INDIVIDUAL THERAPY & COMMUNITY ACCESS
Expanding Access to Nature-Informed Therapy
Compassionate counseling for anxiety, stress, grief, life transitions, and the times when you feel overwhelmed or disconnected.
CNIT currently offers limited subsidized sessions with supervised clinical interns, along with community-rate care from fully licensed Certified Nature-Informed Therapists. The $30 intern-session fee covers only part of the cost of care. Grants, sponsorships, and donations help us support clinical supervision, program coordination, and more therapy placements.
Now accepting interest forms for limited openings. Grant-funded therapy is not currently available.
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
REDUCED-FEE CARE
$30 Supervised Intern Counseling
Receive counseling from a graduate-level clinical intern who works under the ongoing supervision of a Maryland Board-approved clinical supervisor.
This option makes therapy more affordable while giving developing clinicians the opportunity to practice with close professional guidance.
Fee: $30 per 50-minute session
Provider: Supervised clinical intern
Income verification: Not required
Availability: Limited and based on clinician capacity
Before counseling begins, you will receive information explaining the intern’s role, supervision, privacy, fees, and other practice policies.
FULL LISENCED CARE
$150 Licensed Therapist Counseling
Receive counseling from a fully licensed Certified Nature-Informed Therapist at CNIT’s community rate.
Your therapist combines professional clinical training incorporating nature, mindfulness, sensory awareness, and other nature-informed practices into counseling.
Fee: $150 per 50-minute session
Provider: Fully licensed Certified Nature-Informed Therapist
Income verification: Not required
Availability: Based on participating therapist capacity
CNIT does not bill insurance. An itemized receipt may be available upon request for possible HSA use or out-of-network reimbursement.
WHEN FUNDING AVAILABLE
Grant-Funded Therapy
CNIT hopes to offer grant-funded therapy for people who meet the financial eligibility requirements established by future funding partners.
We do not currently have grant funding or grant-funded therapy openings. You may join our notification list to hear when applications become available.
Fee: Free or sliding scale
Provider: Fully licensed Certified Nature-Informed Therapist
Income verification: Required
Availability: Based on grant or funding availability
Joining the list does not reserve an opening or guarantee future eligibility.
-
No income verification is required for the grant-funded therapy option.
-
CNIT does not bill insurance. If you prefer to use insurance, we refer to partners like CMHC (Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative).
-
Grant-funded therapy is not currently available due to lack of grant funding
-
Submitting an interest form does not guarantee placement.
IS THIS A GOOD FIT?
Support for the places where life feels stuck
Nature-informed therapy may be a good fit if you are looking for support with:
-
Anxiety or persistent worry
-
Stress and burnout
-
Grief or loss
-
Life transitions
-
Feeling overwhelmed or disconnected
-
Relationship concerns
-
Building emotional resilience
-
Strengthening your relationship with nature
-
Bringing greater meaning, presence, or balance into daily life
You do not need to be outdoorsy, physically active, or experienced with mindfulness. Sessions are adapted to your goals, comfort, mobility, and accessibility needs.
During the review process, CNIT will consider whether our current services are appropriate for your needs. If another type or level of care would be more suitable, we may offer referral information when possible.
THE APPROACH
Why Nature‑Informed Therapy?
Research suggests participants experience:
-
Lower stress and reactivity
-
Greater present‑moment awareness through multi‑sensory engagement
-
Restorative connection with nature that supports daily coping
-
Moments of meaning/awe that build resilience
Nature is part of the process, not just the backdrop
Nature-informed therapy does not mean every session must happen outside. It means the natural world can become an intentional part of the therapeutic process.
Depending on your goals and preferences, sessions may include:
-
Walking together in a park or green space
-
Sitting outdoors in a comfortable location
-
Sensory grounding and present-moment awareness
-
Mindfulness and compassion-based practices
-
Gentle movement and reflection
-
Exploring personal meaning through natural patterns, seasons, and experiences
-
Developing practical ways to bring supportive contact with nature into daily life
-
Nature-informed counseling in an indoor setting
Sessions may take place outdoors, in a welcoming indoor space, or through a combination of the two. Weather, privacy, mobility, accessibility, and personal preference will be considered when planning your care.
You do not have to hike, sit on the ground, or continue outdoors in uncomfortable weather.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Individual care shaped around you
Weekly 50-minute sessions: Most clients meet with their counselor once a week. A different frequency may be discussed when clinically appropriate.
