Our Mission
Adventure Therapy Associates (ATA) exists to promote healing, resilience, and connection by integrating evidence-based therapeutic practices with immersive, nature-based experiences. Through trauma-informed care, community collaboration, and inclusive training programs, we empower individuals and strengthen communities by transforming emotional pain into growth—where experiences heal.
Discover Your Path to Wellness with Us
Our Four Core Tenets
Our philosophy is grounded in four foundational tenets:
Behavior is Communication
Many negative behaviors are expressions of unspoken relational injuries. When we understand behavior as a form of communication, we can respond with empathy rather than judgment, criticism or ineffective discipline.
Healing Requires Integration of Mind, Body, and Spirit
True healing occurs when we tend to the whole person. By addressing emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions in an integrated way, we create space for lasting repair and growth.
Relational Injuries Heal Through Positive Relational Experiences
The emotional pain caused by relational injuries can be healed through consistent, compassionate, and attuned interactions— referred to as corrective emotional experiences (CEE’s).
Nature is a Healing Container
The natural world offers a sacred, restorative space where mind, body, and spirit align, grounding individuals in healing, emotional regulation, deep connection, and spiritual renewal.
Our Three Pillars of Service
Vocational Skills Development – Training and Education
ATA addresses California’s mental health workforce shortage by providing training opportunities for bachelor level students, pre-graduate students and post-graduate interns, and licensed professionals. Our team and program partners are trained in multiple evidence-based models, meeting licensure and continuing education requirements while supporting community healing through Ecotherapy and therapeutic interventions.
Social-Emotional Wellness
ATA supports social-emotional wellness by embedding a therapist into existing outdoor adventure programs—surfing, kayaking, hiking, skating, nature photography, etc. Within the adventure program, our ATA therapist infuses Ecotherapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), and Person-Centered Therapy to create Corrective Emotional Experiences (CEE) that rebuild social engagement and alleviate existential anxiety, fostering emotional resilience and mental well-being for our community members.
Community Development and Engagement
ATA’s Corrective Emotional Experiences (CEE) model promotes community healing by addressing our collective traumas and existential anxiety bringing clinically-minded healing opportunities into the public space. ATA also strengthens the local business community by partnering with small businesses that have existing nature-based programs. These collaborations boost local economies, enhance community pride, and integrate therapeutic practices into public spaces, promoting collective healing and resilience.Individual intensive experiences are personalized, focused programs designed to facilitate deep self-exploration, emotional healing, and personal growth in a one-on-one setting. These experiences provide an immersive opportunity to work closely with a therapist or coach, allowing for a tailored approach that addresses specific challenges, goals, and aspirations. Unlike traditional therapy sessions, individual intensives offer extended time and dedicated attention, creating space for profound breakthroughs and lasting transformation.
Through personalized strategies and hands-on experiences, participants can gain deeper self-awareness, build emotional resilience, and create meaningful change in their lives.
Our Unique Proposition - Healing Experiences in Public Space
A Corrective Emotional Experience (CEE) is a therapeutic process where a person re-experiences an emotional situation in a safe, supportive environment, with a therapist, to process and heal from past trauma or negative experiences. What sets ATA apart is our commitment to provide CEE therapeutic interventions in both clinical settings and public spaces, fostering healing through safe, supportive re-experiencing of emotional situations to replace harmful patterns with healthier ones. Our goal is to amplify nature-based experiences from recreational to therapeutic by training our community partners to provide CEEs and by embedding therapists into their existing community-based programs.
Areas of Concern Targeted
ATA addresses three critical mental health challenges through its evidence-based modalities. Our programs target developmental and emotional disruptions to foster healing, resilience, and community connection.
Social Engagement System Repair
COVID-19’s isolation has stunted the social and emotional development of a generation, creating a gap between young people’s abilities and the behavioral expectations of adults (e.g., teachers, parents, employers). ATA’s programs bridge this gap through structured experiences to rebuild neural pathways, fostering emotional resilience and restoring social connection skills.
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events before age 18, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Higher ACEs are linked to increased risks of physical illness, mental health challenges, and behavioral problems. Supportive relationships and environments that include CEE’s can help buffer these effects and promote resilience throughout life.
Existential Anxiety
Societal uncertainties, environmental crises, and technological shifts fuel pervasive existential anxiety, undermining individuals’ sense of purpose. ATA’s modalities provide targeted tools to process these fears, cultivating meaning and hope to navigate modern challenges.
Workplace Stress and Burnout
Chronic workplace stress affects both individual well-being and organizational performance. High demands, relational conflicts, and blurred work-life boundaries contribute to anxiety, disengagement, and emotional exhaustion. ATA’s therapist-led interventions support emotional regulation, communication skills, and relational resilience—strengthening both employee health and workplace cohesion.
