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Training & Certification
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A Transformative Training Course
 

Nature Informed Therapy Training: Integrating Nature Into Your Clinical Practice
A live 3-day in-person program with a certification option 

Nature Informed Therapy Training:
Transform Your Approach with
Nature's Wisdom

About the course

Envision a clinical practice that partners with the natural world to foster health and healing in humans. This program is designed to empower mental health professionals with the skills and knowledge to effectively integrate nature into therapy sessions, both indoors and outdoors. Whether you're seeking to enrich your existing clinical toolbox with nature-inspired tools or to fully align your practice with the more-than-human world, our nationwide community of nature-informed therapists is the perfect fit for you.

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The journey to becoming a certified nature-informed therapist comprises two stages. The initial stage consists of a 3-day in-person training, followed by a 3-month online mentorship program that encompasses individual and small group consultations. Join us in embracing the healing power of nature and elevating your therapeutic practice to new heights.

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Embark on a Journey to Certification

1.  3-Day In-Person Training: Immerse yourself in nature’s classroom. Learn to assess clients for Nature Informed Therapy, select therapeutic locations, and apply nature-based interventions. This foundational course is your first step towards certification.​

 

2.  3-Month Online Mentorship Add-On: Deepen your expertise with individual and small group consultations. This essential component solidifies your skills, culminating in certification as a Nature Informed Therapist. Join our community, making a profound difference in mental health care.

Training Highlights

  • Comprehensive Curriculum: From biophilia to practical nature-based exercises, our training covers theoretical foundations and hands-on skills.

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  • Inclusive Learning: Engage in an environment that fosters personal growth and professional development, tailored to both mental health and non-mental health attendees.

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  • Community and Support: Join a network of like-minded professionals dedicated to leveraging nature for healing and growth.

Ready to Embrace Nature's Potential?

Whether seeking certification or looking to integrate nature’s wisdom into your work, our training offers a unique blend of knowledge, practice, and community. Dive into a transformative experience that will enrich your professional path and personal journey.

Future Course Dates

Semester
Course Start Date
Course End Date
Location
Early Bird Deadline
Availability
Early Bird Code
Training Setting
2024 Fall
09/17/2024
09/19/2024
Monkton, MD
07/01/2024
Full
EBFA24
Nature Camp
2025 Spring
03/11/2025
03/13/2025
Monkton, MD
01/10/2025
Limited
EBSP25
Nature Camp
2025 Summer
06/20/2025
06/22/2025
Towson, MD
04/01/2025
Good
EBSU25
Urban Campus
2025 Fall
09/09/2025
09/11/2025
Monkton, MD
07/08/2025
Good
EBFA25
Nature Camp

Register Early to Get
15% Early Bird Discount!
"EBSP25" for Spring 2025 by 01/10/2025
 

and, ask about our
Interest-Free Payment Plan

Lodging & Logistics Options for Out-of-Towners

Book the course
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WHAT OUR PARTICIPANTS SAY

“Hands down, the best, most inspiring, training I have attended in my 25 years as a social worker. I am, today, the very next day impactfully using the strategies and concepts that I learned in this training to help my clients. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” 

 

More Details

Envision a clinical practice that partners with the natural world to foster health and healing in humans. This program is designed to empower mental health professionals with the skills and knowledge to effectively integrate nature into therapy sessions, both indoors and outdoors. Whether you're seeking to enrich your existing clinical toolbox with nature-inspired tools or to fully align your practice with the more-than-human world, our nationwide community of Nature Informed Therapists is the perfect fit for you.

​

The journey to becoming a certified Nature Informed Therapist comprises two stages. The initial stage consists of a 3-day in-person training, followed by a 3-month online mentorship program that encompasses individual and small group consultations. Join us in embracing the healing power of nature and elevating your therapeutic practice to new heights.

​

About the 3-day In-person Training

In the 3-day in-person training program, participants will receive an overview of significant research findings and learn how to assess a client for Nature Informed Therapy. You will learn to choose appropriate locations for therapies like Outdoor Therapy Training, discover suitable therapeutic approaches, and master the practical elements of getting you and your clients into the natural world.