Outdoor or indoor settings: Sessions may take place in local parks, gardens, green spaces, or a nature-informed indoor setting.
Walking is optional: Some clients enjoy walking during sessions. Others prefer to sit or remain indoors. Your session setting will be based on comfort, accessibility, privacy, weather, and therapeutic goals.
A collaborative approach: Your counselor will work with you to identify goals and develop a plan that responds to what you are experiencing.
Clear consent and privacy conversations: Before therapy begins, you will receive informed-consent information about fees, supervision when applicable, outdoor privacy considerations, weather procedures, communication, and practice policies.
GETTING STARTED
A simple path from interest to care
1. Choose your preferred therapy option
Complete the CNIT Individual Therapy Interest Form and select the option you would like us to consider first.
The form asks for contact information, general therapy goals, availability, session preferences, and information needed for an initial fit review. It is not a complete clinical intake.
2. CNIT reviews pathway and fit
A member of our team will review your preferred pathway, scheduling needs, accessibility considerations, clinical fit, and current provider capacity.
We aim to review new interest forms within three business days.
3. We contact you about next steps
If an appropriate opening is available, we will contact you to discuss scheduling and next steps.
If no appropriate opening is available, we may offer an interest-list placement, another CNIT pathway, or referral information.
4. Complete the clinical intake
If you are offered a placement, you will receive the complete clinical intake, informed-consent documents, payment policies, and information about your clinician before therapy begins.
The interest form takes approximately five minutes. Submitting it does not guarantee placement or establish a therapist-client relationship.
WHY SUPPORT IS NEEDED
A $30 session costs more than $30 to provide
The client fee for supervised-intern counseling covers only part of the real cost of providing care.
Every placement also requires:
-
Clinical supervision
-
Intake and client matching
-
Scheduling and communication
-
Secure clinical and documentation systems
-
Program administration
-
Clinical oversight and risk management
-
Outcome measurement and program improvement
CNIT currently carries the difference between the client fee and the full cost of operating the program. This limits the number of people we can serve.
Grants, sponsorships, and charitable contributions can help CNIT expand the program responsibly without placing the remaining financial burden on clients or clinical interns.
A DEFINED OPPORTUNITY
Help turn limited access into lasting capacity
Funding partners can help CNIT:
Sponsor a course of therapy
Support a defined number of sessions for a client who meets the requirements of a funded program.
Expand the intern caseload
Make additional reduced-fee placements possible while maintaining appropriate supervision and clinical oversight.
Fund clinical supervision
Support the professional guidance needed to provide safe, ethical, and effective intern counseling.
Support intake and coordination
Fund the behind-the-scenes work required to respond to applicants, assess fit, coordinate care, and connect people with appropriate resources.
Build a grant-funded cohort
Help a defined group of financially eligible participants receive a structured course of nature-informed therapy.
Evaluate the program
Support responsible outcome measurement, program improvement, and reporting to funders and community partners.
CNIT welcomes conversations with foundations, healthcare organizations, businesses, community partners, and individual donors interested in expanding access to mental health care.
Funding proposals can be shaped around the number of clients served, length of care, population or geographic area, clinical supervision needs, and desired reporting outcomes.
BUILD FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
Access should grow with care
CNIT’s goal is not simply to offer more appointments. We want to build a responsible and sustainable therapy-access program.
As funding becomes available, the program can include:
Clear eligibility
Each funded initiative will have defined eligibility requirements based on the purpose and restrictions of the grant or sponsorship.
Clinical oversight
Intern services will continue to include qualified supervision, informed consent, appropriate documentation, and established referral procedures.
Defined care
Funded programs can establish a clear number of sessions, intended population, enrollment process, and scope of service.
Meaningful evaluation
Depending on the program, CNIT may track access, attendance, client-reported progress, connection with nature, and other appropriate outcomes.
Transparent reporting
Funding partners can receive reporting based on agreed measures while client privacy and confidentiality remain protected.
YOUR CARE TEAM
Care supported by training, supervision, and experience
Reduced-fee sessions are provided by clinical interns who receive ongoing supervision from a Maryland Board-approved clinical supervisor.
Licensed-therapist sessions are provided by fully licensed clinicians who have completed CNIT’s specialized training or certification in nature-informed therapy. Availability varies.
