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Walk and Talk Therapy
Walk and Talk Therapy is exactly what it sounds like. We meet outdoors in Melbourne's northern suburbs and walk side by side. No ugly coffee table separating us. No couch, you might feel you can’t move from. No awkward window, you look longingly out for movement and nature. With Walk & Talk, that’s all we have. Just the rhythm of our feet, open space, and whatever needs to be said or not said in that moment.
Why does this work? If we combine the work of Jennifer Udler, a notable author on the subject, with Pat Ogden's work in Sensorymotor Psychotherapy, we understand that we store unprocessed emotions and experiences not just in narrative memory but in posture, muscle tension, and movement patterns. Walking outdoors doesn't bypass that body-based storage, it meets it directly.
The bilateral rhythm of walking
The bilateral rhythm of walking—left, right, left, right—mirrors the foundational principle of sensorimotor psychotherapy, where rhythmic, repetitive movement helps regulate the nervous system and integrate previously fragmented somatic experience.
I've found the same thing and more. When you're walking, the pressure lifts. Eye contact becomes natural rather than intense. The conversation finds its own ebb and flow, sometimes climbing a steep incline when the energy needs to move, other times pausing on a bench when something lands. Additionally, as an Integrative Psychotherapist, I will also bring in tools from many different modalities, such as Gestalt and Art therapy. Having the tools of nature and movement on hand, it is a breeze for me to help a client stay regulated. Think of box jumps and juggling sticks to bring you back into your body if you’re dissociating, or focus on a beautiful view or object when becoming anxious.
Embodied and present
For clients who find the therapy room too confronting or who simply think better when their bodies are in motion, this changes everything.
And for me? It helps to keep me embodied and present. I simply feel more myself in nature, which means you get more of me. It’s also a lot easier to achieve my ideal working alliance of ‘Fellow Travellers’, walking side by side, there is naturally much less psychological distance between us, and I don’t have to do as much work to disassemble the power imbalance of ‘expert therapist’ and client.
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Book a free introductory call
If you’re considering therapy with me, the next step is to book a free introductory call.
This call is a no-pressure way of getting to know each other a little. You can ask questions, get a feel for how I work, and see whether we are a good fit for each other. Therapy is a relationship, and fit matters.