Barbara Walker, PhD, is a licensed Integrative Health and Performance Psychologist and Director of the Nature as Medicine program at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC. She is dedicated to helping patients achieve their optimal health and performance. With a master's degree in health psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology focusing on exercise and sport psychology, she offers personalized consultations for patients seeking support in the following:

• Performance in career or sports.  
• Coping with an illness or injury.
• Improving lifestyle for overall health and wellbeing.

As an expert in self-regulation techniques, Dr. Walker provides patients with tools including biofeedback, mind-body therapies, high-performance strategies, and lifestyle medicine guidance.

Dr. Walker’s expertise in psychology is deepened by her role at the University of Cincinnati, where she teaches the courses Sport and Positive Psychology as well as Nature-Based Therapies and Ecopsychology. She also co-teaches The Science and Practice of Mind-Body Medicine.  She is also the Director for Nature as Medicine programs through the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC and serves on the Planetary Health committee for the greater Osher Collaborative. 

Active in the community, Dr. Walker serves on the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon's Board of Directors, the Medical Board of Directors for One Village, and the Wellbeing Advisory Team for Adventure Crew. She is also a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and the sport psychology registry with the United States Olympic Committee.

Dr. Walker regularly presents at local and national conferences and workshops, is the author of multiple chapters in professional publications, and regularly contributes to national periodicals. She has appeared on various radio and television programs as an expert guest and has worked with professional and university athletic teams, Fortune 100 and 500 companies, executives, physicians, and first responders.

As a former competitive athlete in marathons, triathlons, duathlons, and cycling, Dr. Walker understands peak performance principles. She now enjoys cycling, hiking, practicing yoga, organic gardening, and spending quality time with family and friends, embracing life to the fullest and staying connected with nature.

Medication through Movement: The Benefits of Tai Chi

Presentation + Experiential in collaboration with Be Well UC

Plant-Based Power Hour with Chef Stephanie Michalak White, EdD

Download the Whole Grain Bowl Handout Recipe(PDF)

Better Heart Health in Community

Nature as Medicine

Food as Medicine: From Farm to Farmacy

MUSIC AS MEDICINE

The Science & Practice of Yoga

Healthy Eating & The Holidays

Sleep Well. Live Well.