What Is Walk and Talk Therapy?

Walk and talk therapy is exactly what it sounds like: a regular psychotherapy session, held outdoors, walking side by side with your therapist instead of sitting across from each other in an office.

It isn't a different kind of therapy — the conversation, the confidentiality, and the therapeutic work are the same as any other session. What changes is the setting, and for many people that changes everything about how the session feels.

Why walking helps

There are so many benefits to movement and fresh air on our well-being, and they show up in therapy too:

• It can be easier to open up. Walking side by side removes the face-to-face intensity that some people find difficult, especially when talking about hard things.
• Movement settles the nervous system. A steady walking rhythm can make it easier to stay grounded while working through anxious or heavy topics.
• It breaks the "clinical" feeling. For people who feel hesitant about therapy, an outdoor session can feel like a more natural first step.

How it works at You First Therapy

Walk and talk sessions are offered outdoors in Ajax, Pickering and Port Union, weather permitting, and work like any other appointment — same length, same privacy, same care. If the weather turns, your session simply moves to a virtual or phone format. The walk and talk therapy page covers cost, coverage, privacy and how to book.

Walk and talk is one of several ways to work together: one-on-one sessions are also available in person in Ajax, or virtually and by phone anywhere in Ontario.

Is it covered by insurance?

A walk and talk session is a regular psychotherapy session held outdoors, so it's eligible for reimbursement through extended health benefits the same way as any other session with a Registered Social Worker. You'll receive a receipt with all the information necessary to submit for insurance purposes. More questions? The FAQs cover cost, coverage, and what to expect.

Trying it out

If walking during your sessions sounds like a better fit than an office or a screen, you can book a walk and talk session or mention it in your free 15-minute discovery call — it's a relaxed way to ask questions and see whether it feels right for you.