One of the greatest strengths of health and wellness coaching lies in its deep respect for human autonomy. At its core, coaching honors the belief that every person has the wisdom and ability to choose their own direction. Instead of directing or prescribing, coaches invite discovery. They listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, and offer reflections that help clients uncover what matters most.

When clients choose goals that reflect their values, their actions feel more purposeful. These choices are not imposed or borrowed from someone else. They belong to the client. This sense of ownership creates the momentum that leads to sustainable change.

Trauma informed coaching deepens and strengthens this process. Many individuals have experienced stress, loss, or trauma that disrupted their sense of agency. Trauma informed coaching helps restore a feeling of control by honoring each client’s lived experience, recognizing the protective strategies that helped them cope, and allowing change to unfold at a pace that feels manageable. This respectful partnership helps clients reconnect with their natural capacity for resilience, strength, and growth.

Storytelling is another essential part of this work. When clients share their experiences, they begin to recognize the patterns and beliefs that shaped their choices in the past. By helping clients explore the stories they tell themselves, coaches support them in writing new ones. In the Hero’s Journey approach taught at Mentor Agility, the client becomes the author and hero of their own narrative, discovering strengths they may not have recognized before.

This commitment to autonomy, agency, and narrative is also the foundation of Veterans Talking to Veterans, a program at Mentor Agility that trains veterans to become trauma informed health and wellness coaches. VTTV coaches walk beside fellow veterans as they rediscover their own autonomy and uncover possibilities for personal growth. The success of VTTV’s program is an example of what happens when people feel empowered to choose their own path forward.

Coaching is not about compliance. It is about choice. When coaches walk beside clients rather than lead from the front, clients develop a renewed sense of agency and confidence. That rediscovered agency often becomes the turning point where change begins to feel possible, and deeply aligned with who they want to become.

Example in Practice

Imagine a client who says they want to “get healthier.” Rather than offering advice, a coach might explore the deeper meaning behind that desire. With space, curiosity, and supportive questions, the client might uncover their desire to reclaim their energy, reconnect with family, or rebuild strength after a difficult chapter. The goal becomes less about compliance and more about empowerment. By anchoring growth in personal meaning, the client builds a foundation that is steady and lasting.

Coaching Questions That Support Empowered Choice

•  What feels important for you in this moment?
•  What direction feels most aligned with your values?
•  When you look back, what moments have shaped your beliefs about what is possible for you?
•  If this next chapter had a title, what would you want it to be?
•  Where have you already taken a step toward change, even a small one?
•  What strengths helped you get here today?

The Heart of Our Work

At Mentor Agility, we believe that change is not a straight path and not the same for every person. When coaches create space for clients to feel seen, heard, and respected, something meaningful happens. Clients begin to create action steps that will work well in their lives and begin to trust their inner voice again. This belief in choice and empowerment is shared across all our programs, including Veterans Talking to Veterans. Whether someone is beginning their journey as a new coach or seeking renewed direction after a difficult chapter, the capacity for change lives within them. Lasting transformation grows from this place of choice. And when clients step into that choice, they open the door to renewed confidence, resilience, and hope, one story and one decision at a time.