Some of the most important career highlights don’t just come from ambition. They come from lived experience. For Rae, a former social worker and AFPA certified Master Health and Wellness Coach, the turn to health coaching came from something deeply personal: the realization that sustainable wellness begins long before a crisis point.
After years of supporting others through trauma and high stress environments, Rae found herself facing her own health challenges and noticing how interconnected everything really was. Stress, hormones, digestion, energy, mindset. None of these existed in isolation. This knowledge became the foundation of her coaching philosophy and practice, Rae of Sunlightwhere she helps professionals, especially caregivers and social workers, build real, sustainable habits that protect against burnout before it takes hold.
We sat down with Rae to talk about her journey from social work to health coaching, what surprised her about the AFPA program, and what she would tell anyone considering making a similar leap.
What did you do before Health coaching and what made you start thinking about a change?
Prior to health coaching, I worked in schools, non-profit organizations and residential treatment facilities, often supporting individuals experiencing trauma and high stress situations. The work was fast but also incredibly rewarding.
Over time, however, I began to feel the effects of chronic stress and become overwhelmed, not only mentally, but physically as well, forcing me to take a step back. I realized that much of the work I was doing, both professionally and personally, happened after I had already reached a point of crisis. This led me to become more interested in prevention and sustainable wellness.
Why especially Health coaching? What drew you to it over other paths you could take from social work?
I liked how Health coaching specifically focused on health from a holistic perspective. It offered a proactive and sustainable approach to lifestyle change. Through my background in social work, I developed a deep appreciation for supporting people through difficult experiences and past trauma. But I also realized that I am especially drawn to helping people create daily habits, routines, and stress management practices that support long-term well-being.
While social work often focuses on assessment, diagnosis, emotional processing and treatment, health coaching felt more aligned with my desire to support people to reconnect with themselves, create healthier patterns and make lifestyle changes based on what motivates them.
Health coaching allowed me to combine my background in human behavior with my passion for nutrition, exercise and holistic wellness in a way that felt meaningful.
What surprised you most about the AFPA program?
What surprised me most about the AFPA program was how in-depth and comprehensive it was. I expected it to build on my existing background in social work, especially around motivational interviewing, but I was surprised by how much it broadened my understanding of it. Practicing and focusing on intrinsic motivation really deepened my understanding of it and helped me start to recognize it more naturally in conversations.
I also gained a much deeper understanding of health metrics and how to interpret basic physiological and lifestyle data in a way that is practical and useful in everyday life. Overall, the program helped me connect my social work foundation with a more structured and applied approach to health coaching.
What does your coaching practice look like right now and who are you hoping to work with?
Currently, my coaching practice focuses on working with people who experience high levels of chronic stress and burnout, particularly for professionals. My social work experience gave me a deep understanding of caregiver fatigue and how easily burnout can develop.
I am particularly passionate about working with social workers, educators and other caring professionals because I understand both the emotional demands of the work and the tendency to put personal well-being aside. My goal is to help clients create practical, sustainable tools for managing stress and design daily habits that support balance and prevent burnout.
What would you say to a social worker who is curious about health coaching, but on the fence?
I think it depends on how you want to appear in a helping profession. For me, Health coaching felt like a natural shift into a more independent, self-directed space where I build my own practice that incorporates other areas of health, such as nutrition and exercise, that I am passionate about.
Forging my own path in health coaching required more self-discipline, but it was also very rewarding. I especially enjoyed applying my background in motivational interviewing and behavior change in a more prevention-focused way.
In my experience, health coaching also requires clear communication of your scope and approach, as it is a newer and less understood field compared to social work. For me, this has really helped me build clarity and confidence in what I offer.
Overall, it feels like a meaningful change that aligns with how I want to support people moving forward.
Is there anything you wish you knew before you started—either about the program or the transition?
I think the main thing I wish I had known earlier is that trying something new doesn’t mean you’ve failed at what you did before. At one point, I felt that moving away from traditional social work meant that I had failed at it, and that simply wasn’t true.
What I’ve learned is that it’s okay to cross paths and shift into something that aligns more deeply with who you are and the way you want to work. I have found a direction that suits me best and I now see it as part of a continuous process of learning and growing, changing direction when necessary.
Find Rae online at her website and Understack.
Are you ready to create a practice rooted in the wellness of the whole person?
AFPA’s Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach program gives you the tools, credentials, and confidence to guide clients toward lasting change. Whether you are starting fresh or deepening an existing career in health and wellness, this program meets you where you are.
