Walk and Talk Therapy

Written by Carrie Gardner, MA, PLPC

Walking is what the human body was designed to do, and it pairs so well with talking!   As a counselor at Walter’s Walk I enjoy serving clients in the traditional setting of an inviting therapy room with comfortable seating.  However, the thought of taking a session outdoors and setting it in motion makes sense because the mental benefits of walking make it a natural complement to talk therapy.  Clients are offered the opportunity to walk outdoors where a nearby park serves as the therapeutic backdrop.  The combination of walking and talking offers a refreshingly harmonious alternative to the traditional therapy session.  

 Walking + Talking for an Augmented Therapy Session:

• Walking while talking out complex issues helps the client to push through inflexible thought patterns.   Body and mind work cohesively in an onward momentum.  Walking outdoors can be especially awakening as the delights and distractions of nature appeal to the senses.

• Mood improvement, which is a natural result of physical activity due to the release of feel-good endorphins in the body, leads to more productive, meaningful thinking.  Depressive symptoms such as indecisiveness and diminished interest dissipate as a positive outlook emerges.

• Walking in stride with the therapist may alleviate feelings of apprehension for the client as sensitive or weighty subjects are explored.  Side by side movement offers an alternative to sitting in a therapy office facing each other while tackling concerns.  The element of empathetic understanding remains without the discomfort that continuous eye contact sometimes elicits.  

• As therapist and client walk in step with each other, a connection develops.  What better way to foster the therapeutic alliance than to embark on a fifty minute journey together!  

• Self-esteem increases due to a sense of accomplishment.  Stepping out of the box to try a new and proactive approach to healing reinforces a feeling of empowerment.  

The concept of walk and talk therapy is not limited to the individual counseling format.  It is offered as a group experience right here at Walter’s Walk.  After meeting at the counseling center, participants partner off and walk and talk through a nearby park for the first half of the group.  The second half consists of a circle discussion period to balance the physical activity.   Group members will have the chance to experience socialization and support, gain a different perspective by talking with a walking partner, and be a source of motivation and presence for each other.  Some examples of circle discussion topics include mindfulness, communication, self care, and meditation.  

Walk and talk therapy is suitable for every fitness level since the client sets the pace.  It may particularly benefit those struggling with adjustment issues, depression, and anxiety; though a walk in the park is certainly an option for every client seeking positive change!  If you would like to find out more about a walk and talk therapy group at Walter’s Walk or are interested in participating in one, please contact me at carrie.gardner@walterswalk.com.  

(Source http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/walk-and-talk-therapy)

Self-hypnosis for Childbirth

Many research studies have shown that babies are affected by their birth. Knowing that how a woman births her baby does affect her child throughout his or her whole life makes the goal of having a birth that is calm, easy, and safe as possible a priority.

Many major hospitals are recognizing the importance of this fact. Many, such as Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, are dedicated to providing an environment that promotes the concept of calm, easy, safe births, and are developing birthing centers. These birthing centers can provide all the comfort of being at home with maintaining all necessary medical equipment/procedures that may be required in a very small number of births.

Independent birthing centers are also becoming more prevalent, such as the Birth and Wellness Center in O’Fallon MO. All the comforts of home are available and the Certified Nurse-Midwives are experienced and well educated. In the very small percentage of woman that might require medical attention outside of what the CNM provides, the birthing center has an affiliation with doctors at hospital facilities.

Birth, of itself, is not a medical event. Women have birthed babies from the beginning of humankind without medical intervention. However, due to the evolution of how society has viewed women, pregnancy and birthing, a factor has been introduced that actually does cause a lot of births to become medical events. That factor is FEAR!

When a woman is relaxed and fear-less during labor, every part of her body works in harmony to bring the baby into this world with ease, calm and minimal discomfort. ‘Good-feeling’ hormones (e.g., endorphins) are released, her non-birthing muscles are totally relaxed in order to let her birthing muscles do the job they are designed to do and she can literally breathe her baby into the world. Once the baby has emerged, the experience continues by having skin-to-skin contact between the mother and baby, which provides huge benefits to both.  Eye-to-eye contact with both the mother and father/partner causes natural bonding to take place that enhances the overall emotional health of the family. Being a well-informed and educated woman offers the best chance for experiencing birth in the way it is intended to be.

Because fear does play such a negative part during pregnancy and labor (and after!), much progress has been made in using hypnosis to reduce this fear. Using a technique such as HypnoBirthing®—the Mongan Method, gives the woman a sense of control that she needs in order to help her body do what it is meant to do. Attending the five 2 ½ hour sessions and learning and practicing the techniques that are provided gives the woman the knowledge and tools to work with her body during the rest of her pregnancy, during labor and after she takes the baby home.

