Emotional Catharsis Through Nature-Based Walk-and-Talk Therapy: A Quasi-Experimental Study in the Indian Himalayas

Abstract

In order to ascertain if structured walk-and-talk therapy results in quantifiable emotional release in young adults, this study investigated its effects on high-altitude Himalayan routes. The study suggested that the combination of therapeutic dialogue, rhythmic exercise, and the breathtaking sacred scenery would greatly improve participants’ capacity to express feelings and lessen emotional suppression, based on eco-therapy theory and the affect-regulation framework. A 10-item Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-adapted Catharsis Scale (α = 0.91) was used to assess 350 persons (ages 20–39; 72.5% male) before and after a guided therapeutic hike in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Both parametric (Welch’s t) and non-parametric (Mann–Whitney U) analyses showed a significant rise in catharsis scores from pre-intervention (M = 2.45, SD = 0.70) to post-intervention (M = 5.88, SD = 0.37), t(697) = 80.72, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 6.10. There were no discernible gender differences (Hedges’ g = 0.04, p =.68), indicating that the therapeutic advantages were the same for both sexes. Catharsis was found to be a significant predictor of post-intervention insight in hierarchical regression (β =.24, p <.001), and correlation and regression analyses revealed a substantial relationship between catharsis and gains in self-aliveness (r =.90) and cognitive insight (r =.88). According to theoretical models that see nature as an active co-therapeutic agent, these findings provide strong empirical evidence that Himalayan walk-and-talk therapy encourages extraordinary levels of emotional release.