Each Step Counts: A Scoping Review of Mutualism in Walk and Talk Therapy

Since the 1990s, practitioners have increasingly engaged in walk and talk therapy (WATT), a therapeutic modality that integrates physical activity in nature with therapy. Practitioners have reported benefits for their clients, including increased physical activity, reduced stress symptoms, improved physical and mental health, and enhanced overall wellbeing. However, the literature has not yet explored how using WATT interventions with clients benefits counsellors’ wellbeing and self-care. This article interrogates whether it is appropriate—or even preferable—to offer a therapeutic intervention that is intentionally designed to benefit both client and counsellor. The word mutualism is used here to describe this collaborative encounter. This scoping review employed the PRISMA approach and searched five electronic sources (Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Southern Cross University library, The University of Queensland library, and Christian Heritage College library), followed by a thematic analysis of the scoping review’s findings. The search and scoping review identified a range of potential benefits to counsellors who use WATT in their practice, categorised under five themes: wellbeing, physical health, mental health, the benefits of being in nature for the counsellor, and benefits to the counsellor’s professional skills. This scoping review suggests that a deeper understanding of how counsellors who engage with WATT view and experience mutualism is needed to evaluate the modality adequately. WATT sessions may benefit counsellors by improving their wellbeing, positively affecting longevity by reducing occupational stress and the risk of burnout, while also raising ethical and practical considerations.