Are you someone who feels like going for a walk when you want to clear your mind? Do you find it more comfortable discussing your concerns while on the move? Have you had the experience of important conversations with another person while walking?

Walking is an ideal way for people wanting to clear their minds and to connect with themselves, with nature, or with other people.

If you feel intimidated by the traditional face-to-face therapy setting, Walk & Talk therapy might be an alternative for you, as walking and talking side by side with a therapist may feel less confronting.

Walk & Talk Therapy combines counselling with the appeal of walking. It offers you simultaneously experiences and benefits of physical activity, being outdoors, and therapy.

There are many conditions where Walk & Talk Therapy can be particularly beneficial. For example, research has shown that exercise is beneficial for treating depression. Combined with psychotherapy it can be even more effective. During a period of grief and loss, connecting with nature in the company of another while you talk about what matters to you can facilitate healing.

Walk & Talk Therapy works with the mind-body connection: As body and mind are inseparably connected, when you change one, you change the other.

Along with the physical benefits of walking comes a symbolic meaning – we need to ‘keep walking’ to move forward in our lives. Walking can help you move emotions that may feel stuck. Exploring your issues in a different context supports you to find different perspectives.

Going to Walk & Talk therapy may also help you to realise walking as an ongoing healthy self-care strategy for coping with stress. 

PRACTICALITIES

Gestalt Pathways offers Walk & Talk Therapy by itself or combined with consulting room therapy.

The initial session will always take place in the Gestalt Pathways office where we will explore whether Walk & Talk therapy suits you. We will also discuss practical issues such as weather, clothes, privacy, confidentiality, and locations.

Rain or wind can be challenging when walking outside. Unless the weather conditions reach extremes, the process of adjusting to the prevailing conditions can be a very beneficial part of the therapeutic experience.

Sessions are for 50 minutes. We will meet at a local park, the foreshore or other walking paths.

As beneficial as the exercise aspect may be, the focus of Walk & Talk Therapy remains on therapy