Some of the most meaningful career pivots don’t come from ambition alone. They come from lived experience. For Rae, a former social worker and AFPA Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach, the shift into health coaching grew out of something deeply personal: the realization that sustainable wellness starts long before a crisis point.
After years of supporting others through trauma and high-stress environments, Rae found herself navigating her own health challenges and noticing how interconnected everything truly was. Stress, hormones, digestion, energy, mindset. None of it existed in isolation. That insight became the foundation of her coaching philosophy and her practice, Rae of Sunlight, where 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’d tell anyone who’s thinking about making a similar leap.
What were you doing before health coaching, and what made you start thinking about a change?
Before coming to health coaching, I worked in schools, non-profits, and residential treatment facilities, often supporting people experiencing trauma and high-stress situations. The work was fast-paced but also incredibly rewarding.
Over time, though, I started to feel the effects of chronic stress and overwhelm, 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 already reaching a crisis point. That led me to become more interested in prevention and sustainable wellness.
Why health coaching specifically? What drew you to it over other paths you could have taken from social work?
I liked how health coaching specifically focused on health from a holistic perspective. It offered a proactive and sustainable approach to making lifestyle changes. Through my background in social work, I developed a deep appreciation for supporting people through difficult experiences and past trauma. But I also realized I was especially drawn to helping people build daily habits, routines, and stress-management practices that support long-term wellbeing.
While social work often focuses on assessment, diagnosis, emotional processing, and healing, health coaching felt more aligned with my desire to support people reconnect with themselves, create healthier patterns, and making 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 to me.
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 expanded my understanding of it. Practicing and focusing on intrinsic motivation really deepened my understanding of it and helped me start recognizing 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’s 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?
Right now, my coaching practice is focused on working with individuals who are navigating high levels of chronic stress and overwhelm, particularly for professionals. My experience in social work has given me a deep understanding of caregiver fatigue and how easily burnout can develop.
I’m especially passionate about working with social workers, educators, and other care-giving professionals because I understand both the emotional demands of the work and the tendency to push personal wellbeing aside. My goal is to help clients build practical, sustainable tools for stress management and design daily habits that support balance and prevent burnout.
What would you tell a social worker who’s curious about health coaching but on the fence?
I think it depends on the way you want to show up in a helping profession. For me, health coaching has felt like a natural shift into a more independent, self-directed space where I’m building my own practice that incorporates other areas of health, such as nutrition and exercise, that I’m passionate about.
Forging my own path into health coaching has required more self-discipline, but it’s also been very rewarding. I’ve especially enjoyed applying my background in motivational interviewing and behavior change in a more prevention-focused way.
From my experience, health coaching also requires clearly communicating your scope and approach, since it’s a newer and a less understood field compared to social work. For me, that has actually helped me build clarity and confidence in what I offer.
Overall, it feels like a meaningful shift that aligns with how I want to support people moving forward.
Is there anything you wish you’d known before starting—either about the program or about making 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 were doing before. At one point, I felt like stepping away from traditional social work meant I had failed in it, and that simply wasn’t true.
What I’ve learned is that it’s okay to outgrow paths and shift into something that aligns more deeply with who you are and how you want to work. I’ve found a direction that fits me better, and I see it now as part of an ongoing process of learning and growth, changing direction when needed.
Find Rae online on her website and Substack.
Ready to build a practice rooted in whole-person wellness?
AFPA’s Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach program gives you the tools, credentials, and confidence to guide clients toward lasting change. Whether you’re starting fresh or deepening an existing career in health and wellness, this program meets you where you are.
