How do you design therapeutic outdoor experiences? What frameworks can help? What tools and techniques can be used?

This course offers a framework for designing outdoor ecotherapy programmes. It explores a range of useful tools and techniques that will help you design programmes for your own unique context.

The course brings philosophy, unique research and professional practice experience, and pragmatic tools from outdoor learning together into an accessible and effective approach to designing therapeutic outdoor experiences.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn how to design your own outdoor ecotherapy programmes - for individual clients, groups or for yourself;

  • Gain insights from outdoor learning to help you design engaging programmes that really work;

  • Discover a practical design framework based on original research and professional practice;

  • Explore practical tools to guide your programme design process.

Course Contents

    1. Welcome!

    2. Topics

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Course Instructions

    4. Touching Ground

    1. Introduction

    1. Frameworks Overview

    2. NOTES: Frameworks

    3. Introduction to the Ecology of Adventure

    4. The Ecology of Adventure Framework

    5. NOTES: The Ecology of Adventure

    6. Ecological Realism

    7. NOTES: Ecological Realism

    8. Downloads

    9. Links

    10. References

    1. The Experiential Learning Cycle

    2. NOTES: The Experiential Learning Cycle

    3. Sequencing

    4. NOTES: Sequencing

    5. Adventure Theory

    6. NOTES: Adventure Theory

    7. Briefing & Reviewing

    8. NOTES: Briefing & Reviewing

    9. Downloads

    10. Links

    11. References

    1. Summary

    1. Design Assignment - Part ONE

    2. Design Assignment - Part TWO

Ecotherapy Design

  • 29 lessons
  • 15 study hours
  • Webinar podcasts
  • Downloads, links and references

Course Leader

Course Director David Key

Dave co-led the post-graduate ecopsychology programme at the University of Strathclyde for seven years. He also taught ecopsychology at Schumacher College and as a lecturer at Universities including Edinburgh, Stirling, Plymouth, Exeter, Anglia Ruskin and Ashridge Business School.

Dave holds an MSc (Dist.) in Human Ecology and is a Fellow of the Centre for Human Ecology. He has over 25 years of practical experience facilitating transformative outdoor experiences and is an internationally qualified outdoor leader. He has published numerous papers, articles and chapters. His first book, 'Ecotherapy: A Field Guide' was published in 2023.