My love of walking, being outdoors, and connecting with nature inspired the name Flourish and Thrive Counselling. While completing my research in outdoor therapy, I discovered how powerful nature can be in supporting emotional wellbeing. This led me to offer walk and talk therapy sessions, combining the benefits of counselling with the grounding, calming presence of the natural environment.
Walk and Talk therapy emerged into my practice during the Covid pandemic, being outside offered a safe and natural way to stay connected. At the same time research highlighted the wellbeing benefits of walking, which echoed my own experience of walking. Being outside in the fresh air offered an open space for reflection and emotional release. I experienced how healing it can be to step outside the traditional therapy room, so it felt natural to bring this into my work, offering clients the same opportunity to connect and heal in nature.
So, what is it about walking that’s so good for wellbeing? From my own experience, walking gives me a powerful sense of grounding. I love the sense of my feet on the ground, to feel grounded with every step gives me a sense of space and calm. It allows me to connect with my senses to feel, hear sounds and see the scenery around me.
That sense of calm is something I’m naturally drawn to, which reflects in my work and therapy room, by bringing the outside inside for indoor counselling sessions. Research has also shown that spending time in green spaces can benefit your mental health. I provide an environment with green décor, plants and sense of nature. Its apparent green is my favourite colour, and I’ve come to associate it with nature. When I’m surrounded by green it’s a colour that reminds me to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with nature. This connection to nature, and the soothing effect it has on me, is a big part of why walk and talk therapy feels so meaningful in my work. It allows that same sense of calm and grounding to become part of the therapeutic process.
Walking also provides important physical health benefits, which in turn support our mental wellbeing. Research from the British Heart Foundation shows that walking increases blood flow, helping oxygen and nutrients reach the body and brain, which can make us feel more alert and think more clearly. It also releases natural “feel‑good” chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, which can boost mood and reduce stress (BHF,2024). Even short, regular walks make a difference. Studies have found that moderate daily walking can improve energy, mood, and overall wellbeing. Mind, the mental health charity supports the view that being outdoors is beneficial for physical and psychological well-being and recognises that spending time in natural environments has a positive impact on people’s lives and helps to alleviate symptoms such as depression, anxiety and stress related issues (Mind,2018).
At Flourish and Thrive Counselling Walk and Talk Therapy is ‘a type of counselling where the counsellor and client walk together outdoors during therapy sessions. It offers a way of integrating nature and physical activity into therapy and offers experience of the natural environment as a therapeutic reflective space. Allowing the therapeutic process to happen in nature is a fluid experience. Research has found that the role of nature is a key element to facilitate therapeutic change.
The outdoor environment and the chance to connect with nature offer a very different experience from the traditional counselling room. Many clients have shared that being outside feels like a refreshing change away from the intensity of sitting face‑to‑face indoors. Walking side by side in an open space can feel less pressured, helping people open up more naturally and at their own pace. If this sounds appealing to you, contact Karen at Flourish and Thrive Counselling and start to feel the benefits of walking for wellbeing.
