Lisa Burbage enrolled in Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training while navigating a career transition. She knew she wanted her next professional chapter to focus on helping people improve their health. Still, she also wanted the skills, credibility, and evidence-based approach needed to make a meaningful impact. That decision would ultimately lead her to a career dedicated to chronic disease prevention, health coaching, and mentoring future coaches.
Lisa Burbage, Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training Graduate and CEO, Wellness Five.
For Lisa, one of the most valuable aspects of the Duke program was learning what effective coaching truly means. Rather than focusing on giving advice or telling people what they should do, the training emphasized listening deeply, asking meaningful questions, and helping individuals discover realistic solutions that work for their own lives. “The philosophy of meeting people where they are and supporting them in creating sustainable change has stayed with me throughout my career,” she says. The skills she gained through the program became a foundation not only for her professional work but also for her approach to wellness and personal growth.
“The philosophy of meeting people where they are and supporting them in creating sustainable change has stayed with me throughout my career,” she says.
Looking back, Lisa encourages prospective students to keep an open mind about where health coach training may lead them. “Health and wellness coaching is about so much more than nutrition and exercise,” she explains. “It’s about helping people move from knowing what they should do to actually making lasting changes in their lives.” She believes many program participants enter the program with a specific vision for how they will use coaching, only to discover opportunities they never anticipated.
Her own career is a perfect example.
Today, Lisa is the Founder and CEO of Wellness Five, an organization focused on preventing chronic disease through evidence-based lifestyle change and group coaching. Wellness Five is a CDC-recognized provider of the National Diabetes Prevention Program and a Medicare-enrolled Diabetes Prevention Program supplier.
In addition to leading the organization, she is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, a DTTAC Master Trainer, and a DTTAC Community Coach Specialist. In this national role, she supports and mentors lifestyle coaches delivering diabetes prevention programs in communities across the country.
Her work combines coaching, education, and leadership to help people reduce their risk of chronic disease and improve their overall well-being.
Perhaps the most meaningful part of Lisa’s journey is how her relationship with Duke has come full circle.
Recently, she spoke with graduates of Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training about careers in prevention and group coaching. Not long afterward, she hired two Duke graduates to join the Wellness Five team. What began as a search for a new career direction has evolved into an opportunity to help shape the future of the profession and create opportunities for other coaches.
“What began as a search for a new career direction has evolved into an opportunity to help shape the future of the profession and create opportunities for other coaches.”
When Lisa enrolled in the Duke program, she was exploring how to use her experience to help others. Today, she is doing exactly that, while also helping other coaches build meaningful careers of their own. “It’s something I never could have imagined when I first enrolled,” she says.
Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training equips students with evidence-based coaching skills applicable across healthcare, wellness, chronic disease prevention, leadership, and many other fields. As Lisa’s story demonstrates, the possibilities can extend far beyond what students envision when they begin.
Lisa Burbage enrolled in Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training while navigating a career transition. She knew she wanted her next professional chapter to focus on helping people improve their health. Still, she also wanted the skills, credibility, and evidence-based approach needed to make a meaningful impact. ...
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