Walk and Talk Therapy in Chicago
Therapy doesn’t always have to happen sitting across from someone in an office. Walk and Talk Therapy offers a different kind of therapeutic space—one that invites movement, reflection, and connection, one step at a time.
Schedule Your 1st Appointment
Meet Our Walk & Talk Therapists
-
![]()
Olivia Palumbo, MA
-
![]()
Rachel Rood, LCSW
-
![]()
Anne Marie Haugen
-
![]()
Lauren Schmalbruch, LCPC
A Different Approach to Therapy
Walk and Talk Therapy in Chicago takes traditional therapy outside the office and into the natural world. Rather than sitting across from your therapist, sessions take place while walking side-by-side in a safe outdoor setting.
For many people, this format feels more natural, collaborative, and less clinical. The movement of walking, the presence of nature, and the experience of being outdoors can create space for deeper reflection, emotional processing, and connection.
At Balanced Awakening, we believe therapy should honor your individual needs and preferences. Healing doesn’t have to look one specific way.
Some clients discover that moving their bodies helps them access thoughts, emotions, and insights that feel harder to reach when sitting still.
Walk and Talk Therapy also offers something many people haven’t experienced in traditional healing spaces: choice. For clients who have felt constrained, powerless, or disconnected from their own needs, therapy outdoors can create a greater sense of autonomy, comfort, and collaboration.
Walking Alongside You Through Life’s Challenges
One of the most powerful aspects of Walk and Talk Therapy is the metaphor embedded within it.
As therapist Jennifer Udler writes, walking can serve as a living metaphor for how we move through life’s challenges—one step at a time.
When you’re navigating grief, anxiety, burnout, trauma, identity shifts, or major life transitions, healing rarely happens all at once. It unfolds gradually, through moments of courage, reflection, and movement.
Walk and Talk Therapy offers the experience of literally moving forward while processing emotionally.
There is also something meaningful about walking alongside another person. Rather than sitting across from you, your therapist joins you on the path—offering support, perspective, and connection as you navigate life’s challenges.
You do not have to carry difficult experiences alone.
Who Can Benefit from Walk and Talk Therapy?
-
Anxiety & Overthinking
Movement can help interrupt cycles of rumination, increase clarity, and support nervous system regulation.
-
Burnout & Chronic Stress
Walking may help release accumulated stress, reduce tension, and create space for restoration and reflection.
-
Grief & Life Transitions
The rhythm of walking can support processing loss, change, uncertainty, and personal growth.
-
ADHD & Neurodivergence
Many people find that movement improves focus, attention, and emotional processing during therapy.
The Mind-Body Benefits of Walking Therapy
Research suggests that movement can support emotional exploration, reflection, and problem-solving.
Clients often report that walking helps thoughts feel less stuck and conversations flow more naturally. The bilateral movement involved in walking may also support emotional regulation and processing.
Walk and Talk Therapy can be especially helpful for people who:
Feel trapped in “survival mode”
Struggle to sit still for long periods
Experience mental overload or overwhelm
Feel disconnected from their bodies
Process emotions more effectively through movement
For many people, walking creates a bridge between thinking and feeling—supporting greater awareness, regulation, and self-understanding.
Reconnecting with Your Body
Many people spend much of their day disconnected from their physical experience—living primarily in their thoughts, responsibilities, or stress responses.
Walking naturally invites awareness of your body, breath, and surroundings. As you move, you may notice sensations, emotions, and insights that were previously outside of awareness.
Engaging the Senses
Walk and Talk Therapy encourages gentle mindfulness through connection with the environment around you.
You might notice:
Sunlight on your skin
The feeling of a breeze
Sounds of birds, trees, or city life
Seasonal changes in nature
The textures, scents, and movement around you
These sensory experiences can help bring you back into the present moment while supporting emotional processing and regulation.
Growth Isn’t Always Linear
Nature reminds us that growth is not linear.
Some seasons are full of movement and expansion. Others invite rest, reflection, grief, or uncertainty.
