Association for Outdoor Therapy Annual Conference: ‘Sharing practices and building perspectives’ in Outdoor Therapy
8-9th November 2025, Plas y Brenin, North Wales
Come join a thriving community of outdoor therapy professionals where we will explore, share, develop, and deepen perspectives across diverse practices of outdoor, nature and adventure-based therapies.
The national conference of the Association for Outdoor Therapy will explore perspectives in the development and application of integrated outdoor therapy practices, that will help to examine different professional landscapes influencing the developments of ethical outdoor therapy practices and the building of a professional outdoor therapy community in the UK.
With a diverse range of presentation topics across a wide range of outdoor workshops in nature, indoor presentations, and main speaker session topics, this is an exciting opportunity to engage, network, reflect and learn with like-minded professionals, in developing understanding and sharing practice, and contributing to the shaping of future developments of outdoor therapy in the UK.
Speakers (detailed bios below)
- Professor Hannah Sherbersky is a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, Associate Professor at the University of Exeter and CEO of the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice UK
- William Berisch Secretan, FRSA. MA. PGDip. EATCert. HCPC, UKCP, BPA, BADth Reg., Managing Director & Co-Founder of the School of Environmental Arts Therapy, Course Convenor, EAT Certificate Training.
- Avril Leonard BA (hons) in Outdoor Education is Clinical Practice Manager and Outdoor Therapist at Venture Trust.
A range of outdoor based workshop sessions that will provide experiential nature-based workshops (mainly 2 hr sessions).
Outdoor based workshops currently Include:
- Using the DBT model of mindfulness to deepen experiences in nature - Dr David Fong, Clinical Psychologist.
- Micro-Adventure Therapy, how wild does wilderness therapy need to be? - Luke Blackham, Wild N’ Well Outdoors.
- A story of relationship: growing with a long-term nature-wellbeing community - Jenny Archard, Neroche Woodlanders Limited.
- Relational Roots: Cultivating Nature's Relational Power in Therapy - Dr Abi Tarran Jones & Dr Robynne Wadsworth, WildCATs & The Outdoor Psychologist Ltd.
- Organic Noticing; Self-Disclosure and Empathetic Attunement in Outdoor Therapy -Julia Sands, Ipse Wilderness.
- Meditation Through Poetry: A Workshop Using Poetry Outdoors as a Form of Therapy - Nikita Thakrar, Mindfulness Mentor and Author of Meditation Through Poetry.
- Therapy without walls: Taking Clinical Psychology into nature - Dr Elizabeth Burnside and Dr Mary-Anne Pasteur, Mind and Mountain Psychology CIC.
- Using Video Interaction Guidance in the Outdoors to strengthen interpersonal relationships by increasing child and care giver attunement - Jonathon Boulton, Oxfordshire County Council.
- CAMHS into the wild: Going beyond the clinic using the nature well program in Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services - Carl Dutton, Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust CAMHS
- Leaf Burial, Birch Brooms and New Beginnings: An Experiential Journey into The Natural Cycles of Growth and Change by The School of Environmental Arts Therapy - Lydia Boon & Anna Lichtensteiger, The Green House (a specialist support service for children, young people and families who have experienced sexual abuse)
- How to create a secure base in nature for clients who have insecure attachments - Laura Bassingthwaighte.
- Reach, Reflect, Restore: Therapeutic Bouldering for Mind and Body - Andy Cross and Jess Eatwell, ClimbWell CIC.
- Exploring Somatic Motion in Nature – A Walking and Pilates Movement Practice for Embodied Presence and Calm - Sarah Grocutt.
- The Adventure Toolkit: Tools and inspiration for engagement and practice in adventure therapy - Phillip Stallard, New Wave Adventure Therapy.
A range of indoor presentations include:
- Walking the Talk: Integrating Walk and Talk Therapy into Psychological Practice - Dr Hannah Prince-Llewellyn, Be Curious Psychology.
- Mind Over Mountains: The Evidence for Green Social Prescribing - Dr Robynne Wadsworth & Ian Sansbury, Mind Over Mountains.
- Nature-Based Creative Therapy Group for Adolescents Impacted by Sexual Abuse - Lydia Boon & Anna Lichtensteiger, The Green House.
- Access Adventure – A Journey of Alternative Provision - Dr Sara Mela, Hampshire Outdoors, Hampshire County Council.
- An autoethnographic study: what motivated me, as a psychodynamic therapist, to take therapy outdoors – and how has doing so shaped my internal world, identity and practice as a therapist? - Anne Margaret Thompson
- The Firebird Project: Promoting Resilience Through Outdoor Adventure a Feasibility Study - Rebecca Pearson et al., Edge Hill University.
- Meeting Young People Where They Are: Outdoor Therapy in Action for Those Who Struggle to Access Traditional Support - Hannah Broughton MBE and Caspian Jamie, The Therapy Adventure.
- Drawing on therapeutic models to enhance outdoors practice - Dr David Fong, Clinical Psychologist
- Echoes of Adventure: How Young Adults Transfer Life Skills and Well-being from the Outdoors - María José Treviño González & Lymarie Rodríguez-Morales, University of Wales Trinity Saint David
- Enhancing Family Relationships through Integrated Outdoor Therapy - Roger Hiley, Oxfordshire County Council
- Supporting Men: Why We Need to Do Things Differently - Walk and Talk Therapy - Stephen Hall, Stand Tall Therapy
Please note, the list of presenters is subject to change, including additional speakers to be announced and no guarantee of presentations being available on the days of the conference itself. Also, due to the programme structure participants will have to choose between presentations to attend so participants won’t have the option to attend all of the sessions listed.
The conference will also host a special virtual book launch presentation where you will meet the authors of a new upcoming outdoor therapy publication titled, ‘Individual adventure psychotherapy: An experiential approach to one-on-one treatment’.
- Lunch and refreshments included.
- Accommodation is not included.
Accommodation and Evening Meals – Plas y Brenin National Outdoor Centre
- Evening meals can be booked for £20 extra, using the link above – so even if you are not staying at PyB you can still eat and then join in socially in the evening.
- For accommodation - book direct with Plas y Brenin using this link. (B&B style rooms and cheaper, bunkhouse style). There will be limited availability so book early to avoid disappointment.
There are lots of alternative accommodation options in the region: YHA, B&B’s, hotels, bunkhouses, camping, etc.
Book early to avoid disappointment!
Avril Leonard
William Berisch Secretan
