Ecotherapy/Walk & Talk
Inviting Nature into Therapy & Inviting Therapy outside into Nature
Ecotherapy is an umbrella term for therapy that
brings nature into the therapy room or that invites therapist and client to
step out of the traditional counselling office into nature. With
Interflections Counselling Therapy, both are an option!
There are many ways to invite nature into therapy:
- Coping skills and strategies that call on nature to support regulation and grounding
- Interventions guided by the wisdom nature has to offer
- Creating space for eco-grief and eco-anxiety connected to the changing climate
- Connecting with nature in person, outside via walk & talks or walk & sits and beyond...
Ecotherapy is for everyone, and yet all the ways in
which we can work with nature may not fit for everyone. This is the purpose of this page: to
introduce you to ecotherapy broadly and walk & talk specifically in order
to find the right fit for you.
What to expect...
A Walk
& Talk is not always a walk in the park. As we leave the comfort of the
traditional four walls of our homes or offices we move into the elements:
weather, bugs, animals, dirt,…Therapy thrives on the edge of comfort and yet we
want to do our best to maintain a sense of safety that allows us to engage in
and keep our focus on the concerns you have brought to therapy.
Though we will be
walking on groomed trails in parks maintained by the municipality, it is
important to be aware of your limits. Remember all interventions are
invitational - it is always your choice to participate or to decline.
Benefits & Risks
There are many benefits associated both with
walking/exercise and time spent outside in nature.
I invite you to take a moment to imagine a beautiful
natural place: a lake, a forest, a river or brook, a beach…tune into all of
what that place offers: the sounds, sights, temperature, smells…notice how this
impacts you right now in this moment to visit this place in your imagination.......
Time in nature
has been shown to improve immunity, affect and cognition. Walking can reduce stress and anxiety,
boost mood, improve sleep, increase self-confidence among other health
benefits.
Walk & Talk Therapy combines the above
noted benefits of walking and the impacts nature can have on our well-being with the
existing benefits of therapy. That said, there are also risks
associated with walking/exercise and being outside. Some risks to consider prior to
venturing outdoors are: Confidentiality, Dogs/Animal encounters, Allergies, Fears/Phobias, Injury & Weather Conditions. Exploring the above risks alongside the informed consent process and waiver are all part of the additional Eco-assessment session required prior to moving therapy outside into nature.
Getting Started
Step 1: Get in touch to schedule a free consult. This is a time to explore any questions you
may have and to discuss where nature might fit into your therapeutic journey.
Step 2: Book
an Eco-assessment session. This will be our second session
(following our initial intake and assessment session) and will also take
place online via video or over the phone. See Services for associated fees and pathways.
Step 3: Let’s take this outside! Once we have completed the above we can start walk & talk sessions. With the weather on our side, we will meet outside and invite nature to join us on your therapeutic journey.
Step 3: Let’s take this outside! Once we have completed the above we can start walk & talk sessions. With the weather on our side, we will meet outside and invite nature to join us on your therapeutic journey.