Young people in Surry Hills who have been putting off asking a health professional about their diet, stress, sleep or other lifestyle concerns can now access free one-on-one coaching — without needing to wait until the problem feels serious enough to justify an appointment.
The phone-based service is available to people aged 13 to 25 who live, study or see a health professional within Central and Eastern Sydney. Surry Hills falls within the City of Sydney, one of the local government areas covered by the program.
Participants can have up to six appointments with a qualified health professional, with coaching covering areas including nutrition, weight management, smoking or vaping reduction, stress and general health and wellbeing.
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The problem that can seem too small to mention
Bella Fedele, Service Design and Brand Experience Manager at Better Health Company, said one of the barriers identified through the organisation’s work with young people was the feeling that a concern did not warrant professional attention.
“A lot of young people don’t seek help because they don’t think their problem is serious enough, or worthy enough to spend money on an appointment with a professional,” Ms Fedele said.
“They are more likely to search online, scroll through social media or try to figure things out themselves before speaking with a health professional.”
That creates an important distinction in what the new service is trying to do. Health coaching is designed to help with lifestyle changes and preventive health; it is not a substitute for a GP, psychologist or other medical or mental-health treatment when those services are needed.
“You don’t have to wait until something seems really serious before reaching out for support,” Ms Fedele said.
“In fact, health coaching is often most effective when people are looking to make small improvements before issues become more difficult to manage.”
One concern can lead somewhere unexpected
Someone might begin coaching because they want to eat differently or manage their weight, for example, only for conversations to identify sleep, stress or confidence as another part of what is going on.
Ms Fedele said the program had deliberately been designed to cover multiple health behaviours because young people’s health concerns do not necessarily sit neatly apart from one another.
“Something we hear consistently is that young people feel like they are balancing so much,” she said.
“Whether that be study, work, family commitments, friendships and their health, and it can be very overwhelming.”
Rather than simply handing participants more health information, the coaching focuses on turning what they already know into changes they can realistically maintain.
“What makes health coaching different is that it’s not just about providing information,” Ms Fedele said. “Most people already know what they should be doing for their health, but turning that into lasting habits can be difficult.”
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No need to arrive with a plan
The service is funded by Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network and delivered by Better Health Company. Calls are conducted remotely, removing the need to travel to a clinic, while participants also receive access to an app containing self-paced learning modules and other health resources.
Eligibility is broader than simply living within the catchment. A 13-to-25-year-old can also qualify by studying there or seeing a health professional there, meaning the program may be available to young people who travel into the City of Sydney for those purposes.
There is also no requirement to begin with a fully formed health goal.
“You don’t need to know exactly what your goals are, our coaches are here to help you figure that out and work with you to create achievable steps that fit in your lifestyle,” Ms Fedele said.
For a young person who has been wondering whether a health concern is worth raising at all, she said the first step may be much smaller than expected.
“Sometimes a conversation and a little guidance can make a bigger difference than people expect.”
Published 9-Sept-2026
