Foundations of
Adventure &
Nature-based
Therapy Practice
An immersive online and in-person learning journey in the Himalayan foothills | Oct–Dec 2026
- Immersion
- 24–29 October 2026
- Venue
- Dharmalaya, Bir
- Format
- Online and in-person
About the course
A practical, reflective and interdisciplinary community learning space that offers knowledge, skills, embodied experiences, and opportunities to develop therapeutic practice in a supportive environment.
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.
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.
Glimpses of previous course immersions...
"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
Module 01
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
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.
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.
The Program Journey
We prepare the ground together before meeting on the land. Getting to know one another, the facilitators, and the material.
Group sessions · All group sessions 6:00 – 7:30 PM IST
- 30 SepGroup session 1Coming together
- 7 OctGroup session 2Planning to immerse
- 14 OctGroup session 3Engaging with the coursebook and resources
Also included
- Optional information session: learn more, meet the facilitators, Q&A
- A one-to-one call with a facilitator
At Dharmalaya, Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India
A residential immersion in the Himalayan foothills. Experience adventure and nature-based therapy in practice.
- Cultural and place-based grounding
- Experiential, nature-based group processes and individual learning
- Reflective practices to build skills
- Hiking and guided nature walks in the Himalayan foothills
- Nature & expressive arts
- Trauma-informed practice, risk & safety frameworks
- Social justice & liberation frameworks that support safe practice
- Nature-based somatics and mindfulness practices
- Learning from local community mentors
We translate the immersion into your own practice and into an ongoing community of support.
Group sessions · All group sessions 6:00 – 7:30 PM IST
- 13 NovGroup session 4Digesting and course integration
- 20 NovGroup session 5Course integration 2
- 27 NovGroup session 6What now? Structures for continued learning and mentorship
Also included
- Monthly community calls after the course
Gallery
Venue, fees & team
Dharmalaya Institute, Bir
A forested eco-campus in the Himalayan foothills, rooted in non-harming, loving-kindness, compassion, and service.
Explore the venue → 02Fees & Scholarships
Three rates on a reciprocity model — Standard, Pay-it-Forward, and International — with partial scholarships.
See the fees → 03The Team
A diverse, experienced facilitation team, guest facilitators, and the artisans and staff of Dharmalaya.
Meet everyone →Feel called to walk this path?
Share your details and join our next information session — a chance to meet the team and ask anything before you decide.