Walk in the Park

Yesterday's amNew York, a free newspaper handed out weekday mornings at the subway stations and other high-traffic spots in the city, included an interesting column titled "Recovery: Like A Walk in the Park." It was about a psychoanalyst who conducts therapy sessions while walking with his clients through parks and other parts of the city.

From the column by Farnoosh Torabi:

Clay Cockrell rings up a new pair of sneakers each month. His job demands it. As the sole psychoanalyst running Walk and Talk, the 37-year-old conducts therapy sessions on the go in Central Park, Battery Park and throughout Manhattan.

"We generally walk in isolated areas. It's not like people are listening in on our conversations," said Cockrell, who calls his alternative method "outdoor psychotherapy." Although if the trees could talk, it would probably be a different story, he admitted.

The concept for Walk and Talk began three years ago after treating patients in his midtown office. "It was actually my wife's idea," said Cockrell. Since then, his client list has more than doubled from 15 to 40 a week. "We'll walk to their place of business or I'll meet them at their apartment … The convenience was a big selling point," he said, adding that appointments are sometimes scheduled in his old midtown office if the discussion is too serious.

...

Then, there's the physical growth, said Cockrell, since being active is ultimately a healthy thing for the body. Personally speaking, Cockrell's blood pressure's gone down and he's shed about 15 pounds since starting the business. He said being outdoors also forces him to be more on his toes." This is harder, I found [for me]," he said. "You really got to be on your game. It's a dynamic active session. I'm exhausted by the end of the day."

This column reminded me of a quote I once read that went something like this:

"When you are troubled, go out for a walk. Angels speaks to a man when he goes out for a walk."