Work outside with purpose – in Adventure, Outdoor, Nature & Wilderness settings
In our LIVE Workshop, you will learn how to develop your career and meaningfully combine your passion for working in nature.
for Outdoor Educators, Experts in Mental Health, Psychotherapists, Occupational Therapists,
Youth Workers, Rehabilitation Experts
100 % free of charge
there’s a special Lottery just for participants
we are Live
October 22, 2025 at 7 pm CET/ MEZ Berlin
1. Waldtherapie Kongress
Wir freuen uns dabei zu sein.
Ihr seid herzlich eingeladen, uns zu auf dem Kongress zu besuchen und Euch mit uns zu vernetzen.
In unseren ATI Fortbildungen und Qualifizierungen legen wir großen Wert auf das Erforschen und Erkennen der eigenen „Naturverbundenheit | nature-connectedness“. Die klinische Waldtherapie ist für uns eine Schatztruhe von Erkenntnissen, Evaltuationen, Methoden und Haltungen, aus der wir schöpfen können.
Der Fachkongress für den „Wald als Gesundheitsquelle“ im deutschsprachigen Raum hat das Ziel, die Waldtherapie als evidenzbasierte, komplementäre Therapieform im Kontext der kurativen, präventiven und postventiven Medizin bekannter zu machen.
Die Veranstalter möchten eine Plattform schaffen, welche den wissenschaftlichen Forschungsstand der klinischen und nicht-klinischen Waldtherapie aufzeigt und gleichzeitig Einblicke in den Praxis-Kontext aus der Erfahrungsheilkunde verschiedener Waldtherapieansätze gibt.
Ein zentraler Aspekt dieses Kongresses ist der interdisziplinäre Austausch aller Therapierichtungen, Institutionen und Experten.
1. German Forest Therapy Congress
This specialist conference, titled „The Forest as a Source of Health,“ aims to raise awareness of forest therapy as an evidence-based complementary therapy in the context of curative, preventive, and post-preventive medicine. The conference will showcase the current state of scientific research on clinical and non-clinical forest therapy and provide insights into the practical application of various forest therapy approaches based on empirical medicine. A central aspect of the conference is fostering interdisciplinary exchange among all therapeutic disciplines, institutions, and experts.
How do I become an Adventure &
Nature Therapy Practitioner?
We'll show you ...
- how you can build a new professional career perspective.
- how you can professionally use natural spaces for therapeutic interventions.
- how you can settle up.
So that you can ...
… work as a professionally trained expert in rehabilitation clinics, psychiatric hospitals, child and youth welfare facilities and therapeutic teams.
Work outside with purpose – in Adventure, Outdoor, Nature & Wilderness settings
What is Adventure & Nature Therapy?
Adventure & Nature Therapy is used as a specific therapy and/or as a complementary therapeutic method to promote, maintain and treat mental health.
- It is excellent for building and maintaining resilience.
- It is a holistic and experiential approach that works in and with different natural spaces.
With Adventure and Nature Therapy methods, therapeutic settings are supported, supplemented, and/or designed independently.
Therapeutic expertise, therapeutic context, and the depth of the process are decisive features that distinguish Adventure therapy settings from pedagogically oriented interventions.
Quality
We are a dedicated member of the German
„Federal Association for Individual and Experiential Education“.
They have actively promoted the development of the mission statement and the professional profile of “Adventure & Nature Therapist”.
At the international level, we are members of the American „Association of Experiential Education (AEE)”.
If you are interested in further information,
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Information about
… new courses
… online lectures
… new publications
… conferences
Spending time in Nature has an Effect, and this effect is something that can be measured.
Mental health
Research, for example by Bratman et al. (2015), shows that regular experiences in nature can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety disorders. Contact with nature promotes well-being and emotional stability. The authors state that experiences in nature promote the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads to relaxation and stress reduction. They also stimulate attention and emotional balance.
Stress reduction
Spending time in nature motivates people to exercise more, which has a positive effect on cardiovascular health, weight control and general fitness. Studies also show that sunlight stimulates vitamin D production, which strengthens the immune system.
