Foundations of

Adventure &
Nature-based
Therapy Practice

An immersive online and in-person learning journey in the Himalayan foothills | Oct–Dec 2026

The Foundations of Adventure and Nature-based Therapy Practice course is an online and experiential in-person introduction to the field for trained Mental Health Practitioners, Outdoor Leaders, Environmental Educators, Researchers and Allied Professionals.

It is a practical, reflective and interdisciplinary community learning space that offers knowledge, skills, embodied experiences, and opportunities to develop therapeutic practice in a supportive environment.

This course has been collaboratively developed over the last decade by an interdisciplinary team of trained adventure and nature-based therapists, researchers and Aboriginal cultural practitioners at Adventure Works Australia, and co-adapted for the Indian context by a team of adventure and nature-based therapy practitioners at Qualia.

Read more about the course ↓ Read less ↑

The 6-day Immersion includes place-based and cultural grounding, nature-based experiences, and guided reflection to help you begin to develop the confidence, skills, and ethical grounding needed to work therapeutically with individuals and groups in natural settings. You'll be introduced to foundational concepts and approaches, while also envisioning and creating your own 'personal practice framework'.

We believe each person brings their own gifts, medicine, and way of practising. This course is designed to build on what you already carry — supporting you to clarify your values, ethics, and competencies. Preserving diversity in people, practices, and pathways is a core value of the program.

We invite you to bring your knowledge, questions, lived experiences, and an openness to complexity, community learning, and not-knowing.

This journey will be shaped by the lived experiences of both participants and facilitators, with a focus on learning alongside one another and building a supportive community that is grounded in safe and sustainable nature-based practices — respectful of land, supportive for participants, and responsive to the needs and culture of local land-based communities. Together, we will reflect on the unique perspectives, complexities, and intersectionalities within the Indian and global context and how they shape our practice. We will also begin identifying key needs and gaps in the emerging Indian nature-based therapy landscape — whether in skills development, frameworks, supervision, ethics, or systems of support — to spark conversations around future opportunities in research, training, advocacy, and collaborative practice.

We'll share more about ongoing professional development opportunities, online teaching modules, mentorship and supervision spaces after the program for those who wish to deepen and continue their learning.

You'll also be welcomed into a wider community of nature-based therapy practitioners, connecting with participants from previous cohorts and joining our monthly community calls.

What is Adventure Therapy? →

Glimpses of previous course immersions...

2025

2024

"The only way to build hope is through the Earth."Vandana Shiva

This course is for you if...

01 You feel nourished, resilient and alive in natural environments
02 You recognise that human and planetary health are deeply interconnected, and want to help heal the human–nature relationship
03 You want to move beyond individualised models of therapy and health, and engage with the systemic challenges and polycrisis impacting people, communities, and ecosystems
04 You're curious about experiencing adventure and nature-based therapy and integrating it into your professional practice
05 You want to learn from Indigenous wisdom and ancient cultural practices in respectful and restorative ways
06 You're seeking a supportive, reflective multidisciplinary community committed to safe, ethical and culturally grounded nature-based practices
07 You want to contribute to the emerging field of Adventure and Nature-based Therapy

Course Modules

Intentional practices

Reflexive practices

01 — Intentional practice

Living values & ethics

This module helps you consider your own foundational values and ethics, and decide how you will live them within your Adventure & Nature-based Therapy practice.

Scope: What this program is — and isn't

It is

A living example of adventure and nature-based therapy in practice — space to reflect, explore, and deepen your approach, and to envision your own personal practice framework.

It isn't

Not a certification or therapy program. It is not within scope to provide in-depth training in group therapy and facilitation, nature and outdoor skills, first aid, or personal mental health support.