Sessions at Company Mill Trail, Umstead State Park. We walk to the river, pause, and process on the way back. For ADHDers and AuDHDers, movement often makes the difference between a session that lands and one that doesn't — and the forest doesn't ask you to perform.
For ADHDers and AuDHDers specifically, the walk-and-talk format addresses structural barriers that make traditional office therapy harder. This isn't a workaround — for many neurodivergent clients, it's a genuinely better therapeutic environment.
Walking engages the prefrontal cortex — the part most affected by ADHD. It supports dopamine regulation, improves focus and engagement, and helps ADHDers access difficult material that can feel unreachable sitting still in a fluorescent-lit room.
Side-by-side walking removes the demand for sustained eye contact — a genuine neurological relief for many Autistic clients. The outdoor environment also tends to reduce the social performance pressure of face-to-face office therapy.
Movement, nature, and the absence of a clinical office lower defenses in a way that's hard to replicate. The forest doesn't care how you're supposed to present. My ecopsychology training informs this work directly — not as a novelty, but as a method.
Cary entrance, Company Mill Trail. No waiting room, no overhead lighting, no couch to sink into awkwardly. Dress in layers. Leave the performance in the car.
Side-by-side, at a comfortable pace. No agenda to perform. You lead the conversation, I follow and guide. No eye contact to sustain, no fluorescent hum, no clock visible on the wall.
The trail follows Crabtree Creek. We often pause at the water — a natural moment for reflection that isn't forced or structured. Moving water is genuinely good for dysregulated nervous systems.
The return walk is often where things settle and integrate. Closing the loop — literally and figuratively — ends the session with a sense of completion that sitting still rarely provides.
Accessibility: Company Mill Trail is a maintained, accessible path — not rugged terrain. If you have physical limitations, mention them when you reach out and we'll figure out what works for your body.
Company Mill Trail — Cary entrance
1400 Harrison Ave, Cary, NC 27513
Get directions →
Weekday mornings, by appointment.
Sessions happen in most weather. Severe weather only cancels — rescheduled within the week at no charge. Dress for it, bring water.
Free parking at the Cary entrance lot. Meet at the trailhead kiosk — I'll be there, probably already doing small laps.
Company Mill Trail
Umstead State Park
Raleigh / Cary, NC
Private pay · No insurance · Superbills available
Cancellations with less than 48 hours notice are charged the full fee. Illness and genuine emergencies excepted.
Not every neurodivergent person wants to do therapy outside — and that's completely fine. But for those who do, the format creates something a traditional office simply doesn't.
Things get said outdoors that don't get said anywhere else. The trees don't care how you're supposed to present yourself.
Online sessions available in North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and South Carolina. The same focused, neurodivergent-affirming work — from wherever you actually are.
Inquire about online sessions →Weekday morning hiking sessions at Umstead State Park. Reach out and let's find out if we're a good fit.