Therapy Watch: A Walk in the Woods

Therapy in the Great Outdoors

Just you, the wilderness... and your therapist? Many experts in Psychology Today's Therapy Directory say there's potential in field trips, but a few insist that you're both better off just sticking to the couch.

Release the Pressure

"Some clients feel more comfortable opening up when not in the face-to-face position, when it just feels like too much attention or scrutiny," Elyn Tromey says. "A walk can really help take that pressure off." Tania Paredes concurs: "When someone is blocked off, helping them drop their guard with nature makes us less scary."

No Place Like Home

Why get away? "Many of us spend quite a bit of time creating workspaces that are anything but rote and confining," Lisa Dale Miller says.

Sit and Think

Geoffrey Steinberg also sticks to the indoors: "Engaging in an activity outside the office encourages action—just the opposite of what I try to accomplish as a therapist, where one of my main tasks is to help clients put their raw, unverbalized experiences into words." On the other hand, Tromey notes that "moving the body can help loosen up thoughts."

No Friend of Mine

Emphasizing professionalism, Leslie Gustafson says, "an office declares that the relationship is not a friendship and has boundaries put in place to create safety, resulting in disclosure and growth."

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