You probably don’t need a therapist to tell you that getting outside is good for you—anyone who’s ever sweated through a long run or hike can testify to its head-clearing and mood-boosting benefits. But what if you could really maximize nature’s mental health perks by combining movement with an actual therapy session? Ruth Allen, an inner journey White Peak Wellbeing, What are the benefits to having these therapy sessions outdoors.
Allen didn’t start out as a therapist. But she knows how much the outdoors can help expand your world: She once ran more than 200 miles across the Bosnian mountains to push herself out of her comfort zone. That experience, along with her work at a 24-hour crisis hotline, made her decide to switch from a career in higher education to one in therapy. “I knew I wanted to be an outdoor therapist, but there isn't a particular path into that,” she says. “So I decided I would do the core psychotherapy and counseling training, then I would work out how to get into the outdoor stuff.”
That’s currently a work in progress. Allen says her “regular”—or indoor—practice is solid, but she’s slowly been introducing outdoor therapy and coaching for people who don’t feel as comfortable with the idea of traditional therapy.
“There’s a ton of research and interest at the moment in how being outdoors is therapeutic, but I want to know how you can do therapy outdoors,” she says. “The research is there on the benefits of being in nature, and people are trying it on their own; I want to figure out what this really looks like.”
For now, it’s the smaller side of her business, but it’s actively growing.
Runner’s World talked to Allen to find out how her outdoor therapy works, who can benefit most from it, and how everyone can be a little more mindful outside.
Runner’s World: How exactly does outdoor therapy differ from indoor therapy, besides, you know, the setting?
Ruth Allen: In nature, people act differently and respond to things differently than they might indoors. As a therapist, that really gives you something to work with. I call it an enlivened process—you’re really noticing what’s going on in a person’s body, the way that they’re walking, the things they’re looking at, and the things they’re drawn to.
It might just be walking and talking outside, but that could feel different if you do it at the coast versus in the woods. I also offer what I call “coaching on the trail” packages which are totally personalized one-on-one hikes for a weekend or longer. The conversation is paced so differently—you can’t be going at the intense speed you would in an hour-long session indoors. You're going on a physical journey and an inner journey.
What are the benefits to having these therapy sessions outdoors?
On one hand, we know that getting out in nature is good for people. There’s plenty of evidence as to why that improves your physical and mental wellbeing. But what I’m interested in is the embodied element of being outside and moving—that means your whole body is involved and every part of you is engaged in the things you’re talking about. I think when you're moving, you're more likely to think differently, think creatively.
Then there’s the fact that you’re able to take your worries outside into a big environment and feel a shift in perspective. You can physically go up high on a mountain and look down and really experience that fully engaged sense of perspective, which is different than being stuck in a static place like an office. Your literal and metaphorical perspectives are shifting. And I think nature is a partner in that. You’re not just two people doing therapy or coaching, you’re three. And perhaps the therapist becomes more of a mediator in that bigger relationship in a way that isn’t as obvious when it’s just two of you in a room together.
On Instagram, you offered free outdoor sessions to men who aren’t sure about therapy. Who do you think would benefit most from outdoor therapy?
I don’t think there’s one type of person. But I do think it might offer a new way of working therapeutically with people that might otherwise feel intimidated or overwhelmed or fearful of going into a room with a stranger and talking about their issues.
There’s less of a feeling of containment outdoors. I think that that is particularly relevant for men. They may be more put off by mainstream therapy that encourages them to talk about their feelings because they’re conditioned to think that men shouldn't talk about their feelings.
If someone doesn’t have access to an outdoor therapist or is just interested in trying to be more mindful during their time running or hiking outdoors, what can they do on their own?
I suppose it’s about being reflective. Instead of just going out for a run and coming back and saying, “Well, that felt good,” look in on that and say, “Well, why did it feel good and in what ways do I feel better?” And from then on, do more of that in the moment. If you don’t know why it’s good for you, you can’t replicate it easily. And if you can’t replicate it, you can’t explore that within yourself.
