Walk-and-talk Therapy – by Katherine Crockett

Walk-and-talk Therapy Part One

Walk-and-Talk Therapy: When Healing Needs Fresh Air

Not every therapy session has to take place in an office. For some people, the idea of sitting across from someone under artificial lights while exploring painful emotions feels unnatural, and maybe even stifling. That’s where walk-and-talk therapy comes in. 

Walk-and-talk therapy blends the principles of traditional talk therapy with the gentle rhythm of movement. Instead of meeting indoors, the session unfolds outside, often along a park path or quiet neighborhood sidewalk. The therapist and the client walk side by side, talking through the same topics they would in a seated setting, but with more room to breathe.

Why Try Walk Therapy?

There’s something powerful about putting one foot in front of the other. Walking activates the body and, in many cases, supports emotional processing. It can help ease nervous energy, regulate the nervous system, and reduce the pressure that sometimes comes from sustained eye contact in a traditional setup. 

In fact, a 2023 study found that clients who engaged in walk-and-talk therapy experienced greater reductions in psychological distress than those in conventional seated sessions. The movement, the fresh air, and even the act of being in nature seemed to work together to support healing. 

Clients often say that conversations feel more natural while walking, and that difficult topics feel slightly easier to approach when there’s movement involved.

Stay tuned for part 2 soon…