There are fears that people could be put at risk if a government scheme to allow GPs to refer people to life coaches instead of being signed off sick go ahead.
The concerns were raised by a Norfolk life coach as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) considers the plans in an effort to cut the number of people on long-term sick leave.
Reepham-based life coach Sam James said that unless an independent regulator could be set up to govern who could offer coaching services, there was a risk people would be taken advantage of by unaccredited life coaches.
READ MORE: Is remote work to blame for record sick leave in Norfolk?
In the UK, you can train with credited coaching associations – like the Association for Coaching (AC) or the European Mentoring and Coaching Council UK (EMCC UK) – but this isn't a requirement.
What’s more, there's no protection for the public or any mechanism to hold unregistered practitioners to account.
Ms James said: “Technically, anyone can call themselves a life coach.
“If they’re referred by a GP then people will assume legitimacy, but they could be seeing someone who’s just gone online and done a quick weekend certificate.”
Claire Lish, a life coach and business psychologist at Psynergy Consulting in Fakenham, agreed, and said robust measures would need to be put in place to make sure referrals didn’t become “a box ticking exercise”.
She said: “Life coaches shouldn’t replace psychologists or other mental health professionals in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions.
“The primary concern of GPs should remain the health and wellbeing of the individual patient, not meeting government targets for keeping people in work.
“While these changes could have profound implications for the way we approach healthcare, we must remember that any such shift should be grounded in ensuring optimal patient outcomes, or there will be catastrophic failures which would be devastating for individuals and their families."
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