Walk-and-Talk Therapy: The Ins and Outs of Moving Your Practice Outside

Handouts

Faculty

Jennifer Udler, LCSW-C Related seminars and products

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Jennifer Udler, LCSW-C, is the founder and owner of a therapy practice that incorporates walking with therapy. She works with a variety of clients including those with issues related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, self-harm, LGBTQ, trauma, divorce, adolescence, suicidality, grief, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse.
 

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Jennifer Udler is the owner of Positive Strides, LLC. She receives a speaker honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationship with an ineligible organization to disclose.

Non-financial: Jennifer Udler has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.

Additional Info

Program Information

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Objectives

1. Analyze the research and evidence showing the benefits of walking therapy. 
2. Assess how to handle issues around confidentiality in a public outdoor setting. 
3. Assess how to handle a client becoming openly emotional during a walking session in a park. 
4. Determine how to incorporate movement and nature into an effective therapy session. 

Outline

• Discuss the research and evidence showing the benefits of walking therapy. 
  • What is walk and talk?  Combining nature, movement, and therapy. Who has it worked well for?  Case examples. 
  • What are the origins of walk and talk therapy?  What are the various ways in which the practice is implemented?  How did I get started? Marathon training as a natural lead to an outdoor private practice. 
  • Background, research, and history of walking therapy. Explanation of the physiological response to movement, and how movement affects mood and anxiety levels. 
• Assess how to handle issues around confidentiality in a public outdoor setting. 
  • “Location, location, location”- the importance of space.  
  • Writing a comprehensive informed consent.  
  • Practical strategies for confidentiality challenges to being outdoors.
• Assess how to handle a client becoming openly emotional during a walking session in a park. 
  • Assessing the client’s needs.
  • Understanding your role in the therapeutic relationship. 
  • Being flexible, and what that actually looks like. 
• Discern how to incorporate movement and nature into an effective therapy session. 
  • Using nature as a prop, or third party in your session. 
  • Presenter will use video of outdoor sessions to demonstrate ways that nature supports the therapeutic process. 
  • Creative and applicable ways to weave nature into the therapeutic process. For example, rain, cold, and heat, can be a challenge. We can face it and live through it just like the challenges of life. Case examples. 

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals