A Clinician’s Guide to Incorporating Mindfulness into Your Walk and Talk Session
Deepen the interactions between you and your clients outdoors
Feeling restricted by her office-bound clinical practice, licensed clinical social worker Jen Udler decided to try something different — take her therapy outdoors. Walking on local nature trails with her clients provided the breakthrough Jen was looking for.
In her new book, Walk and Talk Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Incorporating Movement and Nature into Your Practice, Jen shares how the calming presence of nature provided a rich and varied backdrop for every therapy session, while the rhythmic movement cultivated deeper connections between mind and body.
Walking side by side also deepened the interactions between Jen and her clients, empowering her to gently guide them forward on their path through one season and into the next.
Here are a few examples of how Jen has incorporated some classic mindfulness exercises into walk and talk sessions:
Noticing each of the five senses. Invite the client to name what they see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. The colors and depth of view provide myriad choices for the client while practicing this exercise.
Appreciating the change in seasons. Ask the client to identify some of the signs of the season you are in or transitioning into. Slowing down and noticing a golden leaf at the end of summer can bring a keen sense of awareness of an upcoming transition.
Taking a moment to notice what is going on around you. Prompt the client to pause and describe any action they observe around us. Wooded trails are great for this!
Basic body scan. Guide the client in bringing awareness to each section of their body, from head to toe. This is a particularly great exercise for a nature trail, especially with the help of a light breeze or a patch of sunlight falling through the trees.
Breathing exercises. Lead the client in some simple breathwork practices—a few of my favorites include triangle breathing (inhale for a count of four, hold four, exhale four), ujjayi or oceanic breathing (synchronized with body movements), and alternate nostril breathing (looks just how it sounds).
And now you can do the same. Inside her book, you’ll also find answers to your questions about how to take your therapy practice outside, including a roadmap for crafting a holistic sensory experience to aid your therapeutic work.
In her new book, Walk and Talk Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Incorporating Movement and Nature into Your Practice, Jen shares how the calming presence of nature provided a rich and varied backdrop for every therapy session, while the rhythmic movement cultivated deeper connections between mind and body.
Walking side by side also deepened the interactions between Jen and her clients, empowering her to gently guide them forward on their path through one season and into the next.
Here are a few examples of how Jen has incorporated some classic mindfulness exercises into walk and talk sessions:
Noticing each of the five senses. Invite the client to name what they see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. The colors and depth of view provide myriad choices for the client while practicing this exercise.
Appreciating the change in seasons. Ask the client to identify some of the signs of the season you are in or transitioning into. Slowing down and noticing a golden leaf at the end of summer can bring a keen sense of awareness of an upcoming transition.
Taking a moment to notice what is going on around you. Prompt the client to pause and describe any action they observe around us. Wooded trails are great for this!
Basic body scan. Guide the client in bringing awareness to each section of their body, from head to toe. This is a particularly great exercise for a nature trail, especially with the help of a light breeze or a patch of sunlight falling through the trees.
Breathing exercises. Lead the client in some simple breathwork practices—a few of my favorites include triangle breathing (inhale for a count of four, hold four, exhale four), ujjayi or oceanic breathing (synchronized with body movements), and alternate nostril breathing (looks just how it sounds).
And now you can do the same. Inside her book, you’ll also find answers to your questions about how to take your therapy practice outside, including a roadmap for crafting a holistic sensory experience to aid your therapeutic work.
Walk and Talk Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Incorporating Movement and Nature into Your Practice
In Walk and Talk Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide to Incorporating Movement and Nature into Your Practice, Jen presents the many benefits of an outdoor, movement-based psychotherapy practice and provides tools for clinicians to develop their own version, no matter where or with whom they practice. The book is organized into four parts, each corresponding with a season of the year that serves as a metaphor for our adaptability in the face of life’s constant changes.
Inside, you’ll find answers for your questions about how to take your therapy practice outside, including advice on foundational concerns such as ethics and safety.
Inside, you’ll find answers for your questions about how to take your therapy practice outside, including advice on foundational concerns such as ethics and safety.
Meet the Expert:
Jennifer Udler, LCSW-C, of Positive Strides Therapy, moved her Maryland practice outside ten years ago. She's presented widely on the positive effects of doing therapy in motion and outdoors. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Psychotherapy Networker, Outside Magazine, and on Sirius XM radio.
Learn more about her educational products, including upcoming live seminars, by clicking here.
Learn more about her educational products, including upcoming live seminars, by clicking here.
