Anita R. Tucker

Anita R. Tucker, LICSW, PhD, CCAT is a Professor of Social Work at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) where she coordinates UNH’s dual master’s degree in social work and recreation management preparing clinical social workers for careers in adventure therapy. Dr. Tucker’s passion is in helping to bring to life the impact of the work done by the amazing practitioners in the field, while also challenging us to remain critical of our work in an effort to promote best practices, trauma responsive interventions and anti-oppressive practices. Collaboration is a guiding tenet of her work, knowing that power is better shared, and the products of collaboration are always stronger. She is a co-author of the textbook, Adventure Group Psychotherapy: An Experiential Guide to Practice, with their second book, Individual Adventure Psychotherapy to be published in 2025. She has over 50 peer reviewed publications and has presented for AEE at conferences since the late 1990s. For 10 years she was the Associate Director of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center whose efforts moved the field of adventure and wilderness therapy forward through research. She is excited to step into her new role as the Co-Coordinator with Dr. Christine Lynn Norton of the Outdoor Research Collaborative for Health, Wellbeing and Experiential Engagement with an increased focus on broadening the scope of their work including increasing interdisciplinary collaborations in health and nature and increasing accessibility to the outdoors for all. As a clinical social worker, it is her joy to have taught and mentored over 50 dual degree students and see them develop into amazing changemakers around the globe spreading the power of adventure therapy.