What is Walk and Talk Counselling?
Sometimes, healing takes place outside the therapy room. It happens in the great outdoors while enjoying the sun and feeling the fresh air on your skin. I believe this to be true seeing how many have benefited from our walk and talk therapy sessions.
Walk and talk counselling is typically done outdoors in the local park or in the beach front, just literally walking and talking together. There are no couches and no chairs, far from the confines of the traditional therapy room.
This form of counselling is similar to traditional psychotherapy, the only difference is that you are walking in a natural environment while talking about your situation. If you feel like you can be more comfortable and open up more in a wide space with the glistening ocean or the countryside stretched in front of you, then this type of session will work best for you.
How can the outdoors help you?
There are people who may find that speaking face-to-face with a therapist inside a counselling room—with its neutral-coloured walls and traditional furniture—can be a bit intimidating. In this case, the natural setting provides a relaxing environment for discussing any issues, where you have that sense of freedom to talk about what’s upsetting you and freely unburden yourself from your problems.
This type of counselling is especially helpful if you’re dealing with issues like anxiety, depression and work-related stress. If you are feeling a bit trapped either in a relationship or in a job, a walk and talk session can help you cope with your feelings.
Same thing when you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, anger issues and addiction. Just strolling along the park or the beach side at a gentle pace where you find yourself encapsulated by nature’s beauty can give you a feeling of encouragement and reassurance. Sometimes just looking at the trees and the sky, some of my clients have already developed a sense of clarity, insight and understanding.
Mothers dealing with post-natal stress and anxiety will also find that a walk and talk counselling session can be particularly accommodating to your needs. For instance, mums can simply strap their little one in their pram and wheel them along as you walk and discussing your situation with the therapist without the need to organise childcare.
The benefits of movement
Exercise is also an effective anxiety and stress buster and helps strengthen your ability to find solutions to your issues. Walking alone releases endorphins, which can help improve your mood and encourage a positive attitude. It can get you to open up comfortably about your own emotions. There are people who find that they can recall past experiences and process their thoughts better when they’re up on their feet.
Just walking even at your own regular rhythm can make you feel that you are finally moving forward with your personal issues. There’s also a feeling of accomplishment, that you have finally taken action and did something about it. Small wins like this is already a big step forward.
Starting with my therapy
If you’re feeling stuck and want to take a break from life’s stressors, perhaps a walk and talk counselling session with me can help you unwind and be in tune with your own thoughts better. Gold Coast is full of local parks and beach fronts that can provide you with a momentary escape from the pressures and stresses of everyday. I believe that being connected to the outside world can be good for anyone, troubled or not, and it can help you come to terms with your own feelings.
No couches, chairs or tables; just you and me on a little outdoor trip. To book a session, you can reach me at 0403 747 626 or fill in our contact form.
