What is “Walk and Talk” Therapy?
“Walk and Talk” Therapy is exactly what it sounds like: Therapy in motion. With “Walk and Talk” Therapy, therapy takes place outdoors while walking with your Licensed Therapist. It’s an alternative to traditional in-office Counseling and can take place at a park, a trail, or at a preferred location within a reasonable distance from our primary office in the Carrollwood area of Tampa. It involves use of the same interventions that would take place in an office, but in an outdoor setting at a pace that works for you. If you wish, jogging or other exercises can take place at the beginning, middle, or end of the session.
What are the Benefits of “Walk and Talk” Therapy?
“Walk and Talk” Therapy has several benefits. 1) It can help support an active lifestyle. If you’re already active or wanting to get more active, therapy in motion can supplement fitness needs. 2) Many clients have reported an increased ability to move forward in their lives by getting active and moving forward, physically. Doing therapy while connected to nature and to one’s own body, with the added benefit of natural mood-improving chemical processes that take place when active, can spark inspiration and positive change. 3) Convenience. Because “Walk and Talk” therapy can take place within a several mile range of our physical location, drive time can be dramatically reduced. 4) It’s a more casual and less formal way of participating in therapy. Not everyone is comfortable doing therapy in a traditional office setting. The casual format sometimes allows for an environment that is more conducive to opening up.
What are the risks?
The first risk involved in “Walk and Talk” Therapy is related to confidentiality concerns. When doing therapy in a public location, it’s always possible to run into someone that you know. The first session will always take place in our office where we can discuss privacy concerns and how we might handle encountering someone that either of us might know personally while conducting a session. Another risk has to do with environmental/physical factors. Weather, physical conditions of terrain, possibility of allergens, and other environmental factors bring a certain amount of normal risk. Certain health conditions might require medical clearance in order to participate. Consultation with your doctor before starting new physical activity is always recommended.
What will I need to wear?
Running/walking shoes and comfortable weather-appropriate clothing is appropriate for “Walk and Talk” therapy. It’s casual and need be no different than if you were to go out for a run or walk on your own. No suit-and-tie Therapist here! We’ll be wearing the same.
How do I get started?
To get started, you can send us a message expressing interest in trying “Walk and Talk” Therapy with some details about your reasons for starting Counseling so we can make sure we’ll be a good fit for you. From there, we’ll schedule our first session which will take place in the office. We’ll email intake paperwork that can be completed easily online before your first appointment. During the first in-office appointment, we’ll gather more information about you and your goals for counseling and discuss privacy issues mentioned above. We’ll agree upon a time/location for future “Walk and Talk” Counseling sessions and start developing a plan for moving forward.
To make contact, you can send us a message or you can call or text 727-258-5231.
You can also check out our Services, Frequently Asked Questions, and Rates.
Float on Counseling, LLC is located in the Carrollwood area of Tampa on North Dale Mabry Hwy.