Episode 2: Why Would I Hire a Coach? with Kendra Babbey

Meet Kendra, Sarah's right-hand woman and co-instructor for MindBodyBehavior's National Board Health Coaching Program.

From working in residential facilities with high-risk behaviors to coaching veterans and teaching motivational interviewing to National Guard leaders, Kendra’s career shows just how diverse an ABA path can be.

Plus, get behind-the-scenes insights into their health coaching program—and learn why “just telling people what to do” isn’t actually coaching.

In This Episode, Sarah and Kendra Discuss:

• How a Facebook tag led to their partnership and co-teaching journey

• Kendra’s transition from traditional ABA to nutrition and health coaching

• Her personal story of healing from hormonal imbalances

• Supporting veterans through Mission 22 and National Guard programs

• Teaching motivational interviewing to military leadership

• The behavioral science behind grocery shopping

• The real difference between coaching and consulting

• Setting boundaries and building a flexible career in behavior analysis

• Watching students develop their own unique coaching voices

• Common myths about what health coaching is (and isn’t)

Guest Information:
Kendra – BCBA, Board Certified Health Coach, Co-Instructor of the MindBodyBehavior Health Coaching Program

• Master's in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine

• Certified Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor

• Veteran support through Mission 22 nonprofit

• Motivational Interviewing Instructor for National Guard

Quotes From This Episode:
"I learned for myself—and I believe this truly for everyone else—that food can be medicine."

"By the end of it, complete buy-in. A completely different way to talk to individuals... we're all humans."

"There's not a great understanding of what coaching is. Why would I hire a coach, right? Unless you've actually experienced it."

"Think about how, if you broke [grocery shopping] down into every single step of a task analysis, there's so much that goes into that."

"The journey is part of the coaching... it’s just a very different aspect of helping somebody get to the place where they want to be."

Key Insights:

• Multiple Certifications Work: Sarah and Kendra both tried two coaching programs before landing on board-approved options

• MI Skills Transfer: Motivational interviewing strengthens communication in traditional ABA settings

• Diverse Career Paths: ABA professionals are now coaching in wellness, military, and corporate sectors

• Coaching vs. Consulting: Coaching is about guiding a process—not handing over a plan

• Flexibility Matters: Once you’ve worked on your own terms, it’s hard to go back

Resources Mentioned:

• Mission 22 (nonprofit for veterans)

• National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)

• Motivational Interviewing training

• MindBodyBehavior Health Coaching Program

• LinkedIn for exploring job opportunities in coaching

  
  

Connect with MBB

Become a Board Certified Health Coach:

⁠https://mindbodybehavior.co/board-certified-health-coach⁠

Mind Body Behavior 6th Edition Supervision Curriculum:

⁠https://mindbodybehavior.co/curriculum⁠

FREE CEUS:

32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program:⁠ https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/boardhealthcoach⁠

BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD:⁠ ⁠

⁠https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/bcbasupervision⁠

Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com

Social Media: @sarahburby @mindbodybehavioranalysts

Next Episode Preview:
Coming up: Sarah interviews a current supervisee earning BCBA hours while working at a health coaching agency—proof that you don’t have to start your own business to thrive in this space.

Interested in health coaching? Reach out to Sarah or Kendra for a conversation about whether this path might be right for you. As Kendra says, they’ll "talk and talk and talk" until you have everything you need.

Hashtags:
#ABARedefined #HealthCoaching #BehaviorAnalysis #BCBA #Veterans #MotivationalInterviewing #MindBodyBehavior #NationalBoard #FunctionalMedicine #Nutrition #BCBASupervision #CareerChange