What is walking therapy?
- Kate Hoyland
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
Walking therapy is just that – a traditional psychology or counselling session which takes place on the move, in the natural environment. Your therapist will listen to you and facilitate solutions, just as they would in a normal therapy session, but all the while you are both experiencing fresh air and nature together.
Being on the move has well-known benefits for physical health, and it can improve mental health too.
According to a review of seventeen studies by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, walking in nature improved peoples’ mood, and helped them feel more positive and less anxious and stressed. Other studies have shown that, on the day people take more steps, they sleep better too.
We are increasingly disconnected from nature, spending hours each day in confined office or study spaces with stale air and little movement.
The biophilia hypothesis is the idea that humans have an innate tendency to seek connections with the natural world – and the less connected we feel, the greater our mental distress. The Japanese idea of forest bathing (or shinrin-yoku) highlights the joy, comfort and benefits of connecting with nature.
Walking together can offer more spontaneity and freedom than a traditional office-based setting. Together, you and your therapist can tune in to what’s around you, and that can help shift your internal landscape too.
Watching the changing scenes offered by nature can free up emotional space – emotion contains the word motion after all.
Not only that, but walking side by side could perhaps bring greater equality and comradeship into the therapeutic relationship – we’re both in it together after all.
So what are the downsides?
Confidentiality may be a concern – the natural environment can’t be controlled, and other people may be around too. This is something it’s important to negotiate with your therapist, who might suggest periods of silence, or letting people pass until they are out of earshot.
As everyone walks at a different pace - some may want to move forward and explore things they see, others may want to pause and look - the exact time of the session may vary, though it should usually be between 45 minutes to an hour.
The weather and other aspects of the environment could be a challenge, and you may need to resign yourself to getting wet and windy – good shoes, all weather gear and sunscreen are a must.
For some, accessibility could be an issue – a good therapist should work with you to suggest adjustments so that outside sessions can be a possibility for all.
The idea of taking therapy outside may seem daunting or radical at first, but to get used to the thought, why not ask a friend to go for a walk and talk see how you feel? Being outside and moving, if only for a little while, could shift things for you.
References and links:
Bisson, S. Alycia, N. et al. Walk to a better night of sleep: testing the relationship between physical activity and sleep Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Volume 5, Issue 5, 487 - 494
Hansen MM, Jones R, Tocchini K. Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: a state-of-the-art review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2017; 14(8): 851.
Kotera Y, Richardson M, Sheffield D. Effects of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy on mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 2022; 20(1): 337–361.
Ma, J., Lin, P. & Williams, J. Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review. Curr Psychol 43, 9521–9539 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z
Wilson EO. Biophilia. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; 1984.
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