diego Health. There she spearheaded the development of health and wellness coaching services within clinical practice and research, to include developing and supervising a team of board certified health and wellness coaches in the Centers for Integrative Health.
A passionate advocate for lifestyle medicine, health behavior change and whole person health, Dr. Matthews is co-creator of The Health and Well-Being Coaching Conference— the first and only dedicated professional conference for health and wellness coaches. Additionally, she serves as Vice Chair of The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and was among one of the first national board certified health and wellness coaches (NBC-HWCs) in the country.
Additionally, Dr. Matthews is board certified in lifestyle medicine (DipACLM) and also serves on the board of directors for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). In 2021, Dr. Matthews was named a Fellow of ACLM for outstanding achievement in the field of lifestyle medicine and exceptional dedication to advancing the organization's mission, and presently she is the only ACLM Fellow in all of San Diego County and one of only 64 ACLM Fellows around the world.
With extensive professional experience and education— to include undergraduate and graduate degrees in exercise science and a doctorate in behavioral health with a focus in clinical integrated care—Dr. Matthews is a sought after keynote speaker and consultant for leading fitness and wellness organizations as we

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