Prospectus
and Licence to Deliver the 'Woodcraft for Wellbeing' Programme
Taking place on the 15th June 2026
This course is brought to you by The Therapeutic Forest, who have combined clinical excellence with award-winning Multidisciplinary therapists to provide opportunities for Forest school leaders to gain insights from therapy and develop therapeutic skills.
On the Certificate in Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Outdoors, we empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to safely support adults with mild to moderate mental health difficulties in the outdoors.
You'll receive training from our Clinical Psychologists in Understanding and Supporting Common Mental Health conditions in Adults, and you'll be trained to deliver an Outdoor Wellbeing Intervention co-created by Clinical Psychologists.
You'll come away with The Certificate in Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing for Outdoor Leaders and a license to deliver your own Woodcraft for Wellbeing Programme.
In addition to gaining the Certificate in Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing for Outdoor Leaders, you will also gain a licence to deliver ‘Woodcraft for Wellbeing’ sessions with groups of adults. Woodcraft for Wellbeing is a 6-week programme that introduces 6 Mindful Nature Activities and Techniques designed by our Clinical Psychologist, to support Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing.
"Loved it! I loved every part of It and its made a huge difference to my working with adults recovering form trauma and my well being and nature connection walks. It really has made a huge difference to my confidence in delivering these sessions."
Forest School has traditionally focused on children, but the skills Forest School Leaders bring—creating safe, supportive, and nature-connected spaces—are equally transformative for adults.
With 1 in 4 adults in the UK experiencing mental health difficulties each year, outdoor wellbeing programmes are becoming fast growing areas of work for Forest School Leaders. Here’s why:
1. Rising Stress and Burnout: More adults are turning to nature-based interventions to reduce stress, improve resilience, and reconnect with themselves.
2. Growth in Social Prescribing: Health services increasingly refer adults to outdoor programmes, creating demand for structured, therapeutic wellbeing sessions in nature.
3. Workplace Wellbeing Initiatives: Organisations are investing in outdoor programmes to support employee mental health, reduce burnout, and improve team dynamics.
4. A Need for More Accessible Support: Outdoor programmes offer a unique solution by breaking down barriers to engagement. For many adults, nature-based activities feel less intimidating and more approachable than formal therapy, making them an important first step in seeking help.
By expanding your practice to include adult-focused sessions, you can grow your impact, diversify your work, and meet this growing need.
Certificate in Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing for Outdoor Leaders features specialist course material that is designed for those who already possess experience in outdoor work..
Applicants who are Level 3 certified Forest School Leaders will gain automatic acceptance and enrolment to the course.
However, we value diverse experiences, so we also welcome applications from those with significant experience working in the outdoors or with children who have additional needs.
"This course has been fantastic and absolutely packed full of valuable content.
I love the online self paced study offer which means I could complete the work around my other responsibilities, this together with the invaluable live sessions and study group sessions meant I could continue studying even though some difficult personal times.
I appreciated the focus on evidence-based approaches and practical strategies that can be applied in real-world situations. I gained valuable insights into working with people living with mental health illness and ideas for practical sessions that I will use over and over again. The section covering refugees and asylum seekers was incredibly informative.
The course has increased my confidence and competence."
In Module 1 Dr Vikki Aadahl, Clinical Psychologist explores understanding Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing through:
An Introduction to Mental Health and Factors that can affect Wellbeing
Common Mental Health Conditions, including Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSDModule 1: Understanding Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing
In Module 2 Dr Sam Walker explores the impact of trauma on adults and introduces you to strategies to support adults with an experience of trauma in an outdoor setting.
In Module 3, you’ll develop a Therapeutic Toolbox for supporting Adult Mental Health by:
Creating a safe space
Using Mindfulness to Support Wellbeing
Understanding how ACT can support wellbeing
Developing Non-Judgemental Listening Skills
Supporting someone to access further help
Looking after your own wellbeing whilst supporting others
With contributions from Dr Sam Walker, Clinical Psychologist and Dr Vikki Aadahl, Clinical Psychologist.
In Module 4, you’ll receive the tools and guidance to deliver sessions to support Adults with Mental Health and Wellbeing.
This includes:
Guidance on how to teach mindful bushcraft activities from 4 different practitioners
Teaching on how to deliver Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategies during each session, delivered by our Clinical Psychologist
You’ll learn about the programme, how and why delivering strategies is an integral part of the programme and be provided with a bank of activities and session plans for delivering these in the forest.
In this module you will learn how to deliver an outdoor programme for refugee families, supporting the wellbeing of both adults and children.
You will receive training from our Clinical Psychologist in supporting refugees mental health and wellbeing, using a trauma informed approach.
You will hear from Therapeutic Forest School Leaders who have delivered sessions for refugees; gaining advice and tips on what works well in this client group.
Webinars that may be offered are listed below, but we are likely to change the webinar programme regularly to reflect updates in practice.
Working with Parents of Children with Mental Health Difficulties, Rachel Maynard
My Experience of delivering the Woodcraft for Wellbeing programme to Frontline Workers, Lea Archer
Delivering Perinatal Mental Health Support
"Thank you for such a well thought out course, I’ve learnt so much about supporting adult mental health outdoors, and how to combine a deepening understanding of aspects of mental ill-health and supportive strategies with practical skills. I am really looking forward to putting all this into action."
Once you’ve successfully completed the course you will gain your Certificate in Adult Mental Health in the Outdoors.
This demonstrates that you have received training from a Multi-disciplinary Therapy Team in Adult Mental Health and are able to apply therapeutic strategies in practice.
In addition to your Certificate, you will also receive a 5-year license to practice as a ‘Woodcraft for Wellbeing’ Practitioner. You will have access to Woodcraft for Wellbeing Manuals, with all session plans and materials and are able to use our Woodcraft for Wellbeing Practitioner Badge on your website.
The online course will be delivered via our Online Platform via pre-recorded videos and take place over 10 weeks.
The course is delivered through videos on an online platform which you can work through at your own pace, there is a workbook of activities to complete alongside the videos. In addition to this, there are a number of webinars which may be you can either attend live or watch back. Each week requires, on average, 3-4 hours of study. There is an optional Facebook group available to connect and interact with your fellow course members and complete the workbook activities, if you wish.
The next course starts on 15th June 2026. This course is delivered once per year.
“The Certificate in Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing for Outdoor Leaders has exceeded all my expectations”
"Just wish I had found it a few years ago."'
Activities in the Woodcraft for Wellbeing Programme include:
Spoon Carving with Forest School Leader and Speech and Language Therapist, Caspian
Making tea with a Kelly Kettle with Forest School Leader, Olly
Willow Woodcraft with Joy of Willow
Creating a Nature Mandala with Wellness Practitioner, Roisin
Cordage for Mental Health with Forest School Leader, Gilly
Strategies in the Woodcraft for Wellbeing Programme include:
Grounding
Acceptance and the Rain
Self-Compassion
The programme is supported by a manual of activities and mental health and wellbeing strategies. The activities can be adapted to suit your preference and chosen delivery or delivered as it is taught.