Walk and Talk Therapy
Walk and talk therapy is exactly that... Walking and talking as a means to enable a therapeutic process. The counselling sessions take place outdoors, with client and the counsellor walking side by side in picturesque countryside settings.
What are the benefits of walk and talk therapy?
This is a dynamic form of counselling where physical activity is integrated into the counselling process.
Although fitness is not the focus, it may be that fitness levels do improve as a result of the sessions. As well as releasing some tensions, physical activity stimulates oxygen uptake, which helps us to think more clearly and more creatively through problems and issues.
The rhythmic forward motion of walking is calming and liberating. People often describe feeling as though they have more energy and often report a better quality of sleep, even after the first session.
Being close to nature is hugely therapeutic, and being out in the elements help to to feel grounded and calm.
As with traditional counselling the client sets the pace and chooses the material to discuss. Rather than sitting in the warm comfort of a counselling room, the client and the counsellor literally walk side by side in the fresh air. This form of counselling is not necessarily a fare weather activity; it can be just as affective to walk in the rain or the sunshine.
However we do understand that some clients may prefer not to walk in extreme weather conditions, and this will be discussed prior to the first session.
Even if you’re confident talking face to face with your counsellor, you might at times become ‘stuck’ in your thinking or maybe feel ‘trapped’ in a cycle of behaviour or a life role.
You might be struggling to find a way forward or feel challenged about exploring deeper router issues, walking in the fresh air allows for a more gentle exploration and can allow the processing to occur more naturally.
Even though much physical ground may be covered, Walk and Talk therapy is not about the literal distance travelled, but the forward focussed movement can be a power metaphor for the forward thinking experiential journey that you travel.