Walk and Talk Therapy in Midlothian, VA | Innovative & Evidence-Based

Enjoy your life again with my innovative, evidence-based walk and talk therapy in Midlothian, VA informed by practical philosophy.

Meet with your therapist in a beautiful park setting where getting outdoors in nature can offer a great new perspective and the same therapeutic depth and process.

We can choose to walk, or just sit and enjoy the green space.

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Park trail with bench. John Mathews, LCSW is a therapist that offers walk and talk therapy in Midlothian, VA.

Walk and talk therapy can help

If you’re feeling stuck, stifled, conflicted, or you’re overwhelmed by life in general, you can feel better. Walk and talk therapy can help and I want to help you get to where you want to be.

Through meeting with your therapist outdoors, in nature, you can learn new skills to help you manage difficult emotions and get back to the life you want to me living.

With nature therapy, we can work together by meeting for person therapy in a beautiful park setting in Midlothian, VA. Whether we choose to walk, or just sit and enjoy the green space, getting outdoors in nature can offer a great new perspective and the same therapeutic depth and process.

Walk therapy is real therapy

Walk and talk therapy, also known as walk therapy, nature therapy, or outdoors therapy, is an in person therapy where you meet with your therapist outdoors instead of an in office. While it may sound a bit unusual, it is a therapeutic modality that has gained empirical support for effectiveness (Prince-Llewellyn & McCarthy, 2025).

Walk therapy, while outdoors, is still real therapy — I am a fully licensed and credentialed therapist. I am trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). We develop a treatment plan with real goals. We do real therapeutic work. We just do it all while taking a stroll through a beautiful natural environment.

What are the benefits of walk and talk therapy?

There is a growing body of research to suggest that nature therapy, which entails the deliberate use of natural environments like the outdoors for therapeutic benefit, can help to improve a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression (Jessen et al., 2025). Why is this? The bilophiliia hypothesis suggests that we have a natural affinity to want to connect with nature and other people. This hypothesis has strong research to back it up (Gaekwad, 2022). We have a deep desire to connect with nature and other forms of life, including other people. Outdoor therapy combines both of these things!

Walking outdoors as self-care

Walking outdoors is a self-care habit. We spend so much of our daily lives sitting down in enclosed spaces that look more-or-less like sensory-deprivation tanks. Often white or gray walls. Little in the way of sensory input except glowing screens.

When we get outdoors, especially to a place with a lot of greenspace, it’s a full sensory-emersion experience. We feel the breeze on our skin, hear birds chirping, see leaves rustling. Walking outdoors serves not only as exercise, but as a grounding exercise. That is, it helps us to feel more mindfully aware and rooted to our environment. Walking itself is therapeutic. Add in person therapy on top, and that’s a dynamic duo!

FAQs about what and talk therapy

Below are some common questions about walk therapy.

Walk and talk therapy, also known as nature therapy or outdoor therapy, you meet with your therapist outside, in person, and walk, or sit on a bench, during your therapeutic work.

I see adult individuals seeking help for:

  • Anxiety
  • Burnout
  • CBT Therapy
  • Depression
  • ADHD
  • Substance Issues
  • Relationship counseling
  • And more.

I am a therapist that offers individual therapy to all people in the Midlothian Area with walk and talk therapy.

No, we don’t have to walk during nature therapy! We can find a bench and sit and enjoy the green space. It’s always your choice — walking or just enjoying the outdoors, there is never any pressure.

You will meet with your therapist in person for walk and talk therapy in Midlothian, VA. Some of my favorite parks for outdoor therapy are Horner Park (Genito Road) and Midlothian Mines Park (Woolridge Road). I like these these locations for nature therapy because they offer a combination of accessibility, natural beauty, and low foot-traffic during the day.

Rain, cold, or hot days, we often just grab a raincoat, an umbrella, some gloves and a hat, or ice water and just go. Surprisingly, perhaps, when the weather gets interesting, it can actually help people to open up. But if the forecast gets too bad, or if you have any particular concerns about it, we can always meet for online therapy for just that one session.

Not very — this is outdoor therapy, not a race. The idea is to get your body moving and to enjoy nature, not to push yourself to the limit. I’m happy to walk at your pace.

If outdoor therapy is not for you, I also offer online therapy. When you work with me, each session is your choice to meet either online or in person outdoors. No matter which way you choose, the therapeutic process is the same. We work together to get you back on the right path.

Learn more about online therapy →

Yes. I accept most major insurances (Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Optima / Sentara, etc.).

After scheduling your first appointment, you will be emailed a link to our secure online portal. Through the portal, you can conveniently complete the new client intake forms prior to your session with your therapist. During your first session, we will review the intake paperwork and go over any questions you may have, and then I will ask you some questions to get to know you better. During that first session, you’ll talk more about what has been bothering you recently, what you long to see be different in your life, and create a plan to get there. My hope is to help you not just reduce symptoms, but also help you build a life you love. I can’t wait to get started with you.

Why I started offering walk and talk therapy.

My therapy setup for many years was the typical office with a couch. Between sessions, whenever possible, I would go outside and take a walk around the block. It was energizing, restorative, and relaxing all at once. These walks once or twice a day became a ritual — a crucial part of my self-care.

Eventually I started wondering, “why not invite my clients along?” So, I did. And it genuinely seemed to help. They would open up differently and reflect in new ways.

Now I offer a hybrid approach to therapy with both online and walk and talk.

The therapeutic process is the same, no matter how we decide to meet.

Change is hard, and taking the first step towards change can be the hardest of all. But just by being here researching how to make a change, you’ve already taken that step. Don’t stop now!

Schedule Your First Session Today

Let’s get you on the right path to where you actually want to go.

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References

Blakeslee, S. B., Koch, A. K., Schröter, M., Jeitler, M., Ngandeu Schepanski, S., Boujnah, H., Brunnhuber, S., Mudu, P., Forastiere, F., Michalsen, A., Seifert, G., & Kessler, C. S. (2026). Effects of greenspace interventions on mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 111, Article 102919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.102919

Gaekwad, J. S., Sal Moslehian, A., Roös, P. B., & Walker, A. (2022). A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Evidence for the Biophilia Hypothesis and Implications for Biophilic Design. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 750245. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.750245

Jessen, N. H., Løvschall, C., Skejø, S. D., Madsen, L. S. S., Corazon, S. S., Maribo, T., & Poulsen, D. V. (2025). Effect of nature-based health interventions for individuals diagnosed with anxiety, depression and/or experiencing stress-a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ open, 15(7), e098598. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-098598

Prince-Llewellyn, H., & McCarthy, P. (2025). Walking and talking for well-being: Exploring the effectiveness of walk and talk therapy. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 25, e12847. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12847

Written by:

John Mathews, LCSW

John Mathews, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist with more than 10 years of experience helping individuals with anxiety, burnout, depression, CBT therapy, men’s therapy, and more. He offers mental health therapy in Midlothian, VA and online therapy in Virginia. Learn more about John Mathews, LCSW.

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