Hypnosis allows the woman to release fears she may have about the whole experience and during labor experience calmness, relaxation and control. Working with the HypnoBirthing® practitioner, she and her partner are taught techniques to help her get into a state of self-hypnosis during her labor in order to stay in a calm and relaxed state. Her partner is very much involved in the process by learning these techniques and providing her support. She can be free to focus totally on her body, baby and birth, knowing there is someone else there to handle questions, comments, requests from family and medical staff to every extent possible. And, when she needs prompting to reaffirm her relaxation, her partner has the tools to help her.

There are many videos on YouTube showing HypnoBirthing® mothers giving birth. What a difference from the out-of-control, drama-laden, and hysterical births that are typically portrayed via TV shows and movies. There IS a better, more natural way for our children to start their physical life and it is our responsibility as parents to learn everything we can in order to make their transition into this world as calm and easy as possible.

For more information on how you can become better prepared for the birthing experience, please contact Dorothy Northrip CI, CH, HBCE at 314.837.4776 or dorothy@timelessbridges.com .

Working with Children

                 Children come to counseling for behavior perceived by the guardians as problematic.  They are often times fearful, curious, anxious and angry.  They are not sure what the counselor’s role will be.  Because they have been punished for behaviors prior to counseling they fear they have come to the counselor to be punished.  Creating a rapport with the child is essential and the process of doing so is different from that of an adult.  The biggest complaints I hear from children are that they have no one to talk to and no one listens to them.  The first step in the counseling process is listening.  Active listening is more important than expert questioning (Thompson & Henderson, 2007).  Children are less likely to respond to a series of questions during the first few sessions, and a less direct approach may prove beneficial when creating a comfortable atmosphere for young clients to talk.  The following therapeutic interventions are information eliciting:

- Provide the young client with something to “fiddle” with.  Keeping hands busy takes the edge off.  A puzzle, drawing paper and markers, or a stress ball will do the trick.

- Make regular games like Jenga feeling oriented.  Every time a Jenga block is pulled the client and therapist have to answer a question or express a feeling she or he experienced during the week.

- Create feeling "cheat sheets" on index cards.  Print a complicated feeling on one side of the card, and define the feeling along with a time it was experienced on the other side.

- Create an artistic “feeling catcher," which is a dream catcher that blows in the wind.  However, each hanging feather or bead represents a time of happiness, a feeling or a time of success for the child.

- Allow the young client to create a Power Point of him or herself.  Allow the client to be as creative as s/he can with the use of the computer in order to express where s/he is now and where s/he wants to be in the future.  This is a good way to gather information and set goals.

- Using creative and expressive interventions will enhance the counselor’s ability to engage the client in the counseling process and achieve success.

Leslie S. Barry MA, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Certified K-12 School Counselor

Global Career Development 

Is it God's (Christian faith) will for me to have boundaries?

by Nichelle M. Hardy, MA, MA, LPC, NCC, Counselor at Walter's Walk

In truth, we all need boundaries with fairly administered repercussions and rewards... principles of right and wrong to give us freedom - the freedom to be all God created us to be.  God has delineated these boundaries in His Word so that we would not have to wonder, feel guilty, or struggle to invent them.  Be assured His will is for each of us to..

• Be treated with respect.  "Show proper respect to everyone" (1 Peter 2:17).
• Be heard and taken seriously.   "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak..." (James 1:19).
• Express anger appropriately toward one another, when justified.  "Be angry and do not sin..." (Ephesians 4:26).
• Give and receive mutual submission.  "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ"  (Ephesians 5:21).
• Enjoy the freedom to speak truthfully from our hearts, and for others to speak truthfully from theirs.  "Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor..."  (Ephesians 4:25).
• Be allowed to make mistakes and then take responsibility for them, and for others to take responsibility for their own mistakes.  The apostle Paul said, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12).
• Be able to say "No" without feeling guilty. " ...say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions..." (Titus 2:12).
• Refuse to do things that violate our conscience.  "When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ" (1 Corinthians 8:12).

(source: Hunt, June, Hope For The Heart Ministries)

My reflections:

I have found this content to be helpful.  It is character-based in its implications. I garner from it an invitation to live life fully, fruitfully, and in freedom having concern for God, others, and self.  Living life in healthy community is an investment that gives abundant returns!

Is Spiritual Direction for You? Ten points to help you understand this ancient (yet very modern) spiritual practice

 

By Steve Givens, spiritual director at Walter’s Walk  

Once thought of as largely something for priests, ministers and those in religious life, the practice of spiritual direction (sometimes called spiritual companionship) today is a widely used spiritual practice that has been embraced by those from many different walks of life, religious traditions and denominations. 

By the most simplest of definitions, spiritual direction within the Christian tradition is the act of one Christian helping another along in their spiritual journey by “sacred listening,” that is, by listening with the heart to one person’s story and helping them reflect on it and see how God is moving and acting in their life. It is an act of contemplative prayer for two people who meet together regularly, with one person taking the more active role of listening and questioning. 

