'Walk and Talk' Therapy in North West London: What It Is and Whether It Might Be Right for You

For some people, the idea that therapy does not have to happen in a room, is met with genuine delight and curiosity. For some people and some presenting difficulties, a conversation while moving, outdoors, through nature, that takes place alongside rather than opposite another person, has instant appeal.

Changing surroundings, talking together in the open air, with the particularly therapeutic backdrop of the sights and sounds that walking in nature tends to produce. There is something about being surrounded by, yet separate to, other people, which can lead many people do feel more at ease opening up.

This is what 'Walk and Talk' therapy involves. It is something that I offer in the green spaces of North West London (Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park, and Hampstead Heath, and Canon’s Park) because I have a genuine personal and professional belief in the relationship between physical and emotional wellbeing, and because these are some of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in London.

Why walking and talking can be therapeutically powerful

There is a body of evidence on the relationship between walking, mood, and cognitive function. Walking in nature reduces rumination (the circular, repetitive thinking that can accompany anxiety and low mood). It lowers our cortisol levels (linked to anxiety and stress). Walking in nature has been found to improve creative thinking and our capacity to hold multiple perspectives simultaneously. The physical movement of walking while talking, appears to support the psychological processing of difficult material.

There is also something significant about the way that side-by-side walking conversations differ from the face-to-face dynamic of the therapy room or online sessions. For some people, direct eye contact in a therapeutic context can feel intense or exposing in ways that make it harder to speak freely. Walking alongside someone can lower that feeling of self-consciousness and allow a different type of conversation to emerge.

I also believe that the changing landscape itself can be part of the therapeutic experience. Moving through a park, noticing the seasons, encountering the world in the here and now, can provide a grounding, new sense of perspective that may be more difficult to access in a static space.

Why I offer it

I love walking in nature! And I truly believe in its therapeutic value. I find that experiences held in the body can shift with movement. I find that walking can lift the mood and clarify the thinking.

I also walk in these spaces regularly myself. Canon’s Park, Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park, and Hampstead Heath are not unfamiliar territory for me. They are places I know and value. They hold great significance for me. That familiarity means that I can give my full attention to the conversation rather than to navigation!

What to expect practically

'Walk and Talk' sessions take place at a gentle, conversational pace. This is not vigorous exercise. Routes are flexible and can be adapted to your walking ability and pace. Sessions are the same length as a standard therapy session (50 minutes), and we begin and end at an agreed meeting point.

What you wear is up to you. Comfort is most important. Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a bottle of water, and an umbrella, are sensible.

The practical considerations worth knowing about

'Walk and Talk' therapy involves being in public outdoor spaces, and there are things that are worth being clear about before we begin.

Confidentiality in an outdoor setting cannot be guaranteed in the same way that it can in a private room. We may pass other people, and conversations may be overheard briefly in passing. This is not something that I can eliminate entirely. If complete confidentiality is important to you (and understandably so) this is worth factoring into your decision.

Because I walk these areas regularly, there is a possibility that I may encounter someone who I know during a session. If this happens, I greet them briefly and continue walking. I do not introduce you or indicate the nature of our relationship. You are welcome to discuss how you would like to handle this if it feels relevant to you.

Many of these public green spaces do not have toilet facilities in the way that indoor venues do. If access to a toilet during a session is important to you, it is worth knowing that these are limited and not always available on the routes that I use. I mention it not to be discouraging but simply because I think this is the kind of thing that it is useful to know in advance rather than to discover mid-session.

'Walk and Talk' therapy does require the ability to walk for the duration of a session (50 minutes) at a comfortable pace. If you have any physical health considerations that might affect this, it is important for us to discuss those so that we can plan accordingly.

Whether it might be right for you

'Walk and Talk' therapy is not suited to every presenting difficulty or every person. Some therapeutic work benefits from the contained, boundaried quality of a private room, or working online, particularly work that involves significant trauma, acute crisis, or material with a level of emotional intensity that would be difficult to hold in a public space.

If you are unsure whether 'Walk and Talk' is appropriate for you and what you are bringing, the best approach is to discuss this in a free, initial consultation, where we can think about it together.

'Walk and Talk' tends to work particularly well for people who find the formal therapy setting more challenging, or who respond well to movement and the outdoors. People who want a less clinical experience of therapy, or those who are dealing with presentations (such as anxiety, low mood, relationships, life transitions, or stress) that lend themselves to the reflective, forward-moving quality of a walking conversation.

What therapy can offer

Whether in person, online, by telephone, or walking through one of North West London’s beautiful green spaces, therapy offers a space to think, to speak freely, and to make sense of what you are navigating through. The format is different, however, the work is the same.

If you are interested in learning more about 'Walk and Talk' therapy, you are welcome to get in touch to discuss whether it could be a good fit for us.

Dr Erin Reid is a counselling psychologist offering online therapy to individuals, couples, adolescents, and families across the UK and internationally, and 'Walk and Talk' therapy in Northwest London green spaces. Visit drerinreid.com to find out more.