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Walk and Talk Therapy
Walk and talk therapy, also known as outdoor therapy or walk-and-talk counseling, is a form of therapy where sessions take place outdoors while walking. Instead of sitting in an office, the therapist and client walk together in a natural setting, such as a park or along a trail.
*Only available May-October
Walk and talk therapy provides a unique therapeutic experience where you get your steps in, some fresh air and a renewed mindset. As we walk side-by-side there is no awkward eye contact to worry about. As you take each step, you will likely be able to begin to process your thoughts with more ease.
Nature is also a great setting to practice mindfulness techniques that will be applicable both during and outside of the sessions. Exercise and nature both have their unique benefits to mental health. Combined they are that much more powerful to improve mental well-being. This combination is often referred to in research as Green Exercise.
Walk and Talk Therapy
Benefits
Improves
Connection
Improves
Concentration
Improves
Mood
Reduces Anxiety
Improves
sleep
"…Green Exercise was coined to signify the synergistic health benefits derived from being active in green or natural places (Pretty et al., 2005)”
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Is Walk and Talk Therapy Confidential?Due to the nature (pun intended) that the session is taking place in a public setting, I cannot guarantee the same level of confidentiality as we have in our virtual setting. That being said, we will do our best to keep our distance from others and have a plan in case we run into someone you know.
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Where does Walk and Talk Therapy take place?I have selected a few public parks with mostly flat and paved paths across the city of Ottawa. Instead of having our typical virtual session, we will be out in nature for our session.
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How do I get started?First, you will need to book a Walk and Talk - VIRTUAL Intake Session to go over the risk and benefits of this type of therapy. We will come up with a plan in case we run into someone you know. This initial virtual session is really to set you up for a smooth Walk and Talk Therapy experience. If we both agree to proceed with Walk and Talk Therapy. I will let you know where we will be meeting (based off of your location). After that, you will be able to book your subsequent sessions online assuming we meet at the same place each time.
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What is Walk and Talk Therapy?Walk and Talk Therapy combines traditional psychotherapy with the benefits of walking in nature. This is a unique holistic therapeutic experience.
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What pace do I need to be able to follow?Your own! You set the pace and decide if and when we need to take a break.
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What if the weather is bad?Depending on the severity of the weather, we may choose to proceed with our session if it is safe to do so or we could have a virtual session.
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MindfulnessMindfulness is rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy. It is the practice of being in the present moment. It sounds quite simple but takes practice. We often are all living our lives on autopilot. This approach allows us to slow down and appreciate the present moment. In addition, it can help us gain better insight into our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
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Cognitive Behavioural TherapyThis approach is the idea that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are interconnected. They all simultaneously influence one another. This is our default or our autopilot. The goal of CBT is to disable autopilot and gain better awareness of these three components. By slowing down these automatic processes we are better able to catch thought traps or thought distorsions (overgeneralizing, catastrophizing, comparison, fortune-telling, etc) which can then influence how we feel and behave. If we can start to untangle these three elements, we become more in control and we can start to feel better.
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EMDREMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a proven approach for processing trauma, anxiety, and distressing memories. Through guided eye movements, clients work to reframe negative thoughts and emotions. This method is effective for treating PTSD, anxiety, and more, helping clients heal and move forward with greater resilience.
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Solution Focused Therapy“So what brings you in today?” is often a question that is asked in therapy. It is not wrong. However, in a solution-focused approach we move away from focusing on what’s wrong and focus more on where we want to be.
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Motivational InterviewingMotivational interviewing is a great approach for people who are new to therapy. This approach instills hope and empowerment through goal-setting. Sometimes we just need a little bit of encouragement and accountability to make the changes we want to see.
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Dialectical Behavioural TherapyI am DBT-informed and use elements of it in my practice. This approach really puts you in the driver’s seat for your wellbeing. DBT is an evidence-based model of therapy that helps you learn and use new skills and strategies in a gentle way that keeps you accountable and on-track.
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Distress ToleranceAs human beings we have an incredible high tolerance for distress or discomfort. In other words, we are capable of going through so much! We are so resilient! However, we often don’t like feeling uncomfortable, because it’s well…uncomfortable. For example: we often will avoid a task that we find difficult because it causes stress or discomfort. However, if we tolerate this and get it done, we often feel so much better once it is done!
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Strength-based ApproachWe all have our strengths and weaknesses so why not use what we already have going for us to help our mental health! Often, the tools we need already live within us, we just haven’t made the connection yet. This approach explores how we can take our strengths and use it to tackle our challenges.
