Reflections from Accredited Psychotherapist Emily Collett
Spending time in nature, moving at a gentle pace, and feeling truly heard can transform how we feel - calming the mind and lifting the spirit. Our guided wellbeing walks bring people together outdoors, combining professional mental health support with the restorative power of the natural world. Yet taking that first step to join a walk can feel daunting, especially if you’re unsure what to expect.
In this post, Emily Collett - Accredited Psychotherapist, Mental Health Consultant, and member of our wellbeing team - shares her reflections on the journey of a wellbeing walk. From arriving with nerves and uncertainty to leaving with a renewed sense of perspective, connection, and hope, she reveals what it really feels like to experience a Mind Over Mountains Walk.
Arriving on a Wellbeing Walk: From Nerves to Connection
For many people, the experience begins long before the walk itself. There’s a mixture of excitement and uncertainty as you naturally wonder what the day will hold, who you will meet, and how you will feel once you’re out in the fresh air, surrounded by nature.
Even with our pre-walk Zoom call - designed to answer questions and help ease nerves - some uncertainty often remains. It’s in this in-between moment, right before the walk begins, that the first sparks of reflection, connection, and possibility begin to appear.
As Emily reflects:
“The backpack has been packed and checked three times, waterproofs out, snacks at the ready, it must be the morning of a Mind Over Mountains Wellbeing Walk. Everyone starts to arrive, slowly congregating into a group. ‘Are you here for the Mind Over Mountains walk?’, ‘Phew, I am in the right place’.”
Yes, nerves are normal, but usually short lived.
“The usual pre-meeting strangers nerves are present,” Emily says, “but a few people recognise each other having met on previous walks - and the welcoming words of the Mind Over Mountains team soon set an ease amongst the new to each other group,”
Stepping Out and Into Nature
Before the walk even begins, there’s a moment to pause, check in, and get grounded. Emily explains how this initial briefing and gentle introductions set the tone, creating a space where everyone feels safe, supported, and free to engage at their own pace.
“We start with a walk brief from our fantastic mountain leaders who will be expertly leading the walk for the day (so we don’t have to worry about getting lost) and have a quick check in, with some brief introductions, sharing a little at this stage about what has bought us to the walk today and how we are landing, physically and emotionally, as we start our walk together.
“Expectations are set for the day: there is no pressure, no rush, want to talk to a wellbeing team member who is trained in counselling and/or coaching? Great, but you also don’t have to. Use today for you and what you want to get out of it.”
This gentle and reassuring start helps people feel safe, supported, and free to engage in a way that feels right for them.
Walking for Mental Wellbeing: Support Side by Side in Nature
And so as the walk unfolds, Emily describes how movement, conversation and the natural environment begin to work together to support wellbeing.
“So we do just that, we walk together side by side, always surrounded by fantastic countryside. We take moments along the way to come together as a group and notice, either through a mindful exercise, or through a check in of what we are noticing within ourselves as we walk. Everyone is encouraged to take notice of the environment we are in along the way, not just to use it as a means to ‘do a walk in’ but as an opportunity to connect to it and ourselves amongst it.
“As conversations flow between people, the pre-walk nerves slowly start to ease, discussions flip between ‘what is your favourite crisp flavour’ to people starting to open up to each other, and the Mind Over Mountains team, about what’s really bought them here today and how life has been for them lately.
“Some conversations go deeper, facilitated by the wellbeing team to help those who want to talk to open up, resources themselves with answers, never being told what to do or what to feel but simply given a space to talk about such things, in a different environment than they may have done before. Not with family, or a friend, or within four walls of a therapy room, but amongst the hills, along the trail, where different thoughts and experiences may occur.”
Walking side by side, rather than face to face, often makes it easier to talk - or to simply be quiet - while feeling supported by both the group and the environment.
Space for the Hard Stuff - and the Joy
Emily also challenges the assumption that mental health support must always feel heavy or serious.
“You may expect a walk that focuses on mental health to be heavy, full of difficult conversation with no space for smiling or fun. But that is what makes Mind Over Mountain’s Wellbeing walks different, there is space for all of that. The hard stuff is welcome, as much as the fun.
“The day is filled with light-hearted conversation and moments along the way, shouting ‘WAHOOO’ into the wind as it reaches nearly 40 MPH, laughing and embracing the rain that comes lashing down as we dig into our backpacks for those waterproof trousers we were very glad we packed at the last minute.”
Emily’s reflections remind us that wellbeing doesn’t have to be serious or heavy - it’s about embracing all of it. Laughter, connection, and the sheer joy of being outdoors are just as important as reflection and support, making every walk a truly uplifting experience.
The journey’s End: Reflection and Connection
As the walk comes to a close, there’s time to pause, reflect, and connect one last time with the group. Emily shares how these moments - filled with laughter, quiet thought, and shared experience - often leave a lasting impression, helping participants carry a sense of calm, perspective, and renewed energy into their everyday lives.
“After a packed lunch, some more miles and some more mindful moment opportunities throughout the afternoon reflecting on gentle prompts offered from the team, we make it back to the car park. A chance to check back in with each other before we go our separate ways, reflecting on the experience we have shared together today.
“Then we say our goodbyes and head off back to our different homes, bags now full of empty packed lunch boxes and damper clothes than when we first met. However, there are also some memories in there too and, for some people, maybe even the start of looking ahead to the future, or at their current situation, in a slightly different way compared to when they arrived.”
These moments of shared laughter, reflection and connection are often what people remember most - and what stays with them long after the walk has ended.
Take the First Step: Join a Mind Over Mountains Wellbeing Walk
Emily’s reflections capture the heart of Mind Over Mountains wellbeing walks: compassionate, non-judgemental support offered outdoors, alongside others, at a pace that feels right. These walks aren’t about fixing or forcing change - they’re about creating space to breathe, reflect, and feel supported.
View upcoming wellbeing walks and retreats
Our walks are free to attend thanks to funding and donations, and are open to anyone who may benefit from time in nature and gentle mental health support. If you’re feeling unsure, that’s okay - many people arrive feeling exactly the same. As Emily’s experience shows, taking that first step can be the beginning of something quietly transformative.