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The 3-day in-person course is also an excellent opportunity for professionals outside the mental health field who utilize similar skills in their practice to audit and benefit from our Nature Informed Therapy training

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​Training highlights include:
1.    Theoretical foundations: Gain an in-depth understanding of the principles and research underpinning nature-informed therapy, including the biophilia hypothesis, attention restoration theory, and stress reduction theory.
2.    Assessment and intervention tools: Learn to assess clients' nature connectedness and design personalized, nature-based interventions tailored to their specific needs and goals.
3.    Practical exercises: Discover an array of therapeutic activities and exercises that can be adapted for individual, group, or family therapy settings, such as forest bathing, mindfulness in nature, and eco-art therapy.
4.    Case studies: Explore real-life examples of successful nature-informed interventions, illustrating how clinicians have effectively integrated nature into their practice to promote mental health and well-being.
5.    Ethical considerations: Understand the ethical implications of nature-informed therapy and how to navigate the unique challenges that may arise when working with clients in natural settings.
 

Participants will receive a Starter Kit to launch their own Nature Informed Therapy practice. The kit will include:

- Informed consent for NIT
- Sample Outdoor Waiver
- Intake Form that includes ecological assessments
- Important gear list 
- Safety checklist
- Sample statement/reading that speaks to ethical land use and acknowledges decolonization efforts 
- Code of Outdoor Therapy Ethics 
 

Training Outcomes

By the end of the Nature Informed Therapy Training three-day intensive, participants will be able to:​

 

  • Summarize current research in the field of Nature Informed mental health

 

  • Assess specific populations, diagnoses, and treatment goals (loneliness, grief, etc.) that are well suited for nature informed therapy 

 

  • Assess client's fit for nature informed therapy, including understanding how a client's nature autobiography and genealogy influence their relationship to nature 

 

  • Evaluate appropriate locations for nature informed therapy and how to prepare for sessions, including safety considerations, appropriate gear, etc. 

 

  • Administer an Ecological History Assessment and Ecological Wellness Evaluation for a new or existing client

 

  • Apply suitable nature informed therapeutic approaches and interventions based on a client's treatment goals

 

  • Perform an effective risk assessment of environment during therapies set in outdoors like Wilderness therapy training 

 

  • Integrate ethical and legal considerations specific to nature informed work into the practice of nature informed therapy  

 

  • Apply activities that use metaphor, ritual, and ceremony 

 

  • Describe how considerations of race, culture, ethnicity and gender influence a client's relationship to nature and how a therapist uses this understanding to inform appropriate nature informed therapy interventions

 

  • Describe how Attachment Theory & Inter(personal) Neurobiology are ways of calming the nervous system and encouraging nature bonding

About the 3-month Online Mentorship

The three-month online component includes monthly one-on-one consultation meetings with a mentor, as well as monthly small group meeting to discuss Nature Informed practice and application of training content and goals.

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To become a certified Nature Informed Therapist*, students must attend the 3-day live course and the 3-month online mentoring program. Certification is provided by the Center for Nature Informed Therapy and includes membership in our nationwide directory of Nature Informed Therapists. 

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*Please note that you are required to attend all arranged individual and group meetings offered during the online segment of the certification. If you are unable to attend the scheduled small group meetings, you are responsible to arrange for an additional consultation meeting with one of our consultants and pay the extra consultation fee of $80. If an individual consultation is canceled within 48 hours or is a no-show, there is a $60 cancellation fee. 

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Program Instructors

Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan

Ph.D., LCPC, ACS

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Heidi Schreiber-Pan, Ph.D., LCPC, NCC is a successful psychotherapist, author, clinical director and sought-after nationwide speaker on topics of resilience, anxiety, neuroscience, and occupational burnout. As an affiliate and former faculty member of Loyola University, Maryland, her past research has focused on resiliency, psychological well-being, and nature-based mental health.  Dr. Schreiber-Pan has developed unique continuing education courses that combine established clinical methods such as CBT with innovative treatment approaches including nature-based psychotherapy and neuro-counseling.  Her largest research project investigated the role of nature on mental health and spirituality. She is the author of Taming the Anxious Mind: A guidebook to relieve stress and anxiety.  ​ In 2021 Dr. Heidi became a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School

