Building Lasting Habits for Lasting Health
By Cara Merak, BSN, RN, CFNC
When it comes to achieving lasting health improvements, consistency and ongoing support are crucial. In my journey as a practitioner, I realized that the session package model wasn’t the best fit for helping my clients make meaningful, long-term changes. Here’s why I decided to switch to a membership model:
The Problem with Session Packages
With the session package model, I noticed a recurring pattern: things get busy, life gets distracting, and as a result clients would often go 4-6 weeks (or longer) between appointments.
During this time, several things would happen:
- They might fall off the health plan we created together.
- New health developments or challenges might arise, which they would try to handle on their own.
- Progress was often inconsistent, leading to a "one step forward, one step back" situation.
One client, whom I'll call Sarah, exemplifies this issue. Sarah came to me with a goal to improve her energy levels and manage her digestive issues. After our initial session, she made significant progress in the first couple of weeks. However, as weeks passed without check-ins, Sarah started to feel overwhelmed by new stressors at work. She fell back into old habits and struggled to maintain the positive changes we had implemented. By the time our next session came around, we were almost back to square one, and Sarah felt frustrated with her lack of progress.
The Benefits of a Membership Model
My goal is to empower you to understand and decode your own health. This requires consistent attention and guidance. Here’s how the membership model makes a difference:
1. Frequent Touch Points: Regular check-ins ensure that we stay on track and adjust the plan as needed. This helps address any issues or changes in your health promptly, preventing setbacks.
2. Continuous Learning: Health is a journey, and there's always more to learn about your body and how it responds to different habits and changes. With more frequent interactions, we can dive deeper into understanding your body’s signals.
3. Accountability and Support: Consistency is key to building and maintaining healthy habits. The membership model provides ongoing support and accountability, which are essential for making thoughtful and lasting changes.
4. Tailored Guidance: Every individual’s health journey is unique. With regular contact, I can offer more personalized guidance, fine-tuning your habits and strategies to suit your evolving needs.
The Path to Sustainable Health
It took time for your body to reach its current state, and it will take time to change its course. Healing and improving health is a gradual process that requires patience, persistence, and the right kind of support.
By transitioning to a membership model, I aim to provide a more effective framework for your health journey. With Sarah, for instance, the membership model allowed us to have bi-weekly check-ins, during which we could promptly address her new stressors and adjust her plan accordingly. This not only kept her on track but also helped her build resilience and adaptability in her habits.
Together, we’ll work closely and consistently to build and sustain the habits that lead to a healthier, happier you.
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