Walk and Talk Therapy
‘I look forward to walking beside you as you embark on this new chapter of your journey ‘
I am a strong believer that there is a style of talking therapy out there for everybody and I am excited to offer Walk and Talk therapy as part of my practice.
Simply put, we walk and talk at a pace you set, on a pre risk assessed route decided together without the constraints of an indoor space.
It has long been accepted that any kind of exercise can help to reduce levels of stress, depression and anxiety, and our understanding of our connection to nature has also shown incredible results in mental wellness. Therefore, I was not surprised to see numerous organisations and our NHS backing this style of therapeutic support. In fact the extensive research of the mental health charity Mind shows 71% of respondents felt decreased depression and tension, and 90% experienced an increase in self-esteem after a ‘Green Walk’.
With the trying times of the pandemic it has come to the attention of the therapeutic world that offering alternative approaches to talking therapies has a multitude of benefits that enable more of us to reach out and get the help we deserve while adhering to the safety measures recommended by our government. So attending to your mental health needs in an open space with social distancing is a brilliant solution.
So if you like the idea of taking care of your body while attending to your wellbeing, if you feel more comfortable within nature rather than indoor space then Walk and Talk Therapy may be the style for you and I look forward to walking beside you as you embark on this new chapter of your journey.
Sessions
You may wish to do this style on its own, or perhaps you would like to do a combination with another form such as telephone or Zoom. We, of course will have to take into consideration the glory that is English weather, but this will be discussed with contingency plans set in place just in case braving the weather is not suitable.
It is standard practice to have 6x one hour sessions to begin with, no matter the approach. This is to encourage the development of the therapeutic relationship, build trust and get a feel of how our rapport will serve you. After this point, we can discuss how you want to proceed, be it weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. This may even mean finding you another practitioner if the match is not quite right. It is of the highest importance that your wellbeing is at the centre of my practice and if that means working with someone else I am more than happy to help you take the next steps.
For those of you who would benefit, here are several links to research papers that explore Walk and Talk therapy.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494421000943
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735820300295
To contact me, please either call 07869 711395 or complete the form below.
walfordwellbeing.co.uk 