It might be time to walk the walk.
Dr. Deborah Fishman, our host for the April Creating Connections happy hour, deals with a number of transitions and issues through her practice, Caring Connections, LLC. But what sets Debbie apart from others in her field is that she believes that, in some cases, combining talk therapy with a healthy walk can be the extra step it takes to really work through some issues.
Here's what Debbie has to say.
Brooding, which is known among cognitive scientists as morbid rumination, is a mental state familiar to most of us, in which we can't seem to stop chewing over the ways in which things are wrong with ourselves and our lives.
This broken-record fretting is not healthy or helpful. I can be a precursor to depression and is disproportionately common among city dwellers compared with people living outside urban areas, studies show.
Rumination also is strongly associated with increased activity in a protion of the brain known as the subgenual prefrontal cortex. After walking, some research showed clients had less blood flow to the subgenual prefrontal cortex. That portion of their brains was quieter.
Here are some other benefits to walking and talking.
Combats anxiety, insomnia, weight gain and other health and mental health conditions.
Research shows creativity, self-awareness, emotional awareness, and other positive therapy outcomes can heighten during movement.T
he environment helps our nervous system unwind.When open and more relaxed, it helps us to access deeper parts of ourselves and our emotions.
Walking can help a client get "unstuck" when confronting difficult issues.Walking in parallel with visual distractions may allow easier engagement when confronting something difficult.
Looking forward rather than directly at a therapist can help a client to open up.
Exercise naturally creates endorphins (feel good hormones). So, if a client experiences depression, anxiety, grief, or stress, just being outside can help improve their emotional and mental state.
Clients may view a situation with more clarity and make connections which otherwise they may not be able to make because of the biochemical effects of being active.
Clients who feel trapped in a relationship or job or who are pretending to be someone they are not will feel a sense of freedom with walk and talk therapy.
Do you have questions about walk therapy? Contact Debbie here!