Is walking good for mental health?
Two women talk to each other as they walk down a tree-lined sidewalk
If you’ve ever sat in a therapy office noticing how nice it looks outside and wishing you were out there, this one is for you.
The case for walk and talk therapy
Walk and talk therapy is therapy is a therapy session that is held outside where client and therapist walk side by side, discussing much of what they would inside an office.
Benefits of walk and talk therapy
It offfers clients a chance to connect with the grounding elements of being outdoors
It incorporates movement that helps calm the nervous system
It offers a chance to connect with their therapist in a way that takes some of the pressure off of traditional in office therapy. (Sitting across from each other with eye contact)
Walk and Talk therapy for anxiety and depression
Research has shown that walk and talk therapy is associated with reduced feelings of anxiety and depression. When clients walk during their sessions it allows their nervous system to find regulation. The sunlight, the breeze, and the birdsong all offer great opportunities to work on noticing the environment around you, an important way to focus on regulation.
Walk and talk therapy for trauma
Other studies of clients who report symptoms of trauma reported an overall decrease in their trauma symptoms after engaging in walk and talk therapy (Koziel, et al., 2021). If you’re up for it, in a safe place for walking, and your therapist offers walk and talk therapy, it could be a good opportunity to try something new in your treatment.
Walk and talk therapy to build better connection
Walk and talk therapy offers a great way for clients and therapists to connect and build their therapeutic relationship. Some people struggle with the traditional therapy set up. Sitting across from each other on two different couches can be difficult for some. Walking side by side allows for reduced eye contact and for conversation to happen more organically. Leaving the therapeutic office can even the playing field a little bit too. Clients may appreciate being in a less clinical space; as hard as therapists work to make an open and calming environment, their office layout is dictated by their preferences.
Walk and talk therapy often comes with some hiccups that occur naturally. Sidewalk construction, wandering geese, and a surprise bout of rain allow for therapists and clients to practice adaptability. This offers clients a chance to see their therapist in a new way and use their problem solving and adaptability skills together.
Walk AND TALK THERAPY WITH KIDS
I love the opportunity to get outside with my kid clients! Many kids feel cooped up all day at school, so they often relish the chance to get outside. Kids become more open when they are outdoors and moving around, conversation happens more naturally, and even the kids that struggle to talk about things in the therapy room will start to share more.
I use walk and talk therapy with kids as a chance to work on developing regulation skills and co-regulation with myself. We take time to notice things we can see, hear, touch, and smell, offering us a chance to come out of our heads and into the environment around us. This usually leads to a slower pace, more attunement, and deeper breathing. I’ll often invite parents to join us as an opportunity for them to develop co-regulation skills with some support and coaching from me.
Walk and Talk safely and ethically
Some general rules and guidelines are needed to make walk and talk therapy safe and ethical
Client consent should be given. Clients should want to engage in walk and talk therapy and be aware of the risks
Only walk as quickly as the slowest walker is able.
Don’t engage in walk in talk therapy if there are any medical reasons why you should not
Be aware of the weather, surprises happen but if it looks like rain stick close to the office or postpone for another day
Have a conversation about confidentiality. What will you and your therapist do or say if you come across someone you or your therapist knows
Wear good shoes! I try to keep a good pair for walking in my office in case a surprise sunny day greets us in the Minnesota spring.
I love walk and talk therapy. As a therapist my job involves a lot of sitting, and I like most of my clients, appreciate the chance to move around a bit. I like seeing my younger clients pay attention to the world around them and seeing how much more comfortable they are to share when we are moving forward side by side instead of sitting across from each other on a couch.
I’m lucky to have an office in a quiet area of town with tree lined sidewalks, walking paths, and a pond near by! If you’re interested, reach out. I’d love to walk with you.
Online client? Incorporating walking into a telehealth call is do-able!
