Butler University Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) held its first mindfulness walk of the year on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Hosted once a month, the walks will take students through the different Ecotherapy trails and activities on campus.
The walks last about 30 minutes, are led by graduate and doctoral interns who work in the CCS office and are open to faculty, staff and students.
Erin Stockwell is a psychology intern at Butler’s CCS and facilitated the Sept. 16 walk.
“[These walks are] offering the inverse service we provide at CCS,” Stockwell said. “We [encourage] you to come in and sit and talk, [but] we wanted to also offer [students] movement with silence.”
Stockwell believes that a range of offerings can increase the positive impact that CCS has on Butler students.
“I think the brain and body [together] are really important parts of healing and both [CCS services and the walks] are free,” Stockwell said. “Here at Butler I wanted to get people moving, get people together and be more connected to their body and nature at the same time.”
Taylor Towery is a doctoral intern earning her PhD from Indiana University Bloomington and also facilitates mindfulness walks.
“A lot of therapy is conducted sitting down in a windowless room with not good ventilation,” Towery said. “People are like plants. [They need] fresh air and sunlight to function. Especially [for] college students, a lot of your time is spent in a classroom just sitting, so getting out and doing some low-impact movement is really good for people.”
The walks may also provide additional opportunities for students who require less one-on-one guidance or may be intimidated by traditional therapy settings.
“Accessibility is important here,” Towery said. “We know that coming to counseling, coming to the [Health and Recreation Center] and finding our office might be pretty daunting to someone who’s never gone to therapy or interacted with mental health services before. If we can come to [students], that can really eliminate some barriers and build bridges.”
Junior criminology-psychology major Alexis Foy said she can see benefits outside of clinical offices and outreach.
“It calms down your nervous system,” Foy said. “You’re taking deep breaths outside, and it [might be] distracting you from all the responsibilities you have going on. School gets really stressful, so when you go take a walk outside, it is a really great stress reliever.”
The walks can be a more relaxed way for some people to reflect, especially for those who may be reluctant to reach out for professionals.
“Talking with professionals that can help you is very beneficial,” Foy said. “[But] if you’re very independent or you want to figure it out on your own, I would definitely say a walk is a great step to take.”
The next mindfulness walks are being held at 9 a.m. on Oct. 21 and Nov. 11, weather permitting.