Ko Wai Coaching Collective

18/02/2026

Most professional development focuses on learning more.
But professional excellence is sustained by something quieter.
Self reflection.
Not self criticism.
Not overthinking.
But intentionally examining how we are showing up in our practice.
For health coaches, reflection strengthens:
⭐️Ethical decision making
⭐️Scope of practice awareness
⭐️Boundaries
⭐️Professional integrity
We have shared a new piece exploring why reflection is the inner standard that sustains professional excellence. You can read the full article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/self-reflection-health-coaching-practice-csine
If you are a health coach interested in mentoring or professional supervision, this is the work we support inside Ko Wai Coaching Collective.
Send us a message or email info@kowaicoachingcollective.com to learn more.

In every helping profession, there is a quiet inner practice that sustains professional excellence. That practice is self reflection.

14/02/2026

A timely reminder from the UK & International Health Coaching Association.

“Health coach” is not a regulated title globally, which means anyone can use it, regardless of training or competence. That variability affects client safety and the credibility of our profession.

A certified, credentialed health coach has recognised training in behaviour change science, whole person health, safe scope of practice, and ethical standards, and is aligned with professional bodies such as UK & International Health Coaching Association, Health Coaching Association and Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association.

At Ko Wai Coaching Collective, our role is to support health coaches through mentoring and supervision, strengthening reflective practice, professional standards, and safe, ethical delivery.

Raising the bar collectively protects clients and strengthens our profession.

The system is overwhelmed – and it’s not because people don’t care

Our healthcare system is overwhelmed.

Waiting lists grow. Clinicians are exhausted. Appointments are rushed.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we built a system brilliant at treating illness - not at supporting health.

Most long-term conditions are driven by:

• lifestyle
• stress
• behaviour
• environment
• confidence and capability to change

Yet these are the very things the system has least time to address.

This isn’t a failure of clinicians. It’s a structural gap.

👉 UKIHCA-Registered Health Coaches work upstream — before crisis, before burnout, before diagnosis escalates.

If we want sustainable healthcare, we must stop asking:
“How do we treat more sickness?”

And start asking:
“How do we support more health?”

👉 UKIHCA Registered Health Coaches are professionally qualified, regulated and evidence-based — and they work with you, not on you.

Download now:https://www.ukihca.com/images/Take-the-Lead-on-Your-Health---A-Guide.pdf

11/02/2026

Kia ora e te whānau,
I wanted to share a research study that speaks strongly to the heart of what we do here at Ko Wai Coaching Collective in our mentoring and supervision of health coaches.

This qualitative study, completed in Auckland by Caroline Holder, Prof. Rita Krishnamurthi, and Alice Theadom, explores the facilitators and barriers to long term behaviour change following health and wellness coaching for people at risk of stroke. Although focused on stroke prevention, the themes align closely with the realities we see across coaching practice.

The findings reinforce many of the core foundations we work with as mentors and supervisors, including:
• the importance of helping clients build insight and self awareness,
• addressing emotional wellbeing as part of behaviour change,
• supporting coaches to use practical tools that strengthen decision making, routines, and self management,
• the significance of cultural responsiveness and meeting people in their lived context,
• and the real impact of social connection, accountability, and community in sustaining change.

These insights remind us that the quality of the coaching relationship matters, and that long term behaviour change is influenced by both the inner and outer environments our clients navigate. They also highlight the value of reflective practice for coaches and the need for supportive spaces to explore these complexities.

If you are interested in research that can strengthen and deepen your coaching practice, this is a meaningful read.

Exploring facilitators and barriers to long term behaviour change following health and wellness coaching for stroke prevention
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.2671

A heartfelt acknowledgement to the authors and researchers for their contribution to evidence informed coaching and the ongoing development of our profession.

If this sparks any reflections for you, we would love to hear them.

Introduction Health–wellness coaching (HWC) has grown in popularity as a means of empowering individuals to take responsibility for their health behavior and make lifestyle changes to reduce their r...

14/12/2025

🤝 Curious about mentoring or supervision

If you have been wondering about mentoring or supervision, this could be a helpful time to reach out. Coaches often find that having a space to reflect and reset gives them more confidence in their work.

If you are curious about what support could look like, we would love to chat.