Immune system
Studies, such as that by Li et al. (2007), indicate that spending time in nature increases the activity of natural killer cells, which play an important role in the immune system.
Physical health
Spending time in nature motivates people to exercise more, which has a positive effect on cardiovascular health, weight control and general fitness. Studies also show that sunlight stimulates vitamin D production, which strengthens the immune system.
Would you like to learn more about your path into professional Adventure & Nature Therapy?
We will inspire you, provide you with sound expert knowledge – and spark some valuable insights.
This course is perfect for you if you’re considering working with Adventure Therapy in nature or if you already have some experience.
Would you like to explore your path into professional Adventure & Nature Therapy?
You will receive valuable insights into our collaboration and qualification opportunities. We provide a clear overview of levels 1–3 and guide you on how to achieve your goals.
Self-experience, psychological well-being, and mental health
The focus is on practical courses in which you learn adventure and nature therapeutic work directly in nature. In self-experience sessions, you will encounter nature as a co-therapist and learn more about the effect of landscapes on psychological well-being and mental health.
Would you like to work with your clients or patients using Adventure & Nature Therapy, but are unsure whether you are allowed to do so?
Are you wondering whether you are suitable for this – and whether you are even allowed to call yourself an “Adventure & Nature Therapist”?
You believe that this approach can help people gain lasting insights more effectively. Maybe you’ve already gained some experience simply by spending time outdoors with your clients?
The dates for LEVEL 1 in 2025/2026 are official.
Download your Ebook for more informations and book a free consultation date to check out.
Expand your theoretical knowledge
of Adventure & Nature Therapy
What role does clinical knowledge play in adventure and nature therapy?
Solid theoretical knowledge is essential for professional and responsible work. In Adventure & Nature Therapy, particularly, this knowledge forms the basis for independent, high-quality action.
- You can start the Clinical Theory Course at any time.
- You can also book the course before the Level 1-3 courses begin.
Typical questions EVERYONE asks
I am already working as a therapist – am I already doing Adventure & Nature Therapy?
Do you have a therapeutic mandate? This question is crucial. Because in many fields, so-called „therapeutic effects“ are explicitly desired. If you are already achieving such effects, it is a sign of the quality of your work.
This is precisely why we developed Level 1 – the „Adventure and Nature Therapy Practitioner.“ This qualification enables you to design therapeutic processes not only intuitively, but also in a targeted and methodically sound manner.
Where can I get certification & recognition?
In the US, the AEE already offers a formal certification in Adventure Therapy. Our training structure, with its three qualification levels (Levels 1–3), is designed to enable you to later obtain recognition and certification in the US. We maintain direct contact with the AEE Board of Directors and continuously adapt our content to current developments.
Can Adventure & Nature Therapy be billed?
Yes – in different ways!
The possibilities depend heavily on the respective field of work (in Germany):
- Clinics and hospitals can bill for Adventure & Nature Therapy using OPS codes.
- Rehabilitation facilities use the KTL codes.
- In child and youth welfare services, billing is possible via “individual additional services (IZL)” – comparable to horse riding or art therapy.
There are also billing models for independent therapists or in health prevention – depending on the framework conditions and target group.
Be prepared for work in nature.
Attend our first aid courses.
Our Outdoor First Aid and Crisis Support course is designed to prepare facilitators with the practical skills needed to handle medical and psychological emergencies in the field. It can be combined with the internationally recognized Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) certification for a comprehensive training experience.
We offer these courses as a combined package or as individual courses. The course languages are English and German.
You need both courses for our degrees.
As part of the 2025 graduating class I never thought I would surpass myself like this and graduate as „Adventure & Nature Therapist“ (Level 3). During the training and especially during the practical seminars, I experienced a noticable professional and personal development. Learning through self-experience, among other teaching methods, convinced me that Adventure & Nature Therapy can be an immensely helpful tool if applied correctly. In combination with supervision from our trainers and conversations and discussions with other participants, this helped me find and consolidate my understanding and approach as an Adventure & Nature Therapy.
My thesis on “Perspectives and Recommendations for the Use of Nature and Adventure Therapy with Queer Adolescents and Young Adults” won an award at the international congress “erleben & lernen” and will be published soon.
