Walk and Talk Therapy
Insight and Connection Walk and Talk Sessions
Are you interested in taking your counselling sessions outside with Walk and Talk Therapy?
From my office in Hove we can go for a walk which includes in total about twenty minutes spent walking along a tree-lined suburban street, and half an hour walking around Hove Park.
If you don’t know Hove Park, it is a large 110-year-old park in the centre of Hove, with lots of beautiful old trees.
So why choose Walk and Talk?
Getting some gentle exercise and doing so out in nature can help you to get even more from the experience of exploring your current difficulties with a professional counsellor.
Walk and Talk Physical Benefits
Most of us these days lead very sedentary lifestyles. Getting your 10,000 steps in isn’t easy! So if you sit down all day, you might not like the idea of sitting for another hour in therapy.
There are so many physical benefits to regular walking. It can halve your risk of heart attack and stroke, improve your blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol. It can help you to maintain a healthy weight. And it can reduce your risk of developing cancer, diabetes and dementia.
Walk and Talk Psychological Benefits
Walking has been found, among other things, to improve confidence, lower stress, and improve cognitive function.
Walk and Talk Therapy could be particularly beneficial if you have been feeling stuck. Have you been feeling trapped in a life or role that isn’t working for you any more? Walking sessions can be really dynamic, with thoughts, feelings and new ideas flowing more freely.
Lots of people feel a bit apprehensive about the idea of sitting with a therapist looking directly at them. By walking side by side rather than sitting face to face, you might feel more comfortable. You might feel less inhibited, freer to open up more, or able to go deeper into yourself.
Even those of us who have settled into counselling have areas which we find it particularly difficult to face and talk about. Looking ahead, moving, and breathing in fresh air can help you feel grounded. This can free you up to tackle those issues in new ways.
With Walk and Talk, you set the pace, of both the walk and the conversation. It can really help you to get in touch with your sense of personal freedom, and your capacity for autonomous choice. All of this can help you to find new ways to move forwards with your life.
Walk and Talk Practicalities
Hove Park is popular with runners and dog walkers and has various recreational facilities such as the tennis courts, children’s playground, and climbing wall. This sense of community can be comforting. But it also means that we will need to consider carefully how we can maintain confidentiality with people around. We can talk about this in the office before we start walking.
As for the weather, we can consider before we start what you would like to do in case of rain or snow. We’ll always have the option to do the session indoors instead. Walk and Talk will be led by you and we can stop at any time.
If childcare is an issue for you, give me a call to discuss how we could do Walk and Talk sessions with your baby or toddler in a sling or buggy.
We will usually need to have our first two or three sessions indoors before starting Walk and Talk. I might also occasionally suggest doing a session in the office for other reasons we can discuss when we meet.
Although the benefits of walking are many, I am not a fitness instructor and Walk and Talk therapy is not an exercise class! The focus of Walk and Talk sessions will not be on how far or how fast you can walk. It will be on you, your relationships, your struggles, and how you can feel better.
What to do Next
Walk and Talk Therapy is an option whether you are new to Insight & Connection or whether we are already working together.
If you’re interested in how Walk and Talk Therapy might work for you, you can give me a call on 07428 396671, use the online form to get in touch, or ask about it in your next session.
