Therapy that takes place outdoors, walking side by side. For people who think more freely when they're moving, and find a consulting room hard going.
Counselling sessions held outdoors in Edinburgh, walking side by side rather than sitting face to face.
Sitting opposite someone in a quiet room is not neutral. For some people it's steadying; for others it concentrates the pressure — the eye contact, the pause after a difficult sentence, the sense of being closely observed while trying to find words.
Walking alters that. Side by side, there's no eye contact to maintain, so silences stretch out more comfortably and there's somewhere else to look while you think. Difficult material often arrives more easily when you aren't being watched while you find your way to it.
Movement itself seems to help too. Talking while walking has a different rhythm from talking while still — less pressure to arrive at a conclusion, more room to circle something and come back to it. Many people find they say things outdoors that they'd been approaching cautiously indoors for weeks.
It doesn't suit everyone, and that's worth knowing early. If you'd rather have the containment and privacy of a fixed indoor space, that's a reasonable preference — online sessions may serve you better.
Sessions are 50 minutes, the same as any other. We agree a meeting point and a route in advance, and we walk at a conversational pace — this isn't exercise, and it isn't a hike. Routes are chosen for quiet and reasonable underfoot conditions rather than distance or difficulty.
Edinburgh is well suited to this, with a good deal of green space within easy reach of the city. We'd choose somewhere that works for both of us and where the paths are quiet enough to talk without interruption.
This is the question most people ask, and rightly. We use quieter routes and quieter times of day, and if we pass anyone, we pause the thread and pick it up once we're on our own again — that becomes natural quite quickly.
It's still an outdoor public space, so it can't offer the guaranteed privacy of a closed room, and that's an honest limitation rather than something to talk you out of. If there's a possibility of running into someone you know, or if the material you want to bring is such that any chance of being overheard would stop you speaking freely, then online sessions are the better choice. We can also mix the two — some people walk in the warmer months and move online through the winter.
This is Edinburgh, so we plan for it. Light rain is usually fine with a decent coat, and most people find it less off-putting than expected. In genuinely bad weather we'd switch that session to Zoom rather than cancel — you'd hear from me in good time, not at the meeting point.
Comfortable shoes and a jacket you don't mind getting wet. Nothing else. There's no need to be fit or a regular walker; the pace is set by the conversation, not the other way round.
Routes can be adapted — shorter, flatter, more benches, or a slower pace. If you have mobility needs, chronic pain, fatigue or anything else that affects what's manageable, tell me when we first speak and we'll work out something that fits. If walking isn't feasible at all, online sessions are available and equally effective.
Walk-and-talk sessions are £80 for 50 minutes, with a limited number of concession places at £65. Available in English and Italian. If you'd rather meet online, Zoom sessions are available across the UK.
A note on what I can and can't offer: I work with adults experiencing mild to moderate difficulties. As a counsellor I don't provide diagnoses or prescribe medication, and some situations need specialist or multidisciplinary care instead. If you're unsure whether this is the right fit, just ask — we can think it through together. More detail in the questions on the main page.
If any of this sounds familiar, you're welcome to get in touch. The first conversation is free, with no obligation — just a chance to ask questions and see whether working together feels right.
Request a free 10-minute chat