Psych Crunch explores climbing therapy, Dungeons & Dragons therapy, cold water swimming, and pet-assisted therapy

Psych Crunch surveys a set of unconventional psychology interventions that aim to boost mental wellbeing. The episode features Leigh Simmons guiding a climbing therapy taster, Son Henrich discussing the therapeutic potential of Dungeons & Dragons, and insights from Joe Williams on animal-assisted therapy, as well as Mark Weatherall on outdoor cold-water swimming. Across these approaches, the host and guests highlight shared themes like presence and social connection, while noting that evidence remains early and mechanistic explanations are not yet clear. The discussion suggests these activities may reconnect people with nature, community, and everyday meaningful engagement beyond traditional therapy, offering accessible options that can complement standard mental-health care.

Introduction

Psych Crunch takes a closer look at unusual psychological interventions that are entering journals and clinical practice, moving beyond traditional talk therapies to include physical activities, social problem solving games, and nature-based experiences.

Climbing Therapy and Bouldering Psychotherapy

The episode documents a taster session of climbing therapy with Leigh Simmons, a therapist, and explains bouldering psychotherapy as a blend of physical challenge with cognitive behavioral techniques. This section conveys the experiential aspect of climbing as a therapeutic modality, including the physical demands and the sense of accomplished effort.

"If we get you on one of these sort of routes that goes a little bit on the roof, it is going to be challenging because it's gonna be like quite hard on your arms and there is a certain amount of technique, but you push through that discomfort." - Leigh Simmons, therapist.

Dungeons & Dragons as Therapy

Son Henrich discusses the exploration of D&D as a therapeutic technique, noting that a scoping review found promising indicators but emphasized that the evidence is still in early days and randomized trials are lacking. The discussion touches on social identity and group membership as potential mechanisms that support wellbeing through shared storytelling and role play.

"We conducted this kind of scoping review and the things that we found were promising, but early days." - Son Henrich, PhD, lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Animal-Assisted Therapy

The episode moves to the topic of animal-assisted therapies, with Joe Williams outlining evidence from studies using animals with psychosis, depression, and anxiety. The discussion highlights proposed mechanisms such as social lubrication, routine, and increased opportunities for social contact, while acknowledging that the exact processes remain unclear.

"We have done specific studies looking at, for example, um, cases where animal assisted intervention have been used with um psychosis and schizophrenia. Which showed that there were positive effects on some of the symptomology." - Joe Williams, professor of Applied Developmental Psychology, University of Edinburgh.

Outdoor Cold Water Swimming

The conversation then covers outdoor cold water swimming, focusing on qualitative self-reported benefits and a diary study that tracked mood and anxiety. Mark Weatherall explains the physiological and psychological responses to cold immersion and describes observed reductions in bedtime anxiety and morning wellbeing on swim days.

"on days that people swam, levels of anxiety at bedtime were significantly lower than the days they didn't swim." - Mark Weatherall, Professor of Psychobiology and Health Psychology, Northumbria University.

Emerging Themes and Takeaways

Across these interventions, the episode identifies recurring themes: they require presence, they foster social connection, and there is no single approach that fits everyone. The discussion suggests these activities tap into fundamental human tendencies—engagement with others, active problem solving, and connection to nature—potentially aligning with our evolutionary history while offering varied pathways to mental wellbeing.

Conclusion

The episode presents these approaches as interesting but early-stage options that could complement traditional mental-health care, especially for people who prefer practical, social, or nature-based activities. It also underscores the need for more robust research to clarify mechanisms and establish efficacy.