Program Dates & Deadlines
| Aug 7 | Early Bird Registration Deadline |
| Aug 10 | Cancellation Date, if minimum enrollment is not met |
| Aug 1 – Sept 8 | Complete pre-course virtual training (10 hours) Content opens Aug 1. |
| Aug 10 | Orientation 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (live zoom meeting) |
| Sept 9 | AT Intensive Day One: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm |
| Sept 10 | AT Intensive Day Two: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm |
| Sept 11 | AT Intensive Day Three: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm |
| Sept 12 | AT Intensive Day Four: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm |
Social Workers and Counselors- application pending for approval by the NASW Ohio Chapter for 30 CEUs in Ohio.
Adventure Therapy Intensive Training
September 9-12, 2026
Columbus, OH
$1200 $975– Early Bird Price (Ends Aug 7, 2026)
This training is designed to cover the primary core training elements needed to begin adventure therapy practice, introducing participants to a variety of low cost, low technical skill interventions that you can implement quickly into practice. Our guiding philosophy is that learning a clinical model for practice provides the foundation to use a multitude of activities in the process of therapy!
Built around AEE’s Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist (CCAT) and Certified Therapeutic Adventure Specialist (CTAS) training structure, we’ve designed this training to meet 44 of the 75 required core training hours needed for your CCAT/CTAS application. The content will span multiple aspects of AT practice: foundations, assessment, intervention, facilitation, technical skills, administration, ethics and values, monitoring, and more! Participants will gain a solid foundation in a model for the clinical practice of adventure therapy.
The course is centered around a 4-day, 34 hour, in-person intensive located at the beautiful Camp Mary Orton in Columbus, OH. The additional 10 hours of course content will be conducted virtually prior to this 4-day program. Participants will be trained in the clinical and technical skills needed to conduct accessible adventure interventions including games, initiatives, hiking, creeking, outdoor cooking, campfires, and orienteering. Lunch and snacks will be provided.
Register before August 7th to receive the Early Bird Registration rate! This training has a minimum participant number of 9 participants. The decision will be made by August 10th about whether or not the course will be held. If the course is canceled by Adventure Therapist, LCC, registrants will be refunded their full payment.
CCAT / CTAS Hours
- 4.0- Facilitation and Processing in AT
- 5.0 – Organizational/Administrative Policies in AT
- 6.5 – Conceptual Knowledge of AT
- 2.0 – Therapeutic Alliance Building in AT
- 3.0 – Assessment in AT
- 9.0 – AT Interventions
- 2.0 – Therapeutic Monitoring in AT
- 4.5 – Professionalism in AT
- 3.0 – Socio-Cultural Considerations in AT
- 2.5 – Environmental Considerations in AT
- 2.5 – Trauma Informed Practices in AT
Meet Your Instructors
Kim Sacksteder, MSW, LISW-SV, CCAT
Growing up in rural western Ohio, Kim developed both a love of the outdoors and a passion for helping youth. She took these with her to Columbus, Ohio where she earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Master’s in Social Work at The Ohio State University. Throughout her education, Kim worked in the mental health field gaining experience supporting youth with mental health needs and trauma. In this work, she realized the effectiveness of activity in engaging youth and found adventure therapy. In 1999, Kim was hired to build an adventure therapy program at Camp Mary Orton. In this capacity, the importance of mentors and a professional network were highlighted as she found herself on an “island” of adventure therapy in Ohio. She became involved with AEE’s Therapeutic Adventure Professionals Group and was lucky to find her “professional home.” For Kim, this experience created a drive to increase access to training and mentorship for emerging adventure therapy professionals, many of whom find themselves on professional islands as well. Over the next 20 years, Kim gained experience in many aspects of adventure therapy – direct practice with diverse population groups, program development and management of community-based adventure therapy programs, training and supervision for emerging professionals, and leadership within professional organizations. In addition to this, Kim has served AEE as TAPG Best Practices Committee Chair, TAPG Leadership Council Secretary and Chair, and AEE Accreditation Council Member. As co-owner of Adventure Therapist, LLC, Kim is excited to provide adventure therapy training for professionals looking to incorporate adventure into their work!
Nick Magle-Haberek, MS, MSW, LCSW, CCAT
Nick’s love of adventure and the outdoors has been lifelong. He grew up on a small farm in Rhode Island, and later attended the University of Maine, where he fell in love with the field of Outdoor Education. During his time at University of Maine, Nick developed the first of several meaningful relationships with mentors who encouraged him to pursue the field of Wilderness Therapy. After graduating, Nick followed this advice and moved to Utah to work as a field guide for a wilderness therapy program. He spent the winters skiing the amazing Utah powder. Nick followed his passion for Wilderness Therapy and Outdoor Education to the University of New Hampshire where he earned a Masters Degree in Outdoor Education and a Master of Social Work degree. Nick’s experience with Adventure Therapy practice is broad, and he has served as a field guide, facilitator, therapist, clinical supervisor, program manager, consultant and clinical director. Nick has been involved in the creation, implementation and refinement of a variety of adventure and wilderness therapy programs and has been an active presenter, developer and leader in adventure therapy communities.
Curriculum
- Orientation (2.0 Virtual / Live)
- Overview of course and concepts
- Preparing for the AT Intensive
- Getting Started with Adventure Therapy (1.0 Virtual Asynchronous)
- What is Adventure Therapy?
- Adventure Therapy Competencies
- Adventure Therapy Illustrated
- Adventure Therapy Ethics (1.0 Virtual Asynchronous)
- Informed Consent and Scope of Practice
- Inclusion and Trauma-Informed Care
- Environmental Stewardship
- Clinical Cost / Benefit Considerations
- The Facilitated Wave Model: A Clinical Model for Adventure Therapy Practice (2.0 Virtual Asynchronous)
- Overview of the Facilitated Wave Model
- Clinical Applications of Adventure Therapy (3.0 Virtual Asynchronous)
- Theoretical Foundations
- Adventure Therapy Components
- Clinical Applications of Adventure Therapy
- Standards of Care and Risk Management in Adventure Therapy (3.0 Virtual Asynchronous)
- Overview of Merging Adventure and Clinical Practice
- Duty of Care, Industry Standards, Risk Management, Informed Consent
- Clinical Responsibilities (intentional practice, documentation, insurance)
- Adventure Responsibilities (training, safety, policy and procedure, emergency response, documentation)
- Adventure Therapy Intensive (34.0 In-Person / Live)
- Foundations
- The Facilitated Wave Model
- Guiding the Response
- Assessment
- Matching Interventions
- Shaping the Treatment Environment
- Facilitating the Experience
- Evaluation
- Technical Skills for AT Interventions
- Activity-Specific
- Cooperative Games, Initiatives, Spotting, Hiking, Creeking, Orienteering, Outdoor Cooking, Campfires
- Rescue Skills
- Emergency Response Planning
- General Skills
- Client Care, Being Outdoors, Basic Land Navigation
- Activity-Specific
Logistics
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