Walk-and-Talk Therapy

Informed Consent & Agreement

Outdoor walk-and-talk therapy

Healing Home Counseling, Licensed Clinical Social Work Corporation

Download Walk-and-Talk Consent (PDF)1 page

Walk-and-talk therapy integrates traditional psychotherapy with gentle outdoor movement. Healing Home Counseling offers these outdoor sessions—usually held at Fanuel Park along Mission Bay, with Kate Sessions Memorial Park also available by arrangement—as an optional modality. Many clients find that moving outdoors or conversing side-by-side feels more natural, grounding, and expansive than sitting face-to-face in a traditional office setting.

Before beginning, we will discuss together whether this approach is clinically appropriate for your therapeutic goals. Walk-and-talk sessions can be used occasionally, on a regular basis, or discontinued at any point should you prefer to return to an office or telehealth setting.

If you choose to participate in walk-and-talk therapy, please review and agree to the following considerations:

Participation considerations

Nature of the Service

I understand that my therapist is functioning strictly within their professional scope as a licensed mental health clinician. These sessions are designed for emotional well-being and therapeutic processing, not for physical training, exercise prescription, or athletic coaching.

Outdoor & Environmental Considerations

Walking in public outdoor spaces carries natural, everyday risks (such as uneven pavement, sun exposure, insect stings, sudden weather changes, or tripping). By choosing this modality, you agree to assume these inherent physical risks, and Healing Home Counseling cannot be held liable for accidental injuries that may occur while navigating outdoor terrain.

Physical Health & Self-Pacing

You affirm that you are in suitable physical condition to engage in light walking outdoors and that you have no known medical limitations that would make participation unsafe. We will naturally tailor the walking pace to what feels comfortable and restorative for you.

Confidentiality in Public Spaces

While your therapist will take intentional care to protect your privacy—such as pausing or redirecting the conversation when other pedestrians are near—holding sessions outdoors carries inherent limitations to privacy. There is always a possibility of being overheard, crossing paths with someone known to either of us, or being seen with a therapist in public. We will agree beforehand on a comfortable plan for how to navigate encounters if either of us sees someone we know.

Personal Responsibility & Coverage

You agree to maintain personal health insurance or assume personal responsibility for any costs associated with an unexpected medical concern or accidental injury sustained during an outdoor session.