What’s with your “walk and talk” therapy?

Rachel Sykes | I Work with Stressed Out Professional Women | Licensed in Massachusetts

Rachel C. Sykes, LMHC, LLC
Rachel@rachelcsykes.com
rachelcsykes.com

Walk therapy

Five months ago, I had an accident where I broke a bone in my foot and sprained my ankle. I am on the mend but it is going to take waaayyy longer than I realized until I am back to my old self. In other words, no taking walks for maybe a month or maybe more. Not sure when I can get back to dancing…

Walking is good for anxiety and stress; Photo by Marcus Wallis on Unsplash

This is a challenge for me both personally and professionally. I imagine that many folks are familiar with the health benefits of walking, and for some people, walking is recommended by one’s doctor and the optimal form of exercise. I wanted to point out a few extra psychological benefits to walking you may not know.

Check it off the list

I sometimes consider exercise an obligation – something I should do rather than something I enjoy. Intellectually, I know that I will feel better after I am done and that can be motivating in and of itself. If possible, I like to go to the gym or take a walk in the morning, as it gives me a great sense of accomplishment that I can take throughout my day. There are times when taking a walk or a class at my local gym has to happen later in the day, and that works, too. I am not the worst procrastinator but, when I do feel procrastinate-y, the urge tends to grow as the day goes on, so I know that I should aim for exercising sooner rather than later. What about you?

taking a walk; Photo by Paz Arando on Unsplash

Reducing negative thoughts

I am 100% sure I have never experienced a “runner’s high”, perhaps because I don’t like to run—walking is for me--but I do certainly feel better in my head. If I start off my walk stressed or worried, I can count on feeling better when I am done. I understand that there is a change in my hormones (dopamine or whatever) but, whatever the cause, after I have taken a walk, I feel as if I have shifted my perspective. My problems seem more fixable and I often relate to feeling like I have pushed my problems away to arm’s length distance and am not as overwhelmed by my feelings and can view the problems with better perspective.

Mixed feelings

I have mixed feelings about exercise: I like yoga, walking and dancing but I dislike burpees and other exercises that my body is not suited for at this time. I have had some great fitness instructors but some pretty lame ones, too. So, if you are a fitness instructor that has never had a bigger body or has never been out of shape, please don’t assume that it is good for me to throw my body onto the ground. Also, as people age, it tends to take more time to stretch out your muscles. So, in yoga, even super fit people may need to hold poses longer than you in order to feel the benefit. Or maybe just teach people just. like. you.

I also have mental twinges about being harassed in high school and junior high school. I should be flattered because it means they like me, right??? At this point in my life, I could not give two shits about whether some random person thinks I am attractive, and I don’t like the thought of letting the judgers have any negative impact on me. But there are still times when this uninvited memory sours my experience.

Walk and talk therapy

I tend to work with women who are anxious and stressed out. Walking, especially outdoors if you can, can really reduce anxious and depressive symptoms, and the impact can last throughout your day. When walking, the chemical changes that take place in your body (otherwise known as the release of endorphins in your brain) promote relaxation and boost your mood. Again, it doesn’t magically dissolve your problems but it tends to give you that extra perspective where your feelings are not crowding in and overwhelming you.

More comfort talking about difficult things

I have worked with some really amazing people (you know who I am talking about 😊 ) who have overcome some shockingly brutal experiences. Clients like this can sometimes have great difficulty even finding the words to describe their experiences. It can make it a little easier to disclose trauma such as assault, abuse, violence, loss, and bullying, when you are outside walking next to your therapist, with no eyes staring at you. For folks who are not super comfortable with eye contact for other reasons, the walking format does the trick for them, too.

Woman looking upwards; Photo by Marina Vitale on Unsplash

“If walk therapy is so great, why doesn’t everyone do it?” said my 8-year old self.

There are some risks, of course. One common fear is that you will be walking around with your therapist and run into someone that you know. Yes, this can happen. If you are uncomfortable with that possibility, maybe it’s not for you, or perhaps this is an obstacle you can overcome. You could also run into someone that knows your therapist, and they may infer that you are their client. Yup. If you are my client, I will discuss these possibilities with you in advance and come to an agreement about how to deal with those situations. Could you slip on the sidewalk, get catcalled by some losers, or possibly even have an injury, OF COURSE. I can’t control these things (see my fascinating blog on control), and if these possibilities interfere with the benefit you may get from therapy generally, perhaps it is not the right time to try. Could there be clients that are just not suited to walk therapy for other reasons? Sure, it is possible that a person’s symptoms or concerns are not a good match for the walk format. Again, this should be worked out with your therapist in advance, in my humble option.

I work with stressed out professional women, and offer telehealth, in-person, and walk formats.

Contact me

Questions? You can request an appointment or call/email to ask for a free 15-minute consultation.

email: Rachel@rachelcsykes.com
phone: 617.804.6471

* I am licensed to work in Massachusetts.