Here are ten points I offer for those interested in pursuing the sacred experience of spiritual direction: 

• Don’t be misled by the term “spiritual director,” for I will not be directing your spiritual journey. But I will accompany you, listen to you, and be a trusted companion as you seek to make your way toward a more mature relationship with God. I won’t generally play the role of teacher for you, but I will work with you to help clarify your questions about God and God’s Church and guide you to resources that might begin to answer them for you. 

• Generally, spiritual directors choose this ministry not because they have it all figured out but rather because they sense a deep calling to walk with others as they move toward a closer relationship with God, even as they continue to do the same. And while I may from time to time share a small piece of my own story with you, it won’t be because I think I have all the answers. Rather, it will be to remind you that we are kindred spirits, companions on a journey toward God. 

• I believe there are always three persons present when we meet, with God occupying the third and unseen chair in the room. I will pay close attention to what resonates in me as you speak, for that, I believe, is the movement and nudging of God. I believe God leads our time together. 

• I will respect and never doubt or try to explain (or explain away) your experiences of God or God’s movement in your life, but I will always try to help you describe and understand them on a deeper level. I will try to guide you toward a mature, more intimate understanding of God, who I believe desires a close relationship with you. I will encourage you to question and look beyond the images and understandings of God that have been ingrained in you over time. 

• I will encourage your growing awareness of the presence and movement of God in all aspects of your life, for all the facets and parts of your life show signs of God’s presence and are therefore “grist for the mill” of our time together. 

• I will always pay close attention to what you say, for your story is sacred to you and therefore to me. I will listen far more than I will talk, and I will gently push you to dig deeper, explore further, describe more fully and remember with more detail your experiences of God. I will remain open to -- and listen and watch for -- the signs of God’s movement in your life and encourage you to do the same.  

• Wherever we meet, I will seek to create a space that reflects the importance of this sacred conversation and time in which we are engaged. I promise to ensure the confidentiality of everything we discuss and of the very fact that we meet. 

• I will guide you to discern for yourself what your story and your desires mean and what is God’s purpose for you and your life. I will help you explore what things in your life are “of God” or “not of God,” but I will never tell you what I think the answers are, for this is your gift to discover. Your experiences of God will never be the same as mine. 

• I will pray for you, before, during and after our time together. I am open to praying with you during our meeting, if you desire. But please know that I believe that our time together -- both our words and our silences -- is, in fact, prayer.

• I believe, as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once wrote, in the “slow work of God,” and will encourage you to nurture a willingness to open yourself to a life of awareness and paying close attention as you wait patiently for God’s response to your life of prayer. I know from my own experience that this is not easy work, but I am here to walk with you. 

For more information on spiritual direction, visit the website of Spiritual Directors International, http://www.sdiworld.org/, which includes a guide for finding the right spiritual director for you. If you wish to contact me for more information or to inquire about seeking spiritual direction, email me at givenscreative@gmail.com.  

A Welcome to Walter's Walk

                     The counseling offices at 737 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, MO is the home to at least 20 mental health counselors, massage therapists, yoga and tai chi instructors and a spiritual director. All of these professionals have their own private practices. We all have seen people lose their insurance, jobs or have increased stress and could not afford counseling. Research has proven that people hold stress in their bodies and identified massage and other mind-body techniques that help reduce stress. All the professionals in our building have committed to provide at least 10% of their office time supporting just these people.

                  In 2010, Walter’s Walk was founded. It is a non-profit organization that promotes psychological and emotional wellness through a team of dedicated and qualified professionals. Quality care is provided to children and adults regardless of the ability to pay. Our vision is that Walter’s Walk will provide psychological and emotional support to each and every individual in the greater St. Louis area who comes to us.

                  

                  We also provide training (internships) for students in their Master’s Degree programs for counseling from local universities.  Once students graduate, we provide supervision for licensure hours for the state of Missouri.

                   

                  Classes and workshops are provided for private clients, Walter’s Walk clients, and non-clients who are interested in self-improvement. Some of the classes are supportive, such as the Bipolar support and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) support groups that meet monthly.  We hold couple and individual communication classes created by Interpersonal Communication (IPC). Visit their web site at www.couplecommunication.com. We have a new “walk and talk” class starting in May. See our web site www.walterswalk.com for monthly class lists.  All clients and non-clients are welcome.

                  Each year we sponsor “A Day Away” for women. This six hour day is filled with classes designed just for women. This year's event will be held on April 26.  

                 Walter’s Walk has held fundraising events since its  inception, including our six Coffee House Concerts each year in the fall and spring where local musicians perform in intimate evenings of song and story. On September 6, 2014, we will hold our annual Silent Auction at the September Coffee House Concert. Other fundraising opportunities can be found on our web site.

                  We invite you to visit our facility and participate in our workshops and classes.This blog will be updated weekly, and we will share with you information on mental health and mind body connections.

Jean Moretto, PhD, LPC

Founder and Executive Director of Walter’s Walk