You have to meet people where they're at in their lives. My rule as a coach has always tried to follow that guideline. Am I always successful? Oh God no, but I try to remember that because everyone's brain is different, experiences are different and therefore everyone is in a different spot emotionally, mentally, physically, etc...
I don't live my life as a personal trainer trying to convince everyone that they need to get healthy. Would that be ideal? Perhaps, but it would be exhausting as well. My coaching method has always been to try to find out where the client is physically & mentally before trying to fit them into what I believe to be correct.
Let's say a client is in recovery for an eating disorder. Obviously telling them how many calories they need to be eating and having them focus on food would be the absolute wrong method. Nor would I try to convince them to exercise for vanity reasons.
I think we would all be wise to stop trying to pigeonhole all of society into what we believe are the right steps to take in life. What works for you probably won't work for someone else and THAT'S PERFECTLY OK. However, there is also nothing wrong with turning to those who you might trust to help and asking for advice. Those that care will offer any and all help, support you, work with you, and also understand when aren't compatible.
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