July 6, 2026 · By Dan Zamfir, RP
Some of the best conversations I have had with people about their lives did not happen in my office. They happened while walking. There is something about moving side by side, with somewhere to look other than each other, that lets people say the things they have been carrying. That simple observation is the reason I now offer therapy on the golf course. Not as a gimmick, but because for a lot of people it is the version of therapy they will actually agree to.
Traditional therapy asks a lot up front. You sit in a quiet room, across from someone you just met, and start talking about the hardest parts of your life while they watch you do it. For some people that intensity is fine. For many others, especially men, it is exactly what keeps them away. Research on men with depression finds that the biggest barriers to reaching out are often not practical but attitudinal: a strong pull toward self-reliance and real uncertainty about what psychotherapy even involves.1 Men are also less likely to attend therapy in the first place and more likely to drop out.2
So the question I kept asking was simple. What if the setting itself did some of the work of lowering the barrier?
Start with where we are. There is a solid body of research showing that time in green, natural space is good for the mind. In one study of more than 700 regular walkers, group walks in natural environments were linked to lower stress, less negative emotion, and greater mental wellbeing than walking in urban settings.3 A systematic review of long-term studies describes green spaces as places that naturally support relaxation, social connection, and physical activity, three ingredients that quietly protect mental health.4
A golf course is all of that in one place: open space, fresh air, a reason to move, and a couple of hours with your phone in your pocket. Before we have talked about anything difficult, the environment is already working in your favour.
Golf adds something walking alone does not: a shared task with a natural rhythm. A large scoping review of the research on golf and health, pulling from hundreds of studies, found that golf provides moderate-intensity physical activity and is associated with physical health benefits and improved wellness, with the authors even noting a potential link to longer life expectancy.5 For the purposes of therapy, what golf really offers is:
That last one is the quiet key. When the outing feels normal and even enjoyable, the guard comes down, and the real conversation tends to follow.
Walking side by side lowers the stakes of a hard conversation. When you are not staring across a desk, it is often easier to say the true thing.
Therapy works largely through the relationship between the two people in it. That trusting working bond, what clinicians call the therapeutic alliance, is one of the most reliable predictors of whether therapy helps. This is where an active format earns its place. In a randomised trial comparing outdoor walk-and-talk therapy with conventional indoor sessions for men with low mood, the walking format was highly acceptable, attendance stayed strong, and participants built a solid alliance with their therapist.2 Over nine holes there is time for that trust to develop the way trust actually develops, through unhurried, shared time, rather than through an hour of pointed questions.
Here is what I care about most. Every year there are people who need support and never get it, because booking a formal appointment is a bridge too far. For those people, "let's play nine and talk" can be the invitation that a clinic never was. It does not replace traditional therapy, and for some issues we may still move into the office. But as a first step, it turns a daunting decision into an easy one. Getting someone engaged at all is often the hardest and most important part.
You do not need to be good at golf. Beginners are welcome, and your score is beside the point. If you are curious, you can read more about how Active Golf Psychotherapy works, or explore therapy for athletes and standard individual therapy if a different format fits you better.
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This article is general information, not a substitute for professional care. Research summaries describe group findings and do not predict individual outcomes.