Teenagers often get a bad rap when it comes to talking. “They never say anything,” people say. “You ask a question and all you get is a grunt.” But I’ve learned that it’s not that they don’t want to talk—it’s just that the usual setup doesn’t always work for them.
That’s where walking and talking therapy can be transformative.
There’s something quietly powerful about walking side by side with a teenager. It takes the pressure off. No direct eye contact, no intensity of being “watched”—just two people moving through space together, naturally and unforced. The silence feels less awkward, the conversation flows more organically, and often, the most meaningful things are said while kicking a stone along a path or staring at the sky.
Teenagers are in a constant state of movement—emotionally, physically, hormonally. So therapy that also moves can meet them right where they are. Walking becomes a way to match their internal pace, to let things surface in a more embodied way. When they’re stuck in loops of anxiety or frustration, even just a few steps into a walk can shift the energy.
Nature also seems to level things out. Teenagers often feel hyper-visible and hyper-judged. But out by the river in Langport or walking along a quiet park path, there’s no performance required. The world doesn’t ask anything of them. That’s when they start to ask things of themselves—and sometimes, even answer.
For teenagers grappling with identity, emotions, and big life questions, creativity isn’t just about art or ideas—it’s about self-expression. Walking frees up that process.
As a therapist, I’ve come to cherish these walks. I never know what might emerge—a casual chat about music that becomes a deep dive into loneliness, a joke that turns into a reflection on loss...
Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer teenagers is not a chair and a question, but our presence on the path beside them.