07/12/2025

✨ Small reflections create big shifts

Small reflection moments add up. You do not need huge breakthroughs every week. Most coaches grow through steady small insights over time.

One question. One realisation. One shift in perspective.

This is often where confidence is built.

30/11/2025

🌱 A small moment that shifted everything

A coach recently shared that they were worried they were not doing enough. After exploring their experience, it was so clear that they were making a positive difference. They just could not see it yet.

Coaches often underestimate their impact. Mentoring helps shine a light on strengths and reconnects you with what you bring to others.

26/11/2025

Congratulations to Our Co Founder, Kylee Long 💚🌿

We are incredibly proud to celebrate our Co Founder, Kylee Long, for her outstanding achievements at the PREKURE Graduation Evening last week.

Kylee stood on stage as a Certified PREKURE Master Holistic Health Coach, a milestone that reflects years of dedication, learning, coaching practice, and deep personal growth. This acknowledgment is a testament to her unwavering commitment to elevating the health coaching profession in Aotearoa.

Adding to this special moment, Kylee was also honoured with the PREKURE Community Spirit Award for 2025. This award recognises someone who consistently uplifts others, strengthens the community, and supports coaches to grow with confidence. Anyone who knows Kylee knows how naturally she embodies all of this and more.

At Ko Wai Coaching Collective, we see every day the heart Kylee brings to her mahi. Her leadership is grounded, generous, and values driven. She works quietly and intentionally behind the scenes, always focused on creating spaces where health coaches can flourish. Her belief that when we support each other we all rise is woven into everything we do.

We are deeply grateful for the compassion, wisdom, and integrity Kylee brings to this kaupapa, and we are honoured to walk beside her as we continue to grow our mentoring, supervision, and professional development offerings for coaches.

With the Master Coach Certification complete and the TIIPS research study nearing its final stage, this next chapter is set to be transformational for both Kylee and the wider coaching community.

Kylee, we are so proud of you and excited for all that lies ahead. 💚✨

Ngā mihi nui,
The Ko Wai Coaching Collective Team

23/11/2025

✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 ✨

Many coaches arrive in mentoring or supervision feeling unsure about what to expect. Some wonder if they need to have everything figured out first. Others carry a quiet worry that they may not be doing things the right way.

What we see again and again is that coaches do not need to be perfect. They simply need a safe supportive space where they can reflect, explore their practice, and reconnect with their strengths.

Mentoring and supervision are not about judgement. They are about partnership, clarity, development, and building confidence over time. When coaches feel truly supported, they often rediscover a sense of ease in their work.

This is the heart of Ko Wai Coaching Collective.

🌿 A space for growth
🌿 A space for clarity
🌿 A space for support

30/10/2025

We’ve been quietly building something that feels both old and new, a space where coaching, story, and self-awareness meet.

Ko Wai Coaching Collective is about growing with integrity, curiosity, and care.
If that sounds like your kind of learning, come see what we’re up to. 🌿

Kia ora and welcome to Ko Wai Coaching Collective.

We’re a small but grounded initiative shaped by the belief that coaching isn’t just about technique. It’s about relationship, story, and who we are becoming along the way.

At the centre of our work sits Ko Wai Au – Who Am I?. It’s a simple question that’s not always simple to answer. It asks us to pause, to notice what shapes us, and to make sense of the values that quietly guide our choices as coaches and as people.

Our approach may appear a little different. We use narrative mentoring, a way of working where stories do the teaching. Sometimes that means unpacking a tricky client moment. Other times, it’s tracing how culture, identity, and history weave through our practice. It’s not always tidy work, but it’s honest.

We aim to create spaces that feel psychologically safe and culturally respectful, where you can explore both the confidence and the uncertainty that come with being in this profession.

We guide coaches (new and experienced) to:
🌱 Know themselves deeply, and kindly
💪 Build confidence, resilience, and ethical clarity, one conversation at a time
🌀 Strengthen practice through mentoring, reflective supervision, and advocacy for what good coaching could be

Our Three Pillars:
* Mentoring – narrative mentoring programmes, circles, and one-to-one sessions
* Supervision – reflective practice grounded in cultural humility
* Advocacy – helping shape a profession that values integrity and inclusion

We’re based here in Aotearoa New Zealand, but our reach extends to health coaches around the world who care about growing with purpose and heart.

Thanks for being here. We’re still learning too. 🌿