Some conversations want space— literal, physical space — to breathe in. That's the idea behind Nature-Based Counselling: narrative therapy sessions held on one of the many trails our Island has to offer. A therapist’s office is designed to be calm and contained, and for a lot of clients, that's exactly what they need. But for others, four walls and a closed door can feel like pressure rather than safety — like the room itself is waiting for something to happen. Trails don't do that. A trail just keeps unfolding in front of you, one step at a time, with no expectation that you'll have an answer by the time you reach the next bend.
What a trail session looks like:
We meet at an agreed upon trail and walk together for the length of the session — pace set by whoever needs it slower or faster that day. The conversation moves the way the trail does: sometimes focused and direct, sometimes drifting into quiet while we take in the woods, the elevation change, the sound of the trail underfoot. That quiet isn't wasted time. It's often where the most honest thinking happens.
But I am not much of a hiker:
Clients don't need to be experienced hikers. Flat and easy options include the Charlottetown waterfront boardwalk, Simmons indoor walking track, Victoria Park or one of the many sections of the Rails to Trails system. More demanding terrain include: Strathgartney Provincial Park, Bonshaw Hills or a local beach of your choosing. Sessions are paced to whoever's walking them — this is about the conversation, not the workout.
The science behind why walking changes the conversation:
Research in social psychology supports the idea that side-by-side movement — as opposed to face-to-face conversation — tends to lower people's guard and allow for speech to flow more naturally. Walking reduces the need for eye contact which lowers self consciousness and reduces emotional inhibition. It's why some of the most honest talks happen on car rides or dog walks rather than sitting across a table from someone. The rhythmic action of walking also increases blood flow to the brain, helps with memory retrieval, reinforces social bonds and improves verbal fluency. Nature adds another layer on top of that: time outdoors is consistently linked to lower stress and a calmer nervous system, which means clients often arrive at a trail session already a little more regulated.
None of this replaces the clinical structure of the work — it's still narrative counselling, with the same attention underneath. It's just delivered somewhere that makes it easier to actually open up and speak freely about challenging topics.
What if I don’t like an office and hate walking:
We can always find an agreed upon open air place of your choosing. If an office has not worked in the past, sitting in lawn chairs watching a little league baseball game or in the stands of a local arena are places where I have successfully conducted sessions with positive feedback. You are looking for something different because you are ready for change. Red Trails Wellness offers something different.
Who this tends to fit:
Nature-Based Counselling works especially well for:
· People who find offices clinical, sterile, or pressure-filled
· Clients who process thoughts better while moving than while sitting still
· Anyone already drawn to the outdoors who'd rather work through something real while they're out there anyway
· People managing ADHD, anxiety, grief, or major life transitions who find stillness harder than motion
As with any of my outdoor sessions, a traditional office setting is always available too — this is about finding what actually works for you, not replacing one format with another. If an office has never quite felt like the right place to say the hard things, the trail might be.
Angus MacDonald
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