If you live with diabetes or another chronic condition, getting to an appointment can take more out of you than the appointment itself. Virtual health coaching lets us meet by video from wherever you already are, anywhere in California. I'm Cheri Sacks, a registered nurse and a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES), and because a California RN license is a state license, I can coach people living anywhere in the state.
Why does video coaching help when your energy is limited?
For many people, the appointment starts about ninety minutes before the appointment. There's the shower, getting dressed, the drive, parking, the elevator and the waiting room, then a visit that may be the shortest part of a four-hour outing, and then an afternoon spent recovering. If your body runs on a limited energy budget, the travel is often the most draining part.
Video takes away the drive, the parking structure and the waiting room, so the hour you spend with me can go to the work itself. I often hear from clients that this is what finally lets them keep their sessions. One man in the Central Valley had been dropping in-person education because the drive home took the rest of his day. When we met by video, he kept the hour every time, because the education was never the problem, the outing was.
What does a video session look like?
You can join virtual health coaching in California from your own room, with your camera off if you need rest.
You get a link and click it. If you can't get in, you can call (415) 489-0887.
The first session is mostly listening. We'll talk about your history, your medicines (so I never coach against your prescriber) and what a hard day looks like for you. Later sessions pick up where we left off. Your camera can be off, you can lie down, and if your cat wants to sit on your chest, that's fine too. Notes come to you in writing, so you don't have to remember everything while you're already tired. You can read more about what the first session includes or what a first coaching session covers.
I offer diabetes education and coaching one-on-one, and in a group when that's a better fit. If you're weighing the two, here's more on group versus private coaching.
How does coaching work by video?
Virtual health coaching in California still follows the same PATH, so one small step can fit the room you're already in.
I coach through a simple framework I call PATH, and video doesn't water it down:
- Personalized care. We start with the room you're already in, whether that's your kitchen, your couch or a hotel on a work trip inside California.
- Awareness. We notice what things like appointment outings have been costing you, because how you feel the afternoon after a "simple" visit is useful information.
- Transformation. We choose one small step, in a session you can actually attend, so it's something you can keep.
- Health. The goal is you feeling enough like yourself to stay in the conversation.
You'll find the fuller picture of PATH in working with a nurse health coach.
Video coaching is still real care. The ADA treats education and support as part of diabetes care, including when life and access change (ADA Standards, 2026), and remote coaching isn't second-rate when the relationship is real. The NIDDK's care team page puts you at the center of your care, and video doesn't change that.
Is it right for everyone?
Virtual health coaching in California fits most coaching, and a crisis or a hands-on exam still belongs with your own clinicians.
Video works well for most coaching, but some things still belong in person with your own clinicians, including a crisis, unstable medical problems, or anything that needs a hands-on exam. Coaching isn't an emergency service, so if you're ever in danger, call 911.
I work with your doctors, not instead of them. I don't diagnose or prescribe, and I can't be your doctor in any county, so please keep your local clinicians and talk with your physician before you change a medicine, a meal plan or an activity plan that could drop your blood sugar.
Please also let me know if you'll be outside California, because my license doesn't travel with you across a state line.
Where in California can you join from?
You can join virtual health coaching in California from Fresno, Eureka, San Diego, or a town that never makes a Bay Area list.
Anywhere in the state. If you live in Fresno, Eureka, San Diego or a town that never makes a Bay Area list, you count just as much. If you'd also like the local view, I have pages for San Francisco and San Jose, plus Bay Area health coaching. You'll find the same city pages for San Francisco and San Jose under the related reading below.
How do you get started?
The first conversation is a free call, and you can book that here. Feel free to ask about cost, about scheduling across California, or anything else on your mind. You don't need to have had a "good" week first. You just need to be in California, click the link, and tell me honestly how things are going.
You don't need to do more. You need to do what works for your body.
With Care, Cheri Sacks, R.N., C.D.C.E.S. Your Neighbor, The Nurse
Getting started with virtual health coaching in California is a conversation you can have at home, after you check plans with your physician.
This article is education, not emergency or diagnostic care. If you are in danger, call 911. Please talk with your physician before you change a medicine, a meal plan, or an activity plan.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
No.
If you live in California, yes.
It is coaching and education by a licensed nurse. It is not a substitute for your physician, emergency care, or a hands-on exam.
Contact. Free discovery call.
Yes. Same letters. Your real room, what the travel was costing, one step you can keep, and you feeling like yourself.
