Why Walk and Talk
It takes courage to seek the help of a counsellor or psychotherapist and finding the right person can take some time. There are many therapeutic styles and a lot comes down to the actual therapist and if you click with them. How well you connect with your therapist, will be partly about the way they work. There are therapeutic styles that are quite clinical and structured, which works for some people. Others need a bit more “room to move” and styles that are more creative and flexible will benefit them better. If you’re someone who thrives in a natural environment and generally likes open space, then Walk and Talk therapy could be a great option for you.
The privacy and containment of a therapy room can work really well for a lot of people. One of the therapist’s first and most important jobs is to create a safe space, in which clients can build trust, open up and allow themselves to be vulnerable. There are many creative ways of working that the privacy of an enclosed space offers. But while these work well for a lot of people, there are many who benefit greatly from taking the session outside and moving their body at a gentle pace. Let’s have a look at what Walk and Talk therapy is and how working this way can support clients’ healing and growth.
What is Walk and Talk Therapy?
Walk and talk therapy is basically what it sounds like. Almost everything about the session is the same as if you were meeting your therapist in their practice room, but you’re getting all the benefits of spending time outdoors, surrounded by nature and gently moving your body. Your therapist will usually offer you a choice of a few locations depending on your circumstances. Things like privacy, noise, weather and terrain will all be considered and the timing of the route will be planned, allowing for flexibility in pace and places to rest if needed. Walk and talk therapy offers many benefits that tend to happen almost as a side effect of spending time outside and moving, while leaving a lot of room to get creative with the therapeutic work itself.
Nature as a source of support
The positive impacts of spending time outdoors, especially surrounded by greenery and water views, have been documented by many studies now. They include improved mood, mental and physical health, increased creativity and focus, better quality of sleep and more. Many people also report a sense of connectedness and belonging linked to spending time in nature, something that is instrumental in supporting clients with depressive symptoms. Nature helps to regulate our nervous system. This extra bit of grounding and support allows us to process experiences that would otherwise be more challenging to work through. Being outdoors is natural for humans and our instincts and intuition are a lot more available to us in this environment. In walk and talk therapy sessions, things just tend to flow and clients are often able to tap into resources that, for many, aren't available sitting down in an enclosed space. This can lead to increased insight, deeper awareness and more healing.
The support of walking together
Many clients find side by side setting, as opposed to the traditional facing each other, much less confronting. As the therapist shares a physical path with their client, the metaphorical meaning of empathy is represented and expressed by them moving together. As the therapist follows the client’s pace they get in sync, enhancing the sense of support that we aim to create in any therapeutic setting. Walking the same path as our clients allows for more of an even ground. We're meeting as equals, walking the same path for the duration of our session. This helps to create a deeper connection, builds more trust and helps clients to open up - often not only with the therapist, but more importantly, with themselves.
Walking “moves us forward”
Walking supports the process of change and facilitates breakthroughs. We're metaphorically and literally moving forward and overcoming obstacles along the way. Movement and being outdoors also boosts creativity. In regards to therapeutic goals, this often manifests as gaining deeper insights, new angles from which to view life’s challenges and greater awareness. Clients experiencing depression, anxiety or grief may find moving outdoors in the fresh air especially supportive. Being active and accomplishing something as tangible as a walk, provides a contrast to the heaviness and feeling of stuckness they regularly experience. This often leads to a sense of aliveness, which can bring a lot of hope and create significant shifts in mood and general wellbeing.
Movement gets us into our body
Not only is light exercise good for both our physical and mental health, but it helps us get more “into our body”. We spend a lot of time in our busy minds. This keeps us disconnected from a lot of what’s going on in our body. Our body is where emotions take place. For a lot of people allowing themselves to feel emotions seems like a bad idea. However, emotions carry a lot of important information - like what we care about, what’s not OK with us and what makes our soul sing. Suppressed emotions can build up and become overwhelming. Physical movement helps us get in touch with our body, therefore also with the emotions we’re experiencing, in a less confronting way. The movement itself, especially rhythmic - such as walking, supports emotional regulation. Moving your body during therapy can help to create just enough distance between the events you’re sharing with your therapist and the story you tell yourself about them. From this space a new narrative around the meaning of your experience can be born. This can be incredibly healing.
For any good counsellor or a psychotherapist, clients benefiting from the work we do is our foremost priority. Doing our job in an environment that enhances the clients’ and our own wellbeing contributes to the overall quality of our service and promotes a holistic approach to therapy and life in general. We have spent a lot of time indoors over the last few years and it’s never been a better time to try doing things differently. If there’s something you’re struggling with or simply feel you want to explore with someone, but the four walls of a therapy room seem just too scary, walk and talk therapy could be for you.
For more information or a free 15 minute consultation, get in touch with Daniela today.
