What is Nature Informed Therapy?
Nature Informed Therapy (NIT) blends evidence-based mental health practices with nature’s innate capacity for healing. We nurture human well-being by restoring connections - to ourselves, to each other, and to the natural world."
A core goal of NIT is reciprocity - supporting individuals in their healing journey in ways that also inspire care for the Earth. As people reconnect with nature, they are often moved to protect and restore it, creating a mutually supportive cycle where both human and ecological well-being can flourish.
Featured Training & Upcoming Events
Nature Informed Therapy Group
Reconnect with the natural world and discover how time spent in nature can quiet stress, ease anxiety, and restore a sense of wellbeing. Over nine weekly gatherings, you'll learn simple, practical ways to draw on nature's healing benefits, both during our time together and in everyday life.
Price:
$30 or $225/series
Date:
Jul 23, 2026
Time:
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Availability:
Limited
Serviceberry Farm (formerly TALMAR)
Baltimore, Maryland
Beyond Talk: Music & Expressive Arts
Some healing happens in conversation. Some happens in song, in movement, in the texture of a stone held in the hand. Beyond Talk equips clinicians with practical, nature-informed expressive arts and music interventions that deepen therapeutic work in office, outdoor, and telehealth settings. Three days. Twelve CE credits. A new dimension for your practice.
Price:
$780
Date:
Sep 1, 2026
Time:
3 Days
Availability:
Limited
Camp Puh'Tok
Monkton, Maryland
The Nature Pause: A Fall Nature Connection Series
A free online therapeutic nature connection series for CNIT Foundational Training alumni, members of the CNIT community, and friends. Each 45-minute session includes a guided nature connection invitation, independent practice, and group reflection. Attend one session or the full fall series.
Price:
Free
Date:
Sep 9, 2026
Time:
Noon - 12:45 PM
Availability:
Good
Live
Online
Fall into Nature
Celebrate the first day of autumn with CNIT at Irvine Nature Center. Fall Into Nature is an evening of live music, food, wine, storytelling, and fireside connection, highlighting the healing power of nature and CNIT’s impact in Maryland and around the world. The evening includes a presentation by Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan, an exclusive screening of the short documentary Shared Ground, and optional overnight camping under the autumn sky.
Price:
$71.21
Date:
Sep 23, 2026
Time:
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Availability:
Good
Irvine Nature Center
Owings Mills, MD
Rooted Relationships: Strengthening Families
Families heal best together, and nature offers the perfect setting. This three-CE training equips therapists, family counselors, and helping professionals with hands-on tools to support families of all ages and compositions. Drawn from systems theory and grounded in nature-based practice, Rooted Relationships gives you everything you need to bring families outside and into deeper connection.
Price:
$90
Date:
Sep 25, 2026
Time:
9:30 AM - 1 PM
Availability:
Good
Live Online
Nature Informed Therapy Foundational Training
Whether you are a clinician seeking to deepen your practice or a helping professional ready to integrate nature into your work, this foundational training opens the door. Build a research-grounded toolkit of nature-based interventions, learn the principles that guide nature-informed care, and join a growing community of practitioners restoring balance through the natural world.
Price:
$960
Date:
Oct 27, 2026
Time:
3 Days
Availability:
Full, Waitlist
Camp Puh'Tok
Monkton, Maryland
Nature Informed Therapy Foundational Training
Whether you are a clinician seeking to deepen your practice or a helping professional ready to integrate nature into your work, this foundational training opens the door. Build a research-grounded toolkit of nature-based interventions, learn the principles that guide nature-informed care, and join a growing community of practitioners restoring balance through the natural world.
Price:
$990
Date:
Feb 5, 2027
Time:
3 Days
Availability:
Limited
Camp Puh'Tok
Monkton, Maryland
Nature Informed Therapy Foundational Training
Whether you are a clinician seeking to deepen your practice or a helping professional ready to integrate nature into your work, this foundational training opens the door. Build a research-grounded toolkit of nature-based interventions, learn the principles that guide nature-informed care, and join a growing community of practitioners restoring balance through the natural world.
