Walk and Talk Therapist
What Are the Benefits of Walk-and-Talk Therapy?
WALKING ON THE BEACH IS GOOD FOR OUR BODIES AND OUR MINDS ALIKE.
Research studies show that spending time in nature improves mood, pauses overthinking, and promotes empathy and a sense of belonging. In addition, our attention improves, our nervous system calms, and we tend toward connection, collaboration, and creativity. Walk-and-talk therapy improves physical health by encouraging physical movement and lowering blood pressure and cortisol levels.
Walking in nature may result in pleasant feelings such as joy, wonder, awe, and connecting with something greater than oneself. In addition, spending time near bodies of water has a calming effect that improves attention and mood. (Learn More Here)
How is Outdoor Therapy Different from Therapy in the Office?
ADDING THE BENEFITS OF WALKING IN NATURE TO THERAPY plus MORE
I describe my approach to outdoor therapy as combining traditional therapy with walking on the beach, adding all of the above-listed benefits of walk-and-talk therapy to the effectiveness of evidence-based techniques. Also, we have an innate desire to connect with our natural environment, where we feel a sense of safety and calm, which, combined with the benefits of walking side-by-side, makes outdoor therapy a pleasant and helpful alternative for many. It may be beneficial in improving symptoms of anxiety, grief, panic, and loneliness. (Read about additional benefits below in FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions
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In this “Into the Wild: A Meta-Synthesis of Talking Therapy in Natural Outdoor Spaces,” the authors conclude that therapy in outdoor settings offers a greater sense of mutuality as it softens hierarchies, and more freedom for emotional expression; that it provides “a powerful and holistic integration of mind, body, spirit and place”; the walking also helps practitioners connect with clients psychologically at a different level, such that they are able to “tune in to the rhythm of their movements”; spending time in nature gives clients greater interconnectivity with nature, which encourages improved community, environmental behavior, and provides a space to return to on their own.
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Beach Therapy might be a good fit for people who enjoy being in nature and feel a sense of ease and calm there. I do my best to create a safe space, but it’s important to consider whether you’re comfortable being in a public setting for therapy. This is a very good topic to discuss during our consultation call.
Also, Here are some considerations as you think about embarking on Outdoor Therapy.
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The beach is my happy place and I feel such joy and gratitude to work here with my clients. After working in an office for several years, I moved my work to the beach, because I knew that moving our bodies in a natural setting would facilitate healing in a way that’s not accessible to sitting indoors. I feel like a different therapist on the beach.
Studies show that therapists also benefit from this outdoor setting feeling much calmer, less emotionally fatigued, and more connected, as well improving their therapeutic skills like trust, confidence, and creativity.
As we grow more dependent on technology and isolate from nature and other beings, these benefits of walk-and-talk therapy in nature seem even more crucial to our healing.