Gina Strauss

LCPC

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For over 25 years, I have worked as an advisor, counselor and teacher in a variety of educational settings with children, adolescents, and adults. In addition to my M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology from Towson University, I have an M.A.degree in Applied Healing Arts from Maryland University of Integrative Health (formerly Tai Sophia Institute) which adds a unique perspective to my clinical approach. In my personal and professional experience, I have developed a deep reverence for the internal wisdom that we each possess. My desire is to support you in accessing that inner knowing while also sharing powerful and practical tools for transformation. I enjoy working with a variety of clients and bring an awareness of cultural sensitivity to my practice.

Phillip McKnight

Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

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Phillip has experience teaching a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and abilities and uses his MA in Instructional Systems Design to determine the needs of the participant and help them develop skills in mindfulness meditation with tools for body, heart, mind, and community. Trained in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, Phillip will help design and facilitate course implementation. In addition, Phillip brings with him fifteen years of environmental leadership where he has acted as a naturalist, educator, community advocate, and guide for groups such as The Audubon Society and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Zoe Jack

LCSW-C

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Zoe Jack is the Director of Operations at the Center for Nature Informed Therapy and is a licensed psychotherapist at Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative. She specializes in nature informed and client centered work with children, adolescents, and adults. As a former wilderness therapy field guide in Utah and a behavior interventionist at a trauma informed school in Vermont, Zoe incorporates the teachings of the natural world into her treatment approach with individuals and groups. Zoe holds her Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland.

Rachel Oppenheimer

LCPC

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Renee Vanderstelt

LGPC, LGPAT

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Renee is a dedicated and compassionate Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC) and Licensed Graduate Professional Art Therapist (LGPAT) at the Center for Nature Informed Therapy (CNIT). She specializes in addressing a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, grief/loss, trauma, and adjustment difficulties. With a focus on solution-focused, strength-based, and person-centered holistic approaches, Renee works with clients individually and in small groups. Her genuine warmth and curiosity about personal experiences foster deeper reflection and processing. Through art therapy, Renee helps clients understand themselves in ways that words alone cannot express. Renee is known for her patient and empathic support, particularly when helping clients navigate trauma, always prioritizing safety. She believes that art-making with diverse materials is a vital part of long-term self-care and health. In her therapy sessions, Renee incorporates various forms of expression, including sound and music, journaling/poetry, mindfulness practices, and somatic-sensory movements. Although primarily trained in art therapy, her versatile approach enriches the therapeutic experience. Renee is one of the most beloved instructors at CNIT, cherished for her holistic and trauma-informed methods that resonate deeply with her clients.
Mental Health Professionals
CEU

CE Details

    Center for Nature Informed Therapy has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing
Education Provider, ACEP No. 7473. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly
identified. Center for Nature Informed Therapy is solely responsible for all aspects of the
programs.  Nature Informed Therapy Training Level I: Integrating Nature into Your Clinical Practice Live 3-Day Program will earn 19.5 NBCC credit hours. 

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This program consists of 19.5 NBCC clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements 

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The Center for Nature Informed Therapy, Provider 2022, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 7, 2024-July 7, 2025.  Social workers completing this course receive 19.5 clinical continuing education credits. 

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The Center for Nature Informed Therapy is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

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Interest Free Payment Plan

We offer an interest-free payment plan.  You have an option to request to pay the tuition in 3 separate payments without any fee or interest.  Just email us your request with the course date that you intend to attend.  We will register you manually and send you 3 separate invoices with the due dates one month apart. 

Paymn Plan

Training Gallery

Questions about the training?

Grievances related to any our training courses, please email: training@NatureInformedTherapy.com

Thanks for submitting!

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Cancellation Policy:

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Our event tuition (less the deposit) is fully refundable prior to 90 days before the three-day intensive start date. After this, 50% refunds are available until 45 days before the start of the training program. Due to the policies of our location partners, tuition is non-refundable after that 45-day mark. 

Review and Resolution of Complaints

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