Every experience has the potential to influence the way people think, feel and behave. The difference between a general facilitated experience and an experience with therapeutic intent often lies not in the activity itself, but in how the experience is intentionally designed, briefed, facilitated and reflected upon. Too often, powerful opportunities for growth and behavioural change are missed because the experience lacks purposeful structure and intentionality.
The Therapeutic Experience Facilitation course equips facilitators, educators, youth workers, adventure practitioners, ministry leaders and coaches to intentionally design experiences that promote emotional awareness, healthy thinking, resilience and personal growth. While this course does not train participants to become therapists or provide psychotherapy, it develops an understanding of the psychological principles that can be incorporated into experiential learning to create safe, meaningful and transformative experiences.
Participants will learn how to structure activities that intentionally target cognitive, emotional, behavioural and relational outcomes. Drawing from Adventure-Based Learning, Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), experiential education, neuroscience and reflective practice, the course provides practical tools for facilitating experiences that move beyond recreation towards intentional personal development.
The course combines theoretical presentations with practical facilitation exercises, allowing participants to experience the concepts first-hand before applying them within their own programmes. Throughout the course, participants will be challenged to design, facilitate and critically reflect on therapeutic learning experiences while observing the impact of intentional facilitation within their own contexts.
Broad Topics and Focusses
• The differences and similarities between learning experiences and therapeutic experiences
• The role and ethical boundaries of the Therapeutic Experience Facilitator
• Foundations of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for facilitators
• Understanding thoughts, emotions and behaviour
• Psychological safety and creating emotionally safe environments
• Neuroscience and the brain in experiential learning
• Positive Psychology in experiential facilitation
• Building resilience through intentional challenge
• Emotional regulation and emotional awareness
• Using metaphor and symbolism to facilitate change
• Self-efficacy, mastery and confidence-building
• Group dynamics and therapeutic group processes
• Facilitator presence, empathy and active listening
• Trauma-informed principles for experiential facilitators
• Designing experiences with therapeutic intent
• Structuring effective briefings, facilitation and debriefings
• Reflection techniques that promote cognitive restructuring
• Managing emotionally significant moments during activities
• Integrating Adventure-Based Learning with therapeutic principles
• Measuring behavioural and cognitive outcomes
• Practical application through facilitated experiential activities
Course Rollout and Recognition Pathway
Entry Requirement
To ensure participants have a sound foundation in experiential learning and facilitation, applicants are required to have completed the Certificate in Adventurous Experiential Learning (Adventure Institute) or provide evidence of an equivalent qualification or relevant experiential learning, education, outdoor education, therapeutic, counselling, facilitation or adventure-based learning certification/experience for recognition of prior learning.
Level 1: Foundations of Therapeutic Experience Facilitation
Delivery Format
Learning Focus
Level 1 introduces participants to the philosophy, principles and practical framework of Therapeutic Experience Facilitation. Participants will develop an understanding of how intentional design, facilitation and reflection can influence thinking, emotions and behaviour while remaining within the ethical scope of a facilitator rather than that of a therapist.
Assessment
Participants will complete a written assignment demonstrating their understanding of the theoretical concepts and their ability to intentionally structure a therapeutic learning experience.
Recognition
Upon successful completion, participants will receive the certificate:
Introduction to Therapeutic Experience Facilitation
Level 2: Practitioner in Therapeutic Experience Facilitation
Delivery Format
Learning Focus
Building on the theoretical foundation established in Level 1, participants will apply therapeutic facilitation principles in real experiential settings. The emphasis is on designing, briefing, facilitating and debriefing experiences with therapeutic intent while demonstrating emotional awareness, psychological safety and intentional learning design.
Participants will facilitate a range of experiential activities, receive structured feedback and refine their ability to guide meaningful cognitive, emotional and behavioural learning experiences.
Assessment
Competency-based practical assessment through demonstrating therapeutic facilitation principles during live experiential activities. Participants must demonstrate the ability to intentionally structure and facilitate experiences that align with the course philosophy and learning outcomes.
Recognition
Upon successful completion, participants will be recognised as a:
Practitioner: Therapeutic Experience Facilitation
On completion Professional Scope
This programme will equip participants to intentionally facilitate experiences that promote personal growth, emotional awareness, resilience and positive behavioural change. It does not qualify participants as therapists, counsellors or psychologists, nor does it authorise the provision of psychotherapy or mental health treatment. Participants are trained to recognise the limits of their professional scope, apply appropriate ethical practices and refer individuals to qualified mental health professionals when necessary.
As with the Adventure Institute Facilitation certificate, practitioners must attend regular online workshops with the Adventure Institute to maintain their status.
Course information
Duration: One week
Who is this course for?
This course is for any person working with youth, community school teachers, human resources development officers, youth pastors, or any person looking for a qualification in the Facilitation of Experiential Learning.
Presenters:
This program will be facilitated by Dr Pieter L Snyman of the Adventure Institute and a variety of industry specialists, both for the online sessions as well as the in-person session.
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Our training caters for individual needs and is never “a once size fits all”. Let’s start the conversation so that you can begin your learning journey.