Andrea Knepper, IL LCSW 149.011216

I am the founder and former Executive Director of Chicago Adventure Therapy (CAT). What began as an idea in my living room grew into an organization with a staff of seven working annually with over 1200 participants and 30 community partners. 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 paddling, learning, and growth should be fun, challenging, accessible and engaging. My personalized delivery style ensures everyone is appropriately challenged and learns most effectively.

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.