Wellness Coaching

What is a wellness coach?

A wellness coach is a trained professional who supports students in achieving their well-being goals. Instead of giving advice or clinical care, wellness coaches partner with students to set and reach personalized goals. Coaches pull out the student's wisdom and add encouragement, accountability, and practical strategies — empowering students to make positive, lasting changes to their overall well-being.

Our wellness coaches come from different backgrounds. A list of our coaches, including their pictures and bios, is located at the bottom of this page.

How to schedule your first session

1. Decide if wellness coaching is right for you

Wellness coaching is a short-term, non-clinical intervention. A one-on-one coaching relationship can last anywhere from one to six sessions, depending on the student's needs and goals. Some examples of topics discussed in wellness coaching include:

Adjustment to life on campus
Academic concerns, time management, impostorism, and perfectionism
Stress, low motivation, sleep, and physical activity
Family, personal or intimate relationships, and sexual health
Alcohol, other drugs, and nicotine cessation

2. Complete our intake form for wellness coaching

Fill out our online wellness coaching intake survey. It only takes about 5 minutes to complete.

Please note: We can only accept your umich email address.

3. Look at the class calendar or wait for the "Next Steps Wellness Coaching Meeting Registration" email from U-M Wellness Coaching

Select a time and location that works best for you. Most of our coaching is conducted at Wolverine Wellness. We are located in Suite 0245 of the University Health Service building (207 Fletcher Street). We offer Zoom and in-person meetings. Wellness coaching sessions are also available at Trotter Multicultural Center!

We occasionally offer group coaching. Currently, nothing is scheduled; however, please check back for updates as new groups are added.

If you are out of the country and your time zone does not align with our calendar, please email WellnessCoachingQs@umich.edu and include your availability and time zone.

Wellness coaching… expanding our reach

Wolverine Wellness now offers coaching sessions at Trotter Multicultural Center to make well-being support more accessible to all students. Our aim is to create a welcoming space where each student — regardless of their background or experience — feels comfortable and encouraged to pursue their well-being goals.

By expanding our offerings on campus, we aim to reach more students and ensure that support and resources are available to everyone who wants them. Stay tuned as new locations are added!

Plan for your first session

Allow enough time. Take note of the length of your appointment and allow time for travel if it is in person. Please aim to arrive 5-10 minutes prior to your session.
Know where and how you're meeting your coach. You will receive a calendar invitation for the date, time, and location of your wellness coaching meeting at the time of registration, included in your confirmation email.

If you're meeting in person, ensure you know how to get to our office. Wolverine Wellness is located in Suite 0245 on the ground floor of the University Health Service building (207 Fletcher Street) – or another location, depending on your coach. If you choose a remote session, you will receive a Zoom link in your confirmation email and calendar invite.

Accessibility needs

Please email your coach before your first appointment if you require any accommodations for a successful and comfortable coaching session. Your coach's email is included in your appointment confirmation email. Accommodations can include, but are not limited to:

Finding the correct entrances for wheelchairs or mobility concerns
Using clear masks for lip reading
Using the chat feature to converse with your coach on Zoom rather than speaking

Questions or concerns?

If you need to cancel or reschedule your wellness coaching appointment, you can log in to your wellness coaching portal to cancel your session and select a new day and time that works for you. You may also contact your coach directly using the email address provided in your session confirmation email.

For all other inquiries, please email us at WellnessCoachingQs@umich.edu or call 734-763-1320.

Wellness coaching is NOT therapy

We are a non-clinical intervention and can not treat clinical depression or anxiety, unpack family history, manage eating disorders, manage bipolar disorders, or other complex mental health issues.

Alternatives to consider

U-M Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides free counseling for individual students and couples.
Uwill teletherapy services offers free services, often with same-day or evening availability – even on weekends and holidays.
U-M Psychological Clinic provides therapy for individuals and couples, as well as group therapy. There are fees, and insurance may help cover some of the costs.
If you need emergency mental health assistance, call 988 or go to the nearest psychiatric emergency department. On campus: Michigan Medicine Crisis phone service: 734-936-5900 or 734-996-4747, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive Floor B1, Room A240 Ann Arbor, MI 48109

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health. For a comprehensive list of tools and resources available to U-M students, check out the Mental Health Continuum of Care to find the right first step for you.

See the Community Provider Database for therapists in the Ann Arbor area, or use psychologytoday.com and filter by insurance and specific needs. In complicated cases, contact UHC Clinical Social Workers for referrals.

If you’re looking for something else...

Nutrition counseling and meal planning, students can visit the UHC Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Call 734-764-8320 to schedule an appointment.
HIV/STI testing and counseling are offered at Wolverine Wellness, but not as part of wellness coaching services. A counselor from Unified-Vivent Health will talk you through everything. Appointments are required and can be made confidentially online.

Wellness coaching staff

Ready to start your wellness coaching journey?

After you're familiar with what wellness coaching is and is not, click the button below to schedule your first appointment.

Make a coaching appointment

A student participant sorting cards on a table while a wellness coach observes and takes notes.

"My coach was great and really helped me get started on the big tasks I needed to get done, which is by far the hardest part for me."
~ Anonymous student quote about wellness coaching

A wellness coach giving instructions on an activity to a student participant, while pointing at cards on a table.

"My coach made me feel very comfortable, and I was able to actually open up instead of having surface-level conversations about alcohol."
~ Anonymous student quote about wellness coaching