WellBalance’s “Wellbeing Balance and Lived-Experiences Model of Positive Wellbeing”, developed by Harvard-trained scientist Troy W. Norris, is the first scientifically validated experiential model of wellbeing
As coaching demand rises, clients now expect evidence-based methods, measurable progress, and personalized tools that reflect the complexity of their lives. Many coaching approaches still rely on intuition, generic wellness advice or static personality, strengths or style assessments, often leaving clients motivated but uncertain about what to do next. Instead of focusing only on emotional states or personality traits, the WellBalance Model evaluates how clients are actually living – what they experience, how they feel, and which specific activities are most likely to improve their wellbeing. This provides a rigorous, practical framework for coaches to guide sustainable client transformation.
The WellBalance methodology applies a precision medicine approach to wellbeing. After spending decades advising global biopharmaceutical companies on individualized treatment strategies, Norris recognized that just as individuals’ biological signatures predict treatment outcomes, life situations and daily behaviors shape their ability to flourish. WellBalance’s precision wellbeing method applies the rigor of personalized science to make individualized wellbeing interventions accessible to coaches. The method has been validated by peer-reviewed research that meets strict APA guidelines.
A new experiential framework of wellbeing
Despite advances in positive psychology, the focus remains on generalized wellbeing solutions. Clients are overwhelmed by endless advice, advertisements and admonishments, with no clear idea of what would work best for them. So, they – and their coaches – often default to broad solutions, like exercise, nutrition or sleep, or savoring, meditation, or gratitude, without knowing which practices are most likely to help each particular client. This ambiguity can lead to frustration and cycles of trial and error that drain energy and motivation.
By measuring both how clients feel and how they are living their lives, the WellBalance approach identifies behavior patterns underlying clients’ wellbeing, the positive feelings that arise from these experiences, and specific gaps in mindset positivity. It not only profiles a client’s wellbeing, but generates personalized, prescriptive plans that target areas most likely to create meaningful change.
WellBalance connects twelve categories of positive experiences – across relationships, meaningful contribution, physical vitality, and mental engagement – with twelve categories of positive feelings – spanning significance, effectiveness, wellness, and openness.
The model emphasizes balance across three dimensions, balancing: caring for ourselves and others; our emotional and relational life with our physical and tangible life; and active, mindful, and restful experiences and feelings.
Research insights that transform coaching practice
One of the most impactful findings from WellBalance’s research is that life situations such as relationship status, employment stability, and parenting responsibilities impact wellbeing far more than demographic traits like age, gender, or income, and in predictable ways. This allows coaches to anticipate common pressures and personalize interventions based on meaningful context.
By comparing clients’ wellbeing profiles to others in similar life situations from its dataset, WellBalance enables coaches to distinguish between challenges that are situationally common and those that are uniquely personal. This normalizes common struggles while highlighting areas clients can influence more easily.
The range of a client’s wellbeing sources is also key. Clients with multiple sources of positive experiences can respond more resiliently when one area falters. Those who rely on only one or two main sources for their wellbeing may appear fine when things are good, while being vulnerable to disruption. By identifying this “wellbeing fragility,” WellBalance helps coaches proactively broaden the client’s wellbeing foundation.
The WellBalance assessment
WellBalance’s 24-item rapid assessment takes under five minutes to complete and provides a personalized wellbeing profile and positivity plan. This gives individuals a quick, evidence-based snapshot of the types of experiences and mindset practices most likely to benefit them.
WellBalance’s 72-item professional practitioner assessment is the cornerstone tool for executive, life, and wellness coaches. It evaluates clients’ positive experiences, positive feelings, mindset positivity (and areas of negative mindset), and overall well- being resilience, providing a granular, actionable profile and plan that reveals strengths and overlooked opportunities.
Coaches and clients don’t need a sophisticated assessment to identify major crises like burnout, divorce, or job loss. But focusing only on major challenges can reinforce helplessness and distract clients from other important areas of their lives. The WellBalance Assessment identifies smaller, more controllable behaviors steps restore agency and collectively increase wellbeing and resilience meaningfully.
WellBalance coaches must be previously certified as executive, life, or health coaches, or other professionally certified practitioners. They then complete a brief qualification training to learn how to administer the assessment and client debrief method. Coaches receive a coaching manual, dashboards, client management tools, and detailed supplemental client reports, enabling ethical interpretation and co-creation of high-impact personal growth plans for their clients.
Benefits of the WellBalance coaching method
The WellBalance Method transforms the coaching journey from early client breakthroughs to lifelong growth:
- Transform the intake process. The assessment provides structure, shared language, and immediate insight. Coaches quickly surface patterns, strengths, and opportunities, providing clearer direction from the start.
- Personalize with precision. Coaches and clients co-design evidence-based plans around small, high-impact steps, new activities to pursue, positive feelings to nurture, targeted mindset positivity practices, and “wellbeing boosters” to enhance current habits.
- Support clients through disruptions. Whether clients face burnout, life transitions, or feeling empty despite external success, the method directs them toward actions they can influence, helping them rebuild resilience and efficacy in the face of adversity.
- Demonstrate progress and refine goals. Progress reports track measurable changes over time, across daily habits, emotional patterns, and wellbeing resilience. This strengthens motivation, deepens trust, and supports sustained client engagement.
A new standard for evidence-based, personalized coaching
Coaching is at a pivotal moment. Clients want deeper transformation, and the profession must respond with tools equal to that expectation. WellBalance bridges scientific rigor with human experience, offering a method that is both comprehensive and practical.
By adopting precision wellbeing tools like the WellBalance Assessment, coaches can help clients move beyond insight toward sustained, meaningful change. In doing so, they elevate their practice, contribute to a more evidence-based coaching profession, and empower clients to build more authentic, resilient, flourishing lives.
