Walk & Yap
A mental health therapist talking about the benefits of walking and getting outside? So cliche am I right? (insert eye roll)
BUT - hear me out!
You know the feeling you get after a walk with a friend? You have your coffee in hand, the sun on your skin all the while engaging in soulful catch up that leaves you feeling energized, heard, fulfilled, and lighter.
Now imagine all of that but with therapy incorporated.
This is the concept of Walk and Talk Therapy, or Walk & Yap for my Gen Z clients.
What is Walk and Talk Therapy?
Walk and Talk Therapy is a therapy session that takes place while walking outside on trails with your therapist, side by side, as you discuss whatever you feel comfortable with. Instead of traditional therapy, which occurs inside an office and sitting across from one another, this type of session allows for physical activity and reduction in sedentary behavior, which has been shown to improve mental health.
What are some of the benefits of Walk and Talk Therapy?
Walk and Talk Therapy has SO many benefits. If you’re interested in exploring Walk and Talk Therapy, it can help with:
Connection with Nature = Connection to Self
We live in a world where we are plugged in and distracted at any given moment making it hard to find intentional time with the present. Nature presents a playground to literally, ground. Grounding is a way that we shift our mind away from heightened emotions, dissociative states or thoughts from trauma triggers and into the current. There are many ways to ground and Walk and Talk Therapy presents opportunities to practice certain techniques and engage in mindfulness.
When having a Walk and Talk Therapy session you may notice yourself slowing down and observing different things around you and within you.
You may find yourself paying attention to your breathing, your heart rate, or the heaviness in your legs. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with ourselves and practice intentional check-in’s, which is a crucial part of emotional regulation. What is your body trying to tell you in these moments? How can we give it what it needs?
You may also find yourself paying attention to the sounds, smells, and sights of the trail that you are walking on with your therapist. The sound of birds chirping, the smell of fresh cut grass, or views of blooming flowers. These observations could be especially helpful if discussing anything stressful during the walk as it's a great time to practice and incorporate grounding techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1.
Connecting with nature allows for us to notice what is happening within and mindfully engage in certain practices, which only helps us to have confidence in implementing these practices throughout our day to day.
Therapeutic Relationship
The relationship between therapist and client is of the utmost importance as it allows for safety in disclosure and safety to process. At times, the formal setting of the office and sitting across from one another can feel intimidating, especially when disclosing vulnerabilities.
A change of pace and being outside allows for the ‘walking alongside you’ approach to really take form. This is a sentiment that is often utilized in therapy, but Walk and Talk Therapy creates the actual shared experience of walking alongside someone as they discuss stressors, share fears, and express insecurities. In addition, walking side by side reduces the pressure of direct eye contact allowing for clients to feel more relaxed, which can create more comfort in discussion of certain topics.
Expanding Perspective
Sometimes we get ~stuck~
As a client you may show up to your weekly session, sit in the same spot, and grab that emotional support pillow. You may have the spot you focus on when trying to deflect, or the space that you look when engaging in thought. You can expect the same thing, which is comfortable and at times provides the safety so many of us need.
But it CAN also create rigidity, which leads to that feeling of being stuck. Inside my office there are times when I may switch chairs with a client in order to switch perspective or help them shift from a dissociative state. A change of scenery has the ability to lead to a change in mindset, which is what Walk and Talk Therapy can provide on a bigger level. Being outside can provide different reflections that may not occur within a space we are so intimately familiar with. In nature there are so many things to see and this broad way of existing can create new insights.
Movement & Increased Mood
Movement is incredibly important not only for our physical body but also for our mental health. Movement has been shown to increase strength, improve energy, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, assist in better sleep habits, aid in development of self-esteem, as well as promote healthy coping skills. There’s also simply something to be said about the benefit of being outside. Stepping outside of an office and soaking up just 30 minutes of Vitamin D has been shown to stabilize mood. The science behind this? Endorphins.
Movement, such as walking, will release the feel good hormones in our body such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These hormones are all linked to mood regulation whose main purpose in the brain is to promote feelings of happiness.
Lastly, for some of us movement or exercise has been historically associated with punishment of the body. With Walk and Talk Therapy we have the opportunity to reframe exercise by engaging in movement that is intentional, slow, and nourishing for the brain and body.
Important Things to Consider:
Privacy is so important to the therapeutic relationship as it allows for protection over your story. With Walk and Talk Therapy, privacy is less guaranteed. There will likely be other individuals walking, however, there is always the ability to make a game plan with your therapist about how to be mindful of issues related to privacy such as incorporating intentional pauses during speech .
There may be topics or situations where Walk and Talk Therapy isn’t conducive to your needs. This could be due to the heaviness of what you’re experiencing and the safety of falling apart on a couch is needed. It could also be due to trauma processing where other techniques such as EMDR are being utilized and better suited for indoor spaces.
Walk and Talk Therapy is an additional form of therapy and doesn’t have to be utilized for every session. You may not always want this type of session whether it’s due to an injury or physical limitations, the weather, energy levels, or current stressors. Remember that this type of therapy is an option and it’s an option when you want it to be!
At Be Counseling, located in Magnolia, Texas, some of the areas I hold Walk and Talk Therapy sessions include:
Christine Allen Nature Park in Montgomery, Texas
Burroughs Park in Tomball, Texas
Fairfield Twin Ponds in Cypress, Texas
Memorial Loop in Houston, Texas
If you’re interested in trying out Walk and Talk Therapy on your therapeutic journey I would love to walk alongside you :)
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