Clinical Intern
Oliver Lippy
Oliver Lippy is an experiential educator that has over a decade of experience integrating human mental health and the natural world. His professional work has spanned climbing, environmental education, and social emotional literacy with both adults and youth. Most recently he has served as the Dean of Students for a K-8 public charter school and as a climbing, paddling, and hiking instructor for REI’s Outdoor School. Oliver lives in North Baltimore with his wife, dog, and two children.
He holds a B.S. in Environmental Education and Outdoor Education an M.A. in community development and is currently pursuing licensure as a graduate student in a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.
Availability:
Full
Clinical Intern
Phillip McKnight
Phillip has experience teaching a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and abilities and uses his MA in Instructional Systems Design to determine the needs of the participant and help them develop skills in mindfulness meditation with tools for body, heart, mind, and community. Trained in the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, Phillip will help design and facilitate course implementation. In addition, Phillip brings with him fifteen years of environmental leadership where he has acted as a naturalist, educator, community advocate, and guide for groups such as The Audubon Society and Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Availability:
Limited
Clinical Supervisor
Heidi Schreiber-Pan
Heidi Schreiber-Pan, PhD, LCPC is a clinician, researcher, and educator focused on nature-informed mental health care. She provides clinical supervision at CNIT and helps clinicians integrate outdoor and sensory-based practices into treatment for anxiety, stress, grief, and burnout. Heidi has trained thousands of helping professionals through workshops and university partnerships and is the author of Taming the Anxious Mind. Her approach blends evidence-informed skills (mindfulness, compassion, values-based work) with accessible connection to nearby nature.
Availability:
Full
Clinical Supervisor
Mary Sue McCarthy
Availability:
Full
Need to use health insurance?
CNIT provides self-pay therapy and does not bill insurance.
If insurance-based therapy is more practical for you, we can provide referral information, including information about partner organizations like Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative and other appropriate providers.
CNIT and partners are separate organizations. Your information will not be shared with another provider unless you give CNIT permission to do so.
Frequently asked questions
Where do sessions take place?
We meet in accessible parks and green spaces chosen for comfort and safety (parking, paths, restrooms when possible). Exact locations are shared after scheduling. When severe weather, mobility needs, or privacy considerations arise, we offer a nature‑informed indoor space that brings the outdoors in (natural light/greenery, materials, and sensory elements) while maintaining the same therapeutic approach.
Who will benefit from CNIT's Individual Nature-Informed Therapy?
Sessions will be free or low-cost and available to individuals seeking support for anxiety, stress, grief, or life transitions, especially those who may not have access to traditional therapy services.
Do I have to walk?
No. Many sessions are seated. We adapt to your preferences and mobility.
What if the weather is bad?
We prepare for light weather; severe weather leads to rescheduling or a safe indoor alternative using nature‑informed elements.
Can I use insurance?
CNIT does not bill insurance. For licensed-therapist services, an itemized receipt may be available upon request for possible HSA use or out-of-network reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement are not guaranteed.
If you need in-network care, we can provide referral information.
What does it mean to work with a clinical intern?
Clinical interns are counselors-in-training who provide counseling under the ongoing guidance of an approved clinical supervisor.
Relevant aspects of your care may be discussed during supervision to support safe, ethical, and effective treatment. You will receive detailed information about the intern, supervisor, and supervision arrangement before counseling begins.
Do I need to verify my income?
No. Income verification is not required for the $30 supervised-intern option or the $150 licensed-therapist option.
Financial documentation may be required for a future grant-funded program, but no such program is currently available.
Is this wilderness therapy?
Sessions may take place in accessible parks, gardens, green spaces, or welcoming indoor settings. Exact locations and available options will be discussed after you are matched with a clinician.
Where do sessions take place?
No. Nature-informed therapy does not depend on wilderness, physical challenge, or adventure activities. Nature can be included through a neighborhood park, a garden, a tree-lined path, natural materials, or simple sensory awareness.
Is 1:1 right for me vs a group?
We’ll help you choose. Some clients start 1:1 and then join a six‑week group for community support, or vice versa.
Can an organization sponsor this program?
Yes. CNIT welcomes conversations with foundations, businesses, healthcare organizations, and community partners interested in supporting therapy access, clinical supervision, client cohorts, program operations, or outcome evaluation.
CNIT does not provide emergency or crisis-response services, and this form is not monitored continuously.
If you are experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.