“Walk & Talk” Counselling Service, East Grinstead & Ashdown Forest, Sussex

“Walk & Talk” Counselling is just like traditional counselling - you get to talk about what’s bothering you, and receive support and empathy from someone who can help you make sense of your experiences. Where it is not like traditional counselling is that it takes place walking outdoors in nature.

This way of receiving counselling can bring a number of benefits, which are backed up by lots of current research. Firstly, spending time in nature has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and raise our feelings of well-being. And secondly, gentle physical activity has been shown to alleviate feelings of anxiety, elevate mood and decrease feelings of depression.

So I developed “Walk & Talk” sessions, to harness the wonderful nature on our doorstep here in West Sussex, and to offer the benefits of therapy that includes movement and gentle exercise. These benefits can be:

• a change of perspective because of getting out of our usual environment

• reduction in anxiety and depression, and sleeping better

• feeling part of the wider world

• an increased sense of connection to nature, to ourselves and to other people

• a sense of belonging

• dissolving of feelings of loneliness and isolation

• new ideas, new vision, increased creativity

• a sense of wonder and reverie in the beauty of nature

• a feeling of ‘getting grounded’

• learning to self-soothe and calm down through gentle movement

This kind of counselling is particularly suitable for people who:

• feel isolated and lonely

• have been bereaved and have lost interest in life

• have overwhelming caring responsibilities

• mums with babies under 1 year old who are happy to go walking/strolling

• people recovering from illness (depending on the nature of the illness)

• are struggling with addictive patterns and looking for more satisfying connection in their lives

• love nature and think they would prefer to have counselling outdoors, rather than in a therapy room

Walking therapy comes with different boundaries, so it is important to have a conversation about these before starting. Please see here for Frequently Asked Questions about Walk & Talk Counselling.

If you are interested in exploring this way of working further with me, I offer a 20 minute free call to begin the process. And then our first full session would be by video call, where we would look at whether Walk & Talk is suitable for you, and, if it is, prepare to move outdoors in the next session.

Walk & Talk sessions are available during school hours on the Worth Way in East Grinstead and from the Ashdown Forest Visitors Centre at Wych Cross.

Please contact me using the form here, or on 07527188405 if you would like to book a call with me to explore what’s possible.