Reset Stress. Reclaim Clarity.
Nature-based therapy in the Cuyahoga Valley to release tension, restore balance, and rebuild emotional resilience.
Therapy that Moves with You
You’ve been running at full speed for months, maybe years. You keep everything together, perform at a high level, and support everyone around you. Yet inside, stress is building, burnout is creeping in, and it’s starting to take a toll on your mind, body, and relationships.
Walk-and-talk therapy in the Cuyahoga Valley offers a different path. Moving through nature, we calm your nervous system, release tension, and create space for clarity. Drawing from mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), you’ll learn practical skills to manage stress, regulate emotions, and rebuild balance, tools you can carry with you long after each session ends.
Here, therapy isn’t just talking. It’s walking, reflecting, and moving toward lasting relief. Every step is a chance to feel lighter, think clearer, and reconnect with the steady, resilient version of yourself.
The Walk and Talk Advantage
1. Reset Your Nervous System
Walking in nature naturally calms the body and mind. The rhythm of movement, fresh air, and open space reduce stress, ease tension, and create a foundation for emotional balance.
2. Build Practical, Lasting Skills
Drawing from mindfulness and DBT, you’ll learn tools to manage stress, regulate emotions, and respond more effectively to stress and burnout; skills you can apply every day.
3. Gain Clarity and Perspective
Movement and nature promote reflection and insight. As your body slows down, your mind clears, helping you make sense of overwhelming thoughts and reconnect with what matters most.
4. Supportive, Private, and Flexible
No fluorescent lights, waiting rooms, or distractions. Sessions happen on Northeast Ohio trails or via telehealth. You’ll have a safe, judgment-free space to explore challenges and build resilience.
Who This is For.
This style of therapy is a great fit if you are someone who:
Keeps it together, on the outside.
You’re responsible, hardworking, and high-performing. People rely on you. You rarely let anything slip… but the internal pressure is wearing you down.
Feels Burned Out, Overwhelmed, or “Always On”
You’re tired mentally, emotionally, or physically. Even rest doesn’t feel restorative lately. You’re running on fumes and want relief that actually lasts.
Wants Practical Skills. Not Just Talking
You want to understand your emotions, manage stress more effectively, and develop tools you can use daily. You want growth, insight, and concrete strategies.
Thinks Better While Moving
You process ideas more easily when you’re walking, moving, or outside. Sitting in a traditional office feels too stagnant or intense.
Is Stressed, Anxious, or Emotionally Drained
Whether it’s work pressure, relationship stress, or general overwhelm, you want a calm, grounded space to breathe and reset.
Loves Nature or Feels Drawn to It
You feel calmer outside. You want a therapy experience that feels natural, healing, and supportive, not clinical or rushed.
Wants to Rebuild Balance and Momentum
You know something needs to change. You’re ready to recharge your mind, regain clarity, and feel like yourself again.
About me
I’m Michael Williams, a licensed professional counselor who helps high-performing adults facing stress, burnout, anxiety, or difficult relationships find steadiness again. Before becoming a therapist, I spent 12 years guiding whitewater rafting trips across the country, which taught me how deeply nature supports nervous-system regulation and clarity. Today, I bring that same grounding presence into walk-and-talk therapy in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Clinically, I’ve worked in community mental health leading DBT skills groups and supporting clients through overwhelm, emotional intensity, and chronic stress. I hold a B.A. in Philosophy from Kent State University, an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of Akron, and I’m also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200).
My mission is simple: to be the steady, compassionate support I needed when I was a teenager navigating anxiety and depression. Together, we’ll use nature, movement, and practical skills to help you reset your mind, release tension, and return to yourself.
How It Works
Schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation Call
We’ll talk briefly about what’s stressing you, what you’re hoping to change, and whether walk-and-talk therapy is a good fit. You’ll get clear, honest guidance with zero pressure.
Meet on Trail for Your First Session
We’ll choose a calm, accessible park in Northeast Ohio. As we walk at your pace, you’ll begin learning grounding techniques, nervous-system regulation strategies, and DBT-based skills that you can use right away.
You’ll leave your first session feeling lighter, clearer, and more grounded.
Receive Ongoing Support + Skills That Actually Help
Each week, we’ll blend movement, nature, and evidence-based therapy to help you manage stress, regulate emotions, and build long-term resilience.
You’ll feel supported and guided, gaining tools you can use in your daily life, not just during sessions.
Let’s get started with a comfortable and calm conversation…
My Services
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Experience counseling in nature with walk-and-talk or hiking sessions in Akron, Ohio parks—blending movement, mindfulness, and healing outdoors. Read more about hiking sessions here.
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Access secure, compassionate counseling from anywhere in Ohio. Online sessions make it easy to fit therapy into your life with the same supportive care.
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Facing mental health challenges can be tough—but you don’t have to do it alone. This virtual, donation-based group brings together people with similar experiences and offers practical, evidence-based coping tools you can use right away. Join us to feel supported, empowered, and part of a community that truly gets it. Read more about this mindfulness skills group here.
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You don’t have to stay stuck in the past. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for trauma helps you to heal deeply, feel safe again, and move forward with confidence. Read more about EMDR here on my blog.
Schedule your complimentary 15 minute consultation call and discover how I can support your mental wellness journey.