The changing landscape can become a powerful reminder that growth is cyclical rather than perfect. Sometimes we take one step forward and two steps back—and that is still movement.
Walk and Talk Therapy offers space to honor where you are right now while remaining open to growth and change.
Is Walk and Talk Therapy Right for Me?
This work may be a good fit if you:
Feel uncomfortable or intimidated in traditional office settings
Think more clearly when moving your body
Want therapy to feel less formal and more collaborative
Feel emotionally stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed
Enjoy spending time outdoors
Are navigating anxiety, grief, burnout, trauma, or life transitions
Want a different kind of therapeutic space for recovery and reflection
Common Questions About Walk & Talk Therapy
-
Walk and Talk Therapy is a form of counseling that takes place outdoors while you and your therapist walk side-by-side. Sessions offer the same therapeutic support and clinical expertise as traditional therapy while incorporating movement, fresh air, and connection with your surroundings.
-
You’ll meet your therapist at one of our Balanced Awakening office locations before heading out for your session together. You and your therapist will collaborate on a walking route that feels comfortable and supportive, taking into account factors such as privacy, accessibility, weather, and your personal preferences. The goal is to create a therapeutic space that feels both safe and natural.
-
Yes. Your therapist will take reasonable steps to protect your privacy and confidentiality during Walk and Talk Therapy sessions. Because sessions take place outdoors, there is always the possibility that others may see you walking with your therapist or briefly overhear portions of a conversation. Before beginning Walk and Talk Therapy, your therapist will discuss these considerations with you and collaborate on routes that help maximize privacy and comfort. If you encounter someone you know during a session, your therapist will follow your lead and will not disclose the nature of your relationship.
-
Weather and client safety are always taken into consideration. If conditions are not appropriate for an outdoor session, your therapist may move the session indoors and will communicate any changes with you in advance whenever possible.
-
Our therapy rate for the first two sessions is $250. After that, 55 minute sessions are $225.
Most of our therapists are in network with United Healthcare/Optum, BCBS PPO and Aetna insurance.
-
Many clients find that movement supports emotional regulation, reduces mental overload, and helps thoughts feel less stuck. Walk and Talk Therapy can be especially helpful for people navigating anxiety, chronic stress, burnout, grief, life transitions, and other challenges.
-
For some people, movement can improve focus, attention, and emotional processing. Many clients who struggle to sit still or concentrate in traditional office settings find that walking creates a more comfortable environment for reflection and conversation.
-
Not at all. Walk and Talk Therapy is not about exercise or athletic performance. Sessions can be adapted to your comfort level, pace, and physical abilities. The focus is on creating a therapeutic experience that feels supportive and accessible.
-
Getting started is flexible and designed to meet you where you are. You’re welcome to book an appointment directly with a clinician, or complete our matchmaking form so we can help connect you with a therapist whose approach and availability align with your needs.
You’re always invited to ask questions, share concerns, and take your time deciding whether therapy feels like the right next step.
What Our Clients Are Saying
-
During our first session Hannah was proactive in creating a plan of action to properly diagnose me and address my concerns. Detailed. Office is beautiful. Love the decor, relaxing ambiance and free tea.
———
-
She was very kind and thorough during intake and the entire office looks like something out of a lifestyle magazine.
———
-
The office is lovely and welcoming, the in-take paperwork helped me prepare for what I wanted to talk about and gave me a starting point.
———
-
Dr. Yang is warm and empathic, and made me feel comfortable from the very beginning.
———
-
Emma has been very supportive through major life changes for me. Her sweet and gentle nature made it easy for me to feel safe to open up to her. I am very grateful for her support and kindness.
———
-
It was my first visit and she made me feel so safe. I opened up right away!
———
Reconnect With Yourself, One Step at a Time
Sometimes it feels easier to move through difficult experiences while moving your body.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, grief, life transitions, or simply looking for a different approach to therapy, Walk and Talk Therapy offers a space to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.
Our therapists are here to walk alongside you with curiosity, compassion, and support.
Book an appointment when you’re ready.