Walking Therapy Sessions Are Growing Faster Than Traditional Office Therapy

Walking therapy, which is exactly what it sounds like, a therapy session conducted while therapist and client walk together, is one of the fastest growing formats in the mental health profession right now. The American Psychological Association's 2026 Workforce Survey found that 24 percent of licensed therapists offer walking sessions as an option, up from 11 percent two years ago. The clients who choose walking sessions are booking faster than therapists can add hours. Several group practices in Nashville, Atlanta, and Austin have waitlists longer than 10 weeks specifically for walking appointments.

The appeal is easier to understand when you watch a session. The client and therapist meet at a trailhead or park entrance, walk side by side at a comfortable pace, and talk for 50 minutes. Neither one is looking the other in the eye the whole time. The pace of the conversation matches the pace of the walking. Silences happen naturally and do not feel awkward. The physical rhythm seems to change something in how clients access difficult material. Therapists consistently report that clients who have been stuck on the same topic for months in an office will unpack it in a single walk.

The research explains part of why. A 2023 study from the University of Michigan on 146 adults randomized to walking therapy or standard office therapy for mild to moderate anxiety found that the walking group showed 18 percent faster reduction in anxiety scores over 12 weeks, controlling for therapist, modality, and client demographics. A larger study in 2025 from King's College London looked at depression specifically and found walking sessions produced statistically better outcomes for clients whose depression had a significant rumination component. Movement, it turns out, interrupts rumination in a way that sitting does not.

There are obvious logistical reasons walking therapy works better for certain people. Clients who struggle with eye contact, including many neurodivergent adults, find side by side walking much less confrontational than a face to face office session. Men who were raised to process difficult emotions while doing something else report that the walk gives them a structure that reduces the pressure to perform emotional availability. Clients recovering from trauma often find the ability to physically move at their own pace and to leave the session space unconstrained a significant therapeutic benefit.

For Black men in particular, walking therapy has quietly started to remove a barrier that traditional office therapy has not addressed well. A 2025 survey of 890 Black men who had attempted therapy found that 47 percent reported the office setting itself felt clinical and intimidating in ways that shaped the conversation. The same respondents showed higher engagement rates in community based walking, group based peer work, and outdoor formats. Several Black-owned practices in Atlanta, Nashville, and Houston have built their services around walking and outdoor modalities specifically to serve this population.

The professional infrastructure is adapting. The American Counseling Association released guidelines in February covering confidentiality when walking in public spaces, safety protocols for therapists walking alone with clients, route planning to avoid crowded areas, weather contingencies, and documentation standards for session notes taken after the walk rather than during it. Insurance reimbursement has been a barrier but is improving. Several major carriers now explicitly cover walking sessions when coded properly. Aetna, Cigna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee have all updated their telehealth and outpatient mental health coverage to recognize the modality.

The practical considerations for a client interested in trying it are straightforward. Confidentiality in a public space is different from an office. Most walking therapists choose routes that are quiet enough for private conversation but not so remote that safety becomes a concern. Tennessee's Shelby Bottoms Greenway, the Stones River Greenway in Murfreesboro, and smaller neighborhood parks are popular. Sessions are typically 50 minutes and priced the same as office sessions. Weather backup plans usually include a covered outdoor space or a telehealth session rather than indoor office sessions.

There are limits to the format. Walking therapy is not appropriate for clients in acute crisis, for clients with mobility concerns that the therapist cannot accommodate, or for clients whose safety requires a contained physical environment. The first session is typically held indoors to establish the therapeutic relationship and to assess whether walking is a fit. Not all therapy requires movement, and good therapists will know when to return to an office setting for specific work. For the right client with the right presenting issue, though, the walk is the intervention.

What to look for if you want to try this. Licensed therapists in your state with specific training in outdoor or movement-based practice, documented experience with walking sessions, and clear protocols around confidentiality and safety. Psychology Today, Mental Health Match, and the Black Therapists Network all let you filter for outdoor or walking modalities. The waitlists are real. Book early and do not assume the first therapist who has availability is the right fit. The format is powerful, but the relationship still matters more than the modality.