About ATI

We are fundamentally shaped by our many years of commitment to the international networks of Adventure Therapy Europe and the Adventure Therapy International Committee. Also, during the last +10 years, we have developed and provided specific training in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Greece.

We are actively committed and follow the self-understanding of the German Federal Association of Individual and Experiential Education. Here, in the last few years, we have been in charge of the initiation, and development of a specific Adventure & Nature Therapy department and its implementation.

The Adventure Therapy Institute is founded in 2021 to provide quality training in our field in Europe. Now it’s the time!

Organization

The founders and directors of the Adventure Therapy Institute GmbH & Co. KG have been active in the field of Adventure & Nature Therapy since 2002.

Our commitment to the developement of our field allowed us to be part of the founding members of the Adventure Therapy Europe Network since 2015, collaborating also in several other national and international networks.

In 2020 we also created the digital "International Journal Adventure Therapy" with many relevant publications so far in the field of Adventure & Nature Therapy.

The Adventure Therapy Institute (ATI) sees itself as a provider that wants to further develop and promote the basic idea of training and further education as well as the implementation of Adventure and Nature Therapy in Europe.

The Adventure Therapy Institute performs at different levels and across Europe as:

Training institute for Adventure and Nature Therapists and Practitioners,
Further training institute for Adventure and Nature Therapy specialists,
Provider for Adventure and Nature Therapy offers,
Platform for digital specialized publications,
Think tank for Adventure and Nature Therapists and Practitioners.

Since 2014, individual modules have already been practically tested and implemented in various countries. Now they are brought together under one roof at ATI and can unfold their full effect.

Which offers are developed?

Training as an adventure and nature therapist (modular part-time / online & present) with two certificates
Training and further education offers in the context of Adventure and Nature Therapy (in presence, and digital)
In-depth and specialized seminars on concrete topics (online/ international)
Topic-specific lectures (online/ international)
Supervision and coaching offers for Adventure and Nature Therapists and Practitioners
Consulting, and concept development for Adventure and Nature Therapy programs and projects (in-house)
Own technical publications of the institute or its partners
Initiation and maintenance of an own digital platform for publications in the field of Adventure and Nature Therapy
Own international Adventure and Nature Therapy prevention, rehabilitation and therapy programs

What is ATI’s Adventure and Nature Therapy understanding?

Adventure and Nature Therapy is understood holistically and combines interdisciplinary fields of practice. The self-image of Adventure and Nature Therapy, developed in the German Federal Association of Individual and Experiential Education, is the basis for ATI and serves as orientation.

Adventure and Nature Therapy is used as a specialized therapy and/or as a supplementary therapeutic method to promote, maintain and treat mental and psychological 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 experiential therapy settings from pedagogically oriented interventions.

Founders

The founders bring many years of international expertise and experience from theory and practice in the field of Adventure and Nature Therapy.

They work in various networks at national and international level, publish in the digital Journal Adventure Therapy and are involved in the organization and implementation of congresses (GATE - Gathering Adventure Therapy Europe, Erleben und Lernen, Augsburg).

The founders are:

Alexander Rose in Spain (has his own clinic and is founder of Terapia Aventura in Valencia, internationally active as a clinical psychologist in the field of Adventure and Nature Therapy for +15 years)

Christiane Thiesen in Germany (freelance supervisor, company social counselor and trauma educator, experienced in working with underage refugees and youth welfare and active as a networker)

Per Wijnands in the Netherlands (active as an Adventure and Nature Therapist in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry, his clients are children, adolescents and family systems)

Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose is a clinical psychologist, clinical psychotherapist and sports scientist, with both a master's degree in health psychology and drug counselling. Since 2008, he has been passionately involved in introducing adventure therapy in Spain. He has been working with groups in nature since 2000, mainly with adolescents at risk and with young adults.

Christiane Thiesen

Christiane Thiesen has been self-employed in the above-mentioned professional fields of social and health care since 1999. She has been involved in the professional association "Individual- und Erlebnispädagogik eV." for over 25 years in various management functions (alternativ: leadership roles).

Per Wijnands

Per Wijnands (bc.) has been fascinated by Experiential Learning for more than 20 years and has successfully used this method with families, individuals and all kinds of groups facing a large number of mental health problems. He currently works as an Adventure Therapist in Youth Mental Health Care. Per regularly gives courses and workshops focused on Experiential Learning and Adventure Therapy.