NBC-HWC (NBHWC) cheat sheet

A complete coaching session typically follows a sequence: agenda setting, exploration, goal or action planning, commitment, and close.

SMART goals specify Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound criteria; each element must be verifiable in the goal statement.

The coaching agreement defines logistics (frequency, duration, modality), fees, confidentiality limits, and the scope of the partnership before coaching begins.

Session length and cadence are structural variables set by the agreement, not by the coach's preference during a session.

The client, not the coach, sets the session agenda; the coach's role is to structure process, not to select content.

Progress review compares the client's stated action commitments from prior sessions against what was actually completed.

A coaching plan (overarching goals across multiple sessions) is distinct from a session agenda (topics for one meeting).

Scope of practice boundaries: coaches do not diagnose, prescribe, or provide treatment; referrals to licensed professionals are structural safeguards.

Documentation should record client-stated goals, commitments, and progress; records belong to a defined retention and access policy.

The coaching alliance is built on three core conditions from Rogers: unconditional positive regard, empathetic understanding, and congruence (genuineness).

Reflective listening restates the content or feeling of the client's statement; it does not add the coach's interpretation or advice.

Open-ended questions begin with words like what or how and invite elaboration; closed questions yield yes/no or single-fact answers.

Summarizing consolidates themes and confirms understanding; it is used at transitions and session close.

Motivational interviewing's OARS set is Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and Summaries.

The ratio rule of MI: reflections should outnumber questions, and complex reflections should outnumber simple ones.

Affirmations recognize specific client strengths or efforts; generic praise ('good job') is not a specific affirmation.

Sustain talk expresses reasons against change; discord is relational friction in the coaching alliance, a distinct construct from sustain talk.

Directing, advising, and confronting without permission shift the relationship from coaching toward expert or directive modes.

Transtheoretical Model stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance (and termination where used).

Stage-matched tasks: raise awareness in precontemplation, tip the decisional balance in contemplation, build a concrete plan in preparation, support self-efficacy in action, and plan for relapse prevention in maintenance.

Decisional balance weighs perceived pros and cons of changing versus not changing; it is most useful before commitment.

Self-efficacy is confidence in one's ability to execute a specific behavior in a specific situation; it is a distinct construct from outcome expectations.

Motivational interviewing's four processes in order: engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning.

Change talk is client speech favoring change (desire, ability, reasons, need); it predicts movement toward behavior change.

The spirit of MI comprises partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation.

Implementation intentions specify when, where, and how an action will occur and improve follow-through versus vague intentions.

Health education content delivered by a coach must be evidence-based and within scope; clinical interpretation and treatment decisions are outside coaching scope.

Confidentiality covers all client information; standard exceptions include imminent risk of harm, suspected abuse, and legal requirements, disclosed in advance.

Informed consent requires that the client understands the coaching process, fees, confidentiality limits, and the right to withdraw before coaching starts.

Scope of practice: refer out when client needs exceed coaching competence or involve diagnosis, treatment, or crisis care.

Dual or multiple relationships occur when the coach has another significant role with the client (e.g., supervisor, family member); they risk impaired objectivity.

Mandated reporting duties vary by jurisdiction and apply to suspected abuse or neglect of vulnerable persons.

Fees, cancellation terms, and refund policies must be disclosed in writing before the coaching relationship begins.

Coaches maintain records securely and follow applicable data protection and retention requirements.

When a client presents a crisis outside coaching scope, the coach follows an established referral and emergency protocol rather than continuing coaching.