What Is Walk & Talk Therapy?

The therapy sessions are conducted while walking outdoors.  This can be a phone or teletherapy session while the therapist and client are in different locations, or they can be walking side by side in a chosen location together. 

Walk and talk therapy combines the benefits of talk therapy and movement, allowing for a greater integration of the lessons and tools from therapy. Many clients who have a difficult time with continuous eye contact enjoy this more indirect way of working together. 

Why Nature Supports Mental Health

Green spaces reduce stress and cortisol, vitamin D can be taken in by the skin, and many people feel more relaxed and grounded when being outside rather than inside.

Movement increases circulation and mental clarity, allowing for a left-right, left-right bilateral rhythm, which can help increase the ability to resolve issues and have insight and curiosity, and less self-judgment or feeling of “stuckness.”

Who Is Walk & Talk Therapy Great For

People who feel anxious or constrained in office settings, have difficulty or are uncomfortable maintaining eye contact, need more privacy than their home or office will allow, or who want a more natural setting for interacting.

Clients with ADHD or trauma who find movement grounding, leading to a more present, embodied, and focused experience of therapy.

Individuals who enjoy being outside or have busy schedules and can’t find the time to come to the therapy office, or live in a different part of the state, and the commute is too far for an office visit.

What to Expect in a Nature-Based Session

• A collaborative walking route, when the therapist and client are together.
• Confidentiality and comfort considerations, such as what to do if either party runs into them, and what level of difficulty the route would entail.
• This involves the same therapeutic goals, but in a new setting.

How Walk & Talk Therapy Can Complement Other Therapies

Walk and talk therapy enhances mindfulness and body awareness and helps increase the experience of being embodied. It adds variety and comfort to the therapy journey; it can be a one-time experience or a repeated intervention.

Ready for a New Kind of Healing?

Please reach out to us to find out more about how Walk and Talk therapy can work in your life and book a consultation to explore outdoor therapy options.