Andrea Knepper

I am the founder and former Executive Director of Chicago Adventure Therapy (CAT), an organization that works with marginalized youth using outdoor sports and nature activities for healing. I directed the organization from its founding in 2006 until January of 2025, when I handed the leadership to the next generation. I earned my BA in Music from Oberlin College in 1995 and my MSW from Loyola University in 2002. In addition to 20 years creating and leading CAT, I have a broad range of clinical experience as well as sea kayaking and wilderness guiding experience. Between 1995 and 2004 I worked as a case manager with people experiencing homelessness, a therapist, and a sea kayak instructor and wilderness guide. As a coach and a clinician, I believe that learning and growth should be fun, challenging, accessible and engaging. In the summer of 2019, I took a sabbatical from CAT and paddled my sea kayak along the Pacific Coast of the continental United States from Canada to Mexico. I wrangled myriad detailed logistics and faced fear every day, paddling 1508 miles over three months. I came away from that expedition with an unshakable sense of gratitude and a renewed belief in the power of natural beauty to change us and heal us. In my next chapter, I continue to work in the potent intersection of justice and the outdoors. I'm also going back to my roots, providing therapy again. My 20+ years providing Adventure Therapy has made me a more creative and grounded clinician. My 25+ years working in marginalized communities has made me a clinician with deeper empathy and an understanding that oppression and discrimination affect our mental in very real ways. My 25+ years in the field has made me able to hold people accountable for their own behavior, even when the world hands them a raw deal. I look forward to seeing how we can work together to make life more manageable for you.