About the Adventure Therapy Institute
The Adventure Therapy Institute (ATI) builds on more than two decades of international experience in Adventure & Nature Therapy. As active members of Adventure Therapy Europe (ATE) and the Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC), we have helped shape the field across borders. Over the past decade, we have developed and delivered specialized training in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Greece. From 2026 also in Bulgaria and Austria.
We are aligned with the professional standards of the German Federal Association for Individual and Experiential Education, where we contributed to establishing a dedicated Adventure & Nature Therapy department.
Founded in 2021, ATI brings together this expertise to provide high-quality training, professional development, and digital knowledge exchange for Adventure & Nature Therapy in Europe.
Organization
The founders and directors of Adventure Therapy Institute GmbH & Co. KG have been active in the field since 2002 and are founding members of Adventure Therapy Europe.
In 2020, they launched the International Journal of Adventure Therapy, supporting ongoing research, publications, and professional dialogue in the field.
Our Approach
At ATI, we combine Adventure and Nature Therapy to create holistic, experiential learning and healing environments.
Our approach integrates action, reflection, and connection with nature to foster personal growth, resilience, and emotional balance.
Through meaningful challenges and mindful immersion in natural settings, participants rediscover inner strength, regulation, and a sense of belonging.
We draw from psychological, ecological, and embodied perspectivesâbridging science and lived experienceâto support self-healing processes and professional competence within a respectful, nature-connected framework.
Adventure & Nature Therapy at ATI brings together the power of nature and evidence-based therapeutic practice. We understand nature not as a backdrop, but as an active co-facilitator that supports resilience, emotional balance, and psychological wellbeing.
Different natural landscapes carry unique qualities: green environments ground and regulate, blue spaces invite reflection and emotional flow, and yellow mountain landscapes strengthen activation and self-efficacy. Extended landscape colors add clarity, focus, vitality, creativity, and social connection.
By drawing on the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) framework, our approach integrates environmental and personal factors to enhance functioning, participation, and holistic development. With ATIâs Adventure & Nature Therapy methods, professionals learn to design meaningful, safe, and transformative experiences that support mental health across individual and group settings.
Our philosophy is simple:
When nature becomes part of the therapeutic process, deep change becomes possible.
What is the Adventure Therapy Institute doing?
The Adventure Therapy Institute (ATI) is dedicated to advancing the training, professionalization, and implementation of Adventure & Nature Therapy across Europe and beyond.
We bring together years of practical experience, international expertise, and innovative thinking to strengthen this growing therapeutic field.
ATI operates on multiple levels and across borders as a:
- Training institute for Adventure & Nature Therapists and Practitioners (Academy)
- Continuing education provider for specialists working with experience-based and nature-based methods (Academy)
- Program provider for Adventure & Nature Therapy interventions (under the brand name: CREATE YOUR CHANGE)
- Digital platform for specialized publications and knowledge exchange (Journal Adventure Therapy)
- Think tank for the advancement of Adventure & Nature Therapy
Since 2014, our modules and methods have been successfully tested and implemented in various countries. Today, they come together under one roofâATIâwhere they can unfold their full impact.
What We Develop and Offer
Professional Training & Certification
- Modular, part-time Adventure & Nature Therapist training, offered through a blended online and in-person format
- Further training programs for professionals working in nature-based and experiential therapy
Advanced Courses & International Learning
- Specialized in-depth seminars on specific therapeutic topics (online / international)
- Expert lectures and keynotes (online / international)
Professional Guidance
- Supervision and coaching for Adventure & Nature Therapists and Practitioners
- Consulting and concept development for organizations building Adventure & Nature Therapy programs (in-house)
Research, Publications & Knowledge Transfer
- Own professional publications and collaborative outputs with partner institutions
- A dedicated digital publication platform for research, articles, and practitioner insights in Adventure & Nature Therapy
Programs & Applied Practice
- International prevention, rehabilitation, and therapy programs grounded in Adventure & Nature Therapy
If you would like to find out more about Adventure & Nature Therapy, you are welcome to visit our digital JOURNAL website.
Here you will find many specialist articles/ proceedings to download and read.
Therapy Programs with
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.