Walk and Talk Therapy

There is something about forward movement that shifts how people relate to difficult material. When you are sitting opposite someone in a room, the focus is entirely on you. Some people find that intensity helpful. Others find it paralysing.

Walking removes that pressure. You are side by side, not face to face. You can look ahead, look around, look at the ground. There is no expectation to maintain eye contact or to perform a particular kind of engagement. That can make it significantly easier to say the things you have been carrying.

This is not just a feeling. Research into outdoor and movement based therapies shows that walking reduces cortisol levels, lowers physiological arousal, and creates a rhythm that can help regulate the nervous system. For people who experience anxiety, restlessness, or a sense of being trapped by traditional therapy settings, the physical act of moving through space can make the difference between shutting down and opening up.

There is also something about nature that helps. Trees, sky, open space, fresh air. These are not luxuries or nice extras. For a lot of people they create a sense of calm and perspective that a room with four walls simply does not offer.

Walk and talk sessions take place outdoors in locations across North East England. I will agree a meeting point with you and we will walk a route together that allows for privacy and uninterrupted conversation. Routes are chosen carefully. They are not strenuous hikes. The pace is gentle and the focus is always on the conversation, not the exercise.

Sessions are 50 minutes, the same as any other format. I will keep track of time so you do not need to worry about that. We will typically walk out for roughly half the session and turn back, arriving near where we started as the session draws to a close.

Wear whatever you are comfortable walking in. Trainers or boots are fine. You do not need specialist gear.

Dress for the weather. Sessions go ahead in most conditions but we will discuss this and I will not expect you to walk through a storm.

There is no pressure to maintain a particular pace. If you want to slow down, stop for a moment, or sit on a bench, that is all part of the session.

You do not need to be fit. Walk and talk therapy is not exercise. It is a gentle walk at whatever speed feels right for you.

It tends to work well for people who feel restless or claustrophobic in traditional settings. If the idea of sitting in a small room for an hour makes you feel trapped rather than safe, walking might be the thing that lets you actually engage with the process.

It is particularly popular with men, who often find the indirect, side by side nature of walking easier than the direct, face to face format of a counselling room. That is not a generalisation about all men. It is just a pattern that comes up frequently, and it is worth knowing about if you are someone who has been putting off counselling because the traditional setup does not appeal to you.

It can also be a good fit for people who spend a lot of their day indoors, people who feel disconnected from their body, or anyone who simply finds that being outside helps them think.

Young people sometimes respond well to walk and talk too. The formality of a counselling room can feel intimidating, and walking together can feel more like a natural conversation than a clinical appointment.

Walk and talk therapy is not suitable for everyone or every situation. If you are working through something that requires deep, sustained emotional processing where you might become very distressed, being outdoors and in motion can make it harder for me to provide the containment you need. In those situations a private room, whether physical or via video, is usually more appropriate.

It also depends on mobility. If walking for 50 minutes is not comfortable for you, this format may not work. That said, sessions can be adapted. Shorter walks with bench stops, or slower paces on flat ground, are all possible. We can work together to find what is realistic.

Weather is a factor too. Sessions can go ahead in light rain or cold, but there will be days when conditions make it impractical. I will always have a backup plan, usually switching to a telephone or video session if the weather is genuinely against us.

Privacy is worth thinking about as well. You are walking in a public space, which means there is a chance of passing other people. Routes are chosen to minimise this, but it is not the same level of privacy as a closed room. For most topics this is not an issue. For particularly sensitive material, we can discuss whether a different format would feel safer.

Walk and talk is sometimes dismissed as less serious than room-based counselling. That is not the case. The therapeutic relationship, the skills I bring, the process of exploring what you are feeling and why, none of that changes because we are outdoors. The setting is different. The work is the same.

If anything, the informality of walking can help people access therapy who would otherwise avoid it. And getting someone through the door, or in this case onto the path, is always the hardest part.

If you are curious about walk and talk but not sure whether it would work for you, your free first conversation with me is a good place to start. You can ask questions, talk through your preferences, and we can decide together whether walking, sitting, or a screen is the right fit for how you work best.