About five years ago, Maria Mostek had the idea of leading counseling sessions outside, inspired by how she felt after walking and running with her friends. Officially graduating with her Master’s in counseling from De Paul University in 2011, Maria became an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in Wisconsin in 2019. During the pandemic, her personal therapy journey inspired her to take the leap into making her old dream a reality. In May of 2023, she did just that, opening the metaphorical doors of Little Bridge Counseling.
I say “metaphorical doors,” because Little Bridge offers primarily outdoor counseling, with options for virtual sessions as well, particularly useful on days with inclement weather. Maria finds that most of her clients appreciate having options regarding how they meet, and notes that the progress made is the same, regardless of the structure of the session. Little Bridge’s signature walk-and-talk-style, nature-based counseling sessions occur in public parks throughout the Milwaukee area. Maria describes her work as a “Blend [of] the more traditional counseling approaches and practices but in a non-traditional environment.”
Whether in person or virtual, Maria takes care to create as relaxing a setting as possible, avoiding stressors like heavy traffic throughout walks, and creating a warm and cozy environment through the screen. For outdoor sessions, Maria chooses locations with privacy in mind, meeting in less crowded areas and avoiding large groups throughout the walk. Maria takes great pride in maintaining a high standard of ethics and HIPAA Compliance, even in a non-traditional setting, like a public park. And don’t expect to see Maria taking notes during a session; she finds that active listening works better for the style of counseling she practices, and makes her clients feel more comfortable.
Some people are apprehensive about having the dramatic and intensely emotional kind of therapy sessions they might see on TV while walking in a public park, but that is rarely the case. While Maria acknowledges that sometimes those sorts of counseling sessions can be helpful, they aren’t the norm. “My goal for every session is to never have anyone leave feeling worse than they came in,” she explains. So while there’s always space for an emotional session, the reality often looks a lot calmer.
In addition to navigating the world of HIPAA Compliance and managing a small business, Maria is most proud of the leap of faith she took when opening Little Bridge. Ecotherapy is more common on the West Coast than in the Midwest, she notes, even though there’s no reason it has to be. All year long, she notices the benefits of being outside and “taking in the elements, even if everything is dead,” she laughs. As with many things in life, she finds that the key to success is “being flexible and taking it slow, doing my best and being open and… not getting ahead of myself.”
Both therapy and time spent outside can be integral parts of good mental health. For Maria, “Wellness… is having a sense of peace or calm, and being able to bring that on to your every day.” Maria’s own sense of peace and calm comes from “being in the moment and being present,” she remarks, “that’s why I love being in nature and being outside.” If you’re interested in trying walk-and-talk-style, nature-based counseling, Little Bridge Counseling offers free 15-minute consultations to meet with Maria and decide if it’s right for you.
