Walk & Talk Therapy

Walk and talk therapy is an outdoor counselling approach where therapists conduct sessions while walking alongside clients in natural settings rather than sitting in an office. This informal approach is very beneficial for children, teenagers, and those who are more comfortable side-by-side.

Spending time walking outdoors isn’t just refreshing - it’s deeply therapeutic. Research shows that walking, especially in natural environments, supports the brain and nervous system in powerful ways. It can help you process emotions, reduce stress, and gain mental clarity.

How Walking Supports Emotional Processing

In 1987 psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro was taking a walk in a park in Los Gatos, California. During this walk, she serendipitously noticed that moving her eyes rapidly back and forth (bilateral eye movements) while thinking about distressing, upsetting thoughts caused those negative thoughts to suddenly disappear or lose their "charge".

Shapiro began experimenting with this, finding that when she voluntarily induced these eye movements while focusing on negative memories, the emotional intensity of the memories decreased. She later tested this method on friends and colleagues, and developed a formal, structured protocol for treating trauma, anxiety, and negative memories. This type of therapy became known as "Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)" therapy.

This works because walking involves your eyes scanning from left–right in a rhythmic movement pattern known as bilateral stimulation. This alternating motion gently activates both hemispheres of the brain, helping to:

Integrate emotional and rational thinking
Process difficult memories and experiences
Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve emotional regulation
Promote mental clarity

Walking Calms the Stress Response

Rhythmic movement, such as walking and running, has been shown to:

Suppress the brain’s stress & fear response (particularly activity in the amygdala)
Lower physiological arousal
Support nervous system regulation
Increase feelings of calm and safety

Key Benefits of Being in Nature

Nature reduces stress, anxiety, and depression by lowering cortisol levels and decreasing irritability. It promotes feelings of calmness, awe, and improved mood.
Exposure to nature can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and enhance immune system function.
Time outdoors restores, rejuvenates, and improves focus, attention, and memory. It has also been shown to boost creativity and problem-solving skills.
Natural environments provide opportunities for exercise, which further improves health. Even passive engagement, like viewing nature, can aid in recovery from mental fatigue.
For children, nature promotes unstructured play, fosters creativity, and improves cognitive function

How It Works:

Meet At Fleetwood Park

Walk & Talk sessions take place at Fleetwood Park, offering a peaceful and natural setting for our time together. The park’s trails and open green spaces provide a calm environment where conversation can flow freely.

Once you’ve booked your session, Anna will send you the exact meet-up location within the park.

Walk the Nature Trail

We begin your counselling session with a gentle walk along the beautiful nature trail at Fleetwood Park, allowing the natural surroundings to support a calm time together.

The trail typically takes 20-30 minutes to complete.

During our time outdoors, I integrate mindfulness practices, grounding exercises, and nature-based meditations to help you feel present, regulated, and connected.

Sit & Reflect In Nature

As we move into the final part of our walk-and-talk session, we’ll begin to find comfortable place to sit together.

These last 15 minutes are a time for reflection and integration - an opportunity to gather any insights, notice what’s come up for you during our walk, and begin to thoughtfully wrap up.