Why Movement Supports Emotional Processing

Telephone counselling can offer many of the same benefits as walk and talk therapy.

While some people assume therapy must happen face-to-face to be effective, research suggests that telephone-based therapy can be just as beneficial for many individuals, particularly for anxiety, stress, low mood, and emotional processing (Irvine et al., 2020).

Telephone counselling offers flexibility. It allows clients outside of Greenwich, Blackheath, and the wider Greenwich borough to access support from wherever they feel most comfortable.

For some, this may mean walking in their local park while talking. For others, it may mean pacing around their home, sitting in the garden, or moving freely in a private space.

This movement can be more beneficial than sitting still.

Movement and Emotional Processing

Movement activates brain systems involved in emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and motivation.

Research suggests that walking improves creative thinking and problem-solving, while also supporting executive functioning (Oppezzo & Schwartz, 2014).

Gentle physical movement can also regulate the autonomic nervous system. This can reduce physiological arousal and help individuals feel calmer and more able to process emotions.

Rhythmic movement, such as walking or pacing, may also create a form of bilateral stimulation through alternating left-right body movement. Bilateral stimulation is linked to emotional processing and reduced distress in therapies such as EMDR (Shapiro, 2018).

This may explain why some people find they can think more clearly or talk more openly while moving.

Why Telephone Counselling Can Feel Easier

For some individuals, eye contact or sitting directly opposite a therapist can feel intense.

Telephone counselling removes visual pressure. As a result, some people feel less self-conscious and more able to speak freely.

Research has found that telephone therapy can reduce perceived stigma and increase accessibility (Mohr et al., 2012).

It can also feel easier to fit into busy lives. Sessions can happen while walking, during a lunch break, or in the comfort of home.

Telephone counselling may be particularly helpful for:

• anxiety
• overthinking
• stress
• burnout
• emotional overwhelm
• ADHD traits
• low confidence
• life transitions

Therapy That Moves With You

Therapy does not always need to happen in one room.

Whether you are walking in your local park, pacing in your kitchen, or sitting somewhere that feels safe, movement can support emotional processing.

Just as walk and talk therapy in Greenwich Park and Blackheath supports forward movement psychologically and physically, telephone counselling can offer similar benefits wherever you are.

Therapy can move with you.

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Academic References

Irvine, A., Drew, P., Bower, P., et al. (2020). Are there interactional differences between telephone and face-to-face psychological therapy? Journal of Affective Disorders, 265, 120–131.

Mohr, D. C., Vella, L., Hart, S., Heckman, T., & Simon, G. (2012). The effect of telephone-administered psychotherapy on symptoms of depression and attrition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19(3), 243–253.

Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142–1152.

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.