Price:
$990
Date:
May 3, 2027
Time:
3 Days
Availability:
Limited
Conservation Garden Park
Salt Lake City, Utah
Real Impact Stories
Training & Certification
Scholarships & Community Impact
Public Programs & Retreats
“Hands down, the most inspiring training I've attended in my 25 years as a social worker. I started using the strategies immediately with my clients—impactful, practical, and transformational.”
“This training offered an ideal blend of research, experiential exercises, and practical tools. Moving between indoor and outdoor settings at beautiful Camp Puh’tok kept us energized and engaged. I feel fully prepared and inspired to integrate nature into my practice.”
“As a new clinician, I felt genuinely supported. From mindfulness techniques in nature to working with marginalized communities, the training left me equipped, confident, and ready to step outside the office with clients.”
“Receiving the CNIT scholarship opened my eyes to nature’s profound healing power. Each mindful walk, each quiet reflection in nature, became a meaningful moment of healing, emotional balance, and renewed spiritual connection. I'm forever grateful.”
“The wilderness retreat was intense yet beautifully healing. It taught me that nature is not just a backdrop—it's an active partner in recovery. This experience restored my strength, resilience, and clarity when I needed it most.”
“The BIPOC scholarship was life-changing. The training helped me reconnect with nature, transform my clinical practice, and empower marginalized communities. It not only boosted my professional growth but deeply enriched my personal journey.”
“WOW...is the first word that comes to mind. Receiving my letter from the ‘Peace in the Wild’ retreat at exactly the right moment reminded me that healing comes at the perfect time and place. Truly magical.”
“This retreat allowed me to release years of pent-up emotion into nature itself. I left my negative energy behind on the mountain and returned with deep inner serenity. Nature became my greatest teacher.”
“Since the retreat, I've become OBSESSED with being outdoors. It changed my life—I'm hiking and biking more than ever and feeling more connected and alive. It’s incredible.”
Founder's Story
My journey began in the majestic mountains of southern Bavaria, where nature was a constant companion in childhood adventures and a steady source of comfort during challenging times. It was here I first experienced nature’s profound ability to heal.
Entering the counseling profession, I noticed a paradox: while many therapists valued nature personally, few integrated it into their clinical practices. Inspired to bridge this gap, I completed scholarly research on nature’s role in psychological well-being and resilience. Finding limited practical training options, I was compelled to create the solution myself.
From this vision, the Center for Nature Informed Therapy (CNIT) was born—to empower professionals with rigorous yet accessible training at the intersection of nature and mental health. Whether you’re a seasoned therapist or simply drawn to nature’s healing power, I warmly invite you to join us.
— Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan
Support Our Mission
The Center for Nature Informed Therapy (CNIT) is dedicated to empowering healing and resilience through nature-based mental health training and transformative experiences.
Your support enables us to:
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Provide scholarships for underserved professionals and individuals, ensuring accessibility to life-changing training and retreats.
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Expand our community outreach, offering nature-informed wellness programs to populations in need.
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Further innovative research and education that deepens the understanding of nature’s healing potential.
Together, we can nurture healthier individuals, stronger communities, and a more connected world.
CNIT is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3). All contributions directly support our impactful programs and are deeply appreciated and fully tax-deductible.
Partnerships & Recognition
CNIT proudly collaborates with respected organizations and academic institutions dedicated to advancing mental health, wellness, and environmental stewardship.
Our valued partnerships enable us to deliver innovative training, research, and nature-based wellness programs, amplifying our collective impact.
Our Collaborators Include:
Universities &
Research Institutions
Hospitals & Health Organizations
Community &
Nonprofit Organizations
Contact Us
1010 Dulaney Valley Rd
Towson, MD, 21204, USA
1 (240) ECO-CARE (326-2273)
We acknowledge that CNIT stands on the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples who have long lived, hunted, and traded along the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River—particularly the Piscataway, Susquehannock, and other Algonquin‑ and Iroquoian‑speaking nations. Descendants of these tribes, as well as Lumbee and Cherokee communities, remain part of Baltimore’s living heritage. We recognize the violent displacements they endured and commit to honoring their legacy in all we do.