Information & FAQs

Walk & talk therapy

What is walk and talk therapy?

It is talking therapy conducted outside whilst walking.  It offers clients the opportunity to express themselves in the natural changing outdoors environment.  My usual working agreement applies and the relationship is contracted in the same way.  There are a few additional points that need to be considered which are covered below.  The focus is still on exploring relationships and issues together, to hopefully discover a resolution or an opportunity to develop and change.

Why might I like to try walking therapy as an alternative?

Some clients feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts walking side by side with a therapist, rather than sitting in a room face to face.  Being outside can foster a better connection with nature and the wider world.  There are also more opportunities to try grounding and mindfulness techniques if these are of interest.  The walking also serves as physical exercise, and although this is just an additional benefit, it helps with both mental and physical health.

How will it work?

I would always meet a client initially in my therapy room and only suggest walking therapy once we have an established relationship and if I feel it could be beneficial.  At this point, if the client is interested, we can then consider walking therapy as an option.  Routes will either start outside at an agreed location or from my therapy room.  The sessions are 60 minutes as usual and walks may either be circular or involve turning around and heading back to the start, depending on the route.  Some routes will give the opportunity to sit and reflect.  Some clients may prefer this mix of walking and sitting to reflect.  The routes will be initially decided by the therapist but in time, become joint decisions.  A collection of suitable routes can be built up with the client to use and it would be up to the client to decide whether to change routes from week to week or stick to the same one.

How is it different to being in the room?

The main difference is around confidentiality as this cannot be guaranteed in the same way outside.  I will do my best to ensure confidentiality and will discuss the issues around this when we start.  If we meet anyone, I will tend to do the talking and take charge of the situation to ensure we can get back to our session as soon as possible.  We will discuss how to deal with these situations at the beginning of walking and talking therapy.

The therapist and client remain responsible for their own safety.  I will suggest walks that I have been on before and seem suitable for our work but I cannot take the same responsibility over the location as I would in my therapy room.

Do I need special equipment?

No – It is best to wear suitable clothing though for walking outside in weather appropriate clothing and accessories

Do I need to be fit?

No, the pace will be set by the client as much as possible. The therapist will keep track of time and be mindful about when it is time to return to the starting point/ cars.  If there are any medical concerns, please discuss these with your G.P.  

What if the weather is bad?

The therapist will have checked out the route in advance considering general suitability for walking and maintaining confidentiality within reason.  If we have agreed a walking session, I am happy to walk in most weathers.  If you are comfortable walking in the current weather, then we will continue as planned.  If however, you do not feel comfortable, we can have a face to face session as normal (via a video platform) during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.  I would generally only cancel, if the weather conditions are such that we would have to have hoods up if very bad rain/ hail or use an umbrella which would restrict how much we can see and hear each other which is very important in our therapy sessions.

What if I decide it isn’t for me?

As with all techniques in therapy, I would encourage you to discuss any issues with me and we can look at how to resolve them.  This is your therapy and if walking is not working for you, we can resume sessions in the therapy room either face to face or via zoom.

I have sessions in the therapy room but would like to try walking?

A trial session can be set up and would be followed by a session in the therapy room to discuss what feels best for future sessions.

Are the fees the same?

Yes – same fee structure applies.