By Katelyn Pothakul
Udler majored in anthropology at Harpur College, where she enjoyed learning about different cultures, people and practices while looking at situations objectively, a skill that would eventually translate into her career as she continues to actively observe and evaluate patients today. Through classes such as Humans and Ecological Environment with Richard Andrus 鈥 whom she describes as 鈥渁head of his time鈥 by founding Binghamton鈥檚 environmental studies program 鈥 and frequent trips to the campus Nature Preserve, Udler鈥檚 deep-rooted interest in the outdoors flourished.
After graduating from Binghamton and earning her master鈥檚 in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, Udler began working as a talk therapist in 2000. However, training for her first-ever Marine Corps Marathon in Washington with a local running group in 2012 reshaped Udler鈥檚 professional approach.
鈥淲hen I started running and training for the marathon, I became aware of people鈥檚 interest and comfort level in talking while moving,鈥 Udler said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 sort of when I got the idea to move my practice outside, because I noticed that people were really less inhibited when they were running. People are just so comfortable opening up and talking while we鈥檙e out there, then maybe this could work for therapy if it helps people let their guard down a bit.鈥
Inspired by the parallels between interacting with her fellow runners and therapy clients, Udler opened her own practice Positive Strides Therapy in 2013. For the past 10 years, Udler has implemented an innovative therapeutic approach commonly referred to as walk and talk therapy, in which she meets with clients outdoors at local park paths and nature trails rather than a traditional office setting, using a combination of physical movement and the power of nature to stimulate deeper connections.
鈥淲hen you start walking and moving your body, it opens up the feel-good hormones and endorphins get released, so you do feel better,鈥 Udler said. 鈥淚n some cases, people just have an easier time relaxing and then talking about whatever is going on for them.鈥
Udler鈥檚 methods gained traction during the pandemic when the limitations of traditional therapy became increasingly apparent, with appointments being administered over virtual platforms like Zoom, Doxy and other online services. In response, Udler shared her expertise by teaching other professionals how to ethically and thoughtfully develop their own version of outdoor therapy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we keep up with the latest theories, models, ethics and anything that鈥檚 changing so we can do our best work.鈥
To further guide clinicians interested in incorporating outdoor, movement-based techniques into their work, Udler wrote her first book, Walk and Talk Therapy: A Clinician鈥檚 Guide to Incorporating Movement and Nature into Your Practice (PESI Publishing, 2023).
Udler emphasizes that her book鈥檚 accessible, non-clinical language allows all kinds of readers to learn about the benefits of walk and talk therapy. While many may feel reluctant to meet with a therapist because of 鈥渄iscomfort in other people's space,鈥 Udler hopes her book will level the playing field and encourage readers to consider a new opportunity to engage in therapy.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 walking with a client outside, I鈥檓 more creative helping them with problem solving or pointing things out that are useful to them. Sometimes, it鈥檚 like a metaphor; they may say something and I鈥檒l see something in nature that connects to their experience. It鈥檚 memorable [and] something they can take with them, understand and kind of imagine as they go throughout their week about how maybe that piece of nature is comforting and makes them feel calmer or accepted.鈥