We wanted to take the time to introduce you to Aliyah, our Health and Wellness Coach and Client Care Team Lead at Harpal Clinic. Aliyah is an essential part of the clinic, having been here for nearly five years. If you’re currently a patient with us, you already know her well, so let’s get started!
As a health and wellness coach, I ensure that every patient’s journey is smooth and provides the best quality care possible.
When a patient completes their consultation with the doctor, there are usually quite a few recommendations given by the doctor, which may incorporate taking medication and supplements, further testing, some dietary guidelines, exercise and wellness practices like meditation or mindfulness. This can feel overwhelming to many patients. So my job is to ensure that I’m there for them to help guide them through any issues, questions, side effects, fears or simply as a sympathetic ear.
On a typical day, I might be answering questions about how to implement recommendations that the doctor has given, explaining possible side effects, or liaising with the doctors about adjusting patient regimes. Dr Bains wanted to incorporate an extra level of support into the practice as she believed that compliance is key to recovery. But if things feel too overwhelming, many people simply give up. In being there to help with accountability, I find that patients’ compliance improves, getting much better results.
We also have many patients with carers who are usually family members, and I lend a lot of support to them too. Sometimes people just want to be heard, and it makes me feel privileged to be that ear to bend.
Alongside coaching, I am the lead for the Client Care Team. Because of my extensive experience within this clinic, I act as a link between doctors, patients, and the admin team. It also means that I can fit in where I’m needed.
When I first started at the clinic five years ago, I worked in front of house, booking patients in and helping arrange blood tests. Since the beginning, I’ve worked closely with patients and have used this knowledge and experience to help shape the patient journey.
At the St Paul’s clinic, we wanted to ensure we gave our patients more well-rounded support outside of the doctors’ consultation and see them through with a deeper level of care.
The clinic supported me through a health coaching course. Since then, the team has expanded, and I’ve taken on more of a leadership and post-consultation support role. My focus is now on giving our patients detailed aftercare, support as needed and coaching them to achieve their health goals.
You invest and build really lovely connections with people and their journeys.
I’ll pick up the phone when I don’t hear from someone. And it’s made a difference to so many people – especially during the pandemic. You learn everything, which makes a massive difference to their care, and you can pinpoint many things and help them understand that getting better isn’t just about taking a pill.
They are often wary when they first come in, feeling low and unwell because they’ve hit a wall with their care. After they progress in their treatment they become a different person. They sound happier and more energetic; they’re much more content in themselves. And it’s so lovely to be with patients for their entire journey with us – I see them go from being in a shell to being a brand new person and having that vitality.
I love the hormonal aspect of what we do and how they work. I’m passionate and fascinated by the science that supports what we do and how we use it to make the body better.
There is so much! Working closely with the doctors makes them all a pleasure to work with. Learning from all of them, especially Harpal, is such a joy. We are a close-knit team with a great culture in the clinic. It can be hectic, but we look after each other, which is excellent. Most importantly, I feel like I’m making a difference every day. And that makes me want to get up in the morning because I cannot wait to see what each day holds.
To find out how we can help you, contact us on 020 7096 5475 or book an appointment.
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