Hello again! Let’s dive right in – What is walk & talk therapy?
Simply put, it’s like standard talking therapy but instead of sitting in a room, both parties are outside and well, walking!
“Why?” You might ask.
Many clients value the feeling of security and boundaries that the four walls of a counselling room can provide. (I completely get that, which is why I offer both). But walk & talk therapy is gaining in popularity of late, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. Let’s take a look at why that might be.
What are the benefits?
Here are just some of the pros of walk & talk therapy:
· Side-by-side: Some people feel more comfortable sharing when they’re walking side by side rather than sitting face-to-face. For example, while some clients feel reassured and heard when there’s eye contact, others may struggle with it, particularly when there’s silence (which is a natural and vital part of therapy).
· Processing: Walking helps us process information. I know I always find myself walking around the room when I’m talking on the phone – I’ve always done it! It’s not a conscious choice, but maybe subconsciously my brain knows this will help me take in the information better and think more clearly about what I want to say.
· Endorphins: Walking helps to release endorphins, or “feel-good” hormones. Because of this increase in mood, it can be easier to talk about difficult things during the sessions as you may not find yourself becoming as distressed. Of course, there are also benefits to feeling tough feelings in the safe environment of therapy, so that’s something to consider if you’re wanting to work on this.
· Change of scenery: There’s just something about being outside that gives many people a sense of calm, or of clarity. The physical change of scenery can be inspiring and help you see things from a different perspective mentally or emotionally.
· Metaphor: For those that like working with metaphor, being in nature provides the perfect opportunity. You may find it helps to talk about the natural objects or wildlife around you in relation to your own life. Of course, this is not for everyone so it’s completely up to you whether you work in this way or not.
So those are some of the benefits of walk & talk therapy. I’m sure there are many more!
Common concerns
Some of you probably still have questions so I also want to address a few of the worries people might have.
· “What if I see someone I know?” An understandable concern as you may not want everybody to know that you’re seeing a counsellor (even though in an ideal world there would be no stigma). We can have a signal or codeword we would use in case this happens so that we both know to pause the conversation. These are things we can discuss and agree to before we begin.
· “Do I need to be very fit?” Not at all. We can walk at whatever pace you’re comfortable with and sit down whenever needed. Of course, it should go without saying that those using wheelchairs or mobility scooters can participate too.
· “What if the weather is bad?” A reasonable question given the unpredictable nature of the UK weather! I’m happy to still go ahead if say, it’s raining (perhaps not a torrential downpour!), however if ever you’d rather not be outside, we can always move the session to my counselling space (availability permitting) or online. There’s no obligation for it to be walk & talk every time.
I hope you found this post useful and/or interesting. Let me know in the comments if you’ve found any other benefits to walk & talk therapy.
Until next time, take care.
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