I am curious to see where my future career path will take me.
I have been accompanying the Adventure Therapy Institute with my cameras since the very beginning. It is fascinating to see how the participants and courses have developed. I would never have thought that this would fill me with so much joy. With my camera, I was able to get to know interesting participants very personally and accompany them through the lens. Thank you for the fantastic natural spaces that I was able to get to know with you.
The training at the ATI was an eventful journey for me – both professionally and personally. In my closeness to nature and with my previous experience, I learned through this training how powerful and healing nature-based processes can be in therapeutic work.
The trainers and participants made a lasting impression on me – professionally excellent, humanly authentic, inspiring and always supportive. Their passion for adventure and nature therapy motivated and encouraged me in the long term.
I am grateful for this time. It has enriched my professional path and opened up new perspectives for my personal development. I benefit daily from the methods I learned, the network and the attitude that this training imparts.
The connection between nature and healing is not just a concept for me, but has become a living part of my everyday life.
What makes us so special?
We have been active in the field of Adventure and Nature Therapy for many years and have excellent international networks. Since 2010, we have successfully developed and offered Adventure and Nature Therapy continuing education and training courses in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, Greece, and Latin America.
Our long-standing involvement in the international networks of Adventure Therapy Europe (ATE) and the Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC) significantly shapes our work.
International Adventure Therapy Conference (IATC), Gathering for Adventure Therapy Europe (GATE), or the International Congress „Erleben und Lernen“ in Germany.
Alexander Rose
Alexander Rose is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and sports scientist. He has master’s degrees in health psychology and addiction counseling. He has been working with groups and patients in nature since 2000 and has been involved in Adventure and Nature Therapy in Spain and Europe since 2008. He has worked as a lecturer in Germany, Iceland, Colombia and Greece. He runs his own practice, teaches at universities and is the founder and CEO of “Terapia Aventura” in Valencia, which develops innovative therapy programs for addiction prevention and burnout.
Christiane Thiesen
Christiane Thiesen is a qualified social worker and supervisor with additional certifications in experiential education, trauma, attachment-focused counseling, disability management, and forest and health training. Since 1996, she has been active with the Federal Association of Individual and Experiential Education and has been involved in the „erleben & lernen“ conference since 2003. She also serves on the editorial board of the journal „e&l – erleben und lernen.“ Currently, she offers team and individual supervision and works as an in-house social counselor for industrial companies, specializing in corporate health management.
Per Wijnands
Per Wijnands from the Netherlands is a social worker and experienced sociotherapist in child and adolescent psychiatry. Passionate about experiential education, he uses Adventure and Nature Therapy with families, individuals, and groups facing mental health challenges. Currently, he develops therapy programs for children, adolescents, and their families. He has been an certified „Experiential Pedagogue be®“ and „European Treeclimbing Therapist“, using tree climbing as therapy. Per regularly teaches courses on experiential education and nature therapy.
There are always perspectives and solutions for your current professional development.
That’s why we cordially invite you to a free consultation. Together, we’ll show you which next steps make sense for you and what goals you can achieve with your professional background and experience.
We look forward to getting to know you and perhaps accompanying you on part of your journey.
CREATE YOUR CHANGE
Under the CREATE YOUR CHANGE brand, we offer high-quality, international therapy programs that are individually tailored to the needs of our clients. The services are aimed at adults aged 18 and over as well as families and take place at locations that are optimally tailored to the respective therapy plan.
To ensure culturally sensitive and effective care, we rely on a network of experienced Adventure and Nature Therapists who professionally conduct and lead the programs according to their nationality and native language.
CREATE YOUR CHANGE has expertise in holistic, individualized and culturally competent therapy programs.
With degrees in Adventure & Nature Therapy, you can work in a variety of roles here.
Level 1:
accompany, internship, observation
Level 2:
accompany, carry out and work therapeutically
Level 3:
lead responsibly, plan independently
You can become active as a project manager in our CREATE YOUR CHANGE programs and bring about positive change together.
Start your next professional career now!
Network | Memberships | Collaborationpartners
