Kristi Raava
LIFESTYLE PIONEER • TRAINER • AUTHOR • PSYCHOLOGIST
“My mission is to bring more nature and harmony into people’s lives.”
I have worked as a psychologist and therapist for 20 years, much of that time with children and young people. My work has taken me from the traditional school office into nature, bringing nature and animals more and more into my psychological practice.
I have helped develop the field of nature- and animal-assisted therapy in Estonia and created the practitioner development programmes “Nature in Learning and Therapy” and “Animals in Learning and Therapy”. Since 2019, nature has been an important part of my work, with the Estonian Centre for Nature and Animal-Assisted Therapy being one of the main places where I work and develop my practice.
I enjoy observing animal behaviour, training animals and connecting with them. I have always loved being active, and long walks and hikes are a way for me to reconnect with myself. Every year, I go on a 3–4-day solo hike in Estonia or neighbouring countries, and I have completed the Camino de Santiago alone several times, covering more than 300 kilometres at a time.
If I had to describe myself in a few words, I would say that my life rests on four pillars: creativity, nature, animals and movement. I am naturally curious and eager to learn. I love new beginnings and creating, experiencing or learning something new.
get to
know me
my values
For me, values are both a foundation and a compass — grounding us and giving life direction. I have been working with values since 2006 and have also worked as an expert trainer in values development at the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics.
honesty
First and foremost, with myself, and then with others.
openness
Curiosity towards new experiences, encounters, possibilities and life itself.
growth
I feel most alive when I am learning, experiencing or creating something new.
a childhood that will always live within me
My journey in this world began in Tartu — playing in the courtyards of Karlova, going to school through snowball fights, rolling down the hills of Võrumaa and talking to the animals on my grandparents’ farm.
Skiing through the rolling landscapes of Southern Estonia and playing among my grandmother’s flower beds in Valga.
These experiences have left their mark on me and shaped me more than any training or education that came later.
They shaped me into who I am.
my
journey
20 years as a psychologist and therapist
I graduated in psychology from Tallinn Pedagogical University in 2000. From 2003 to 2019, I worked as a psychologist at Tallinn Secondary School No. 32, primarily working with children, young people and families.
As a psychologist, my guiding principle was: “Work so that children’s eyes shine.”
Education and training
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Psychology — Tallinn Pedagogical University, 2000
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Licensed Gordon Communication Trainer — USA, 2006
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T. Harv Eker “Train The Trainer” — London, 2016
In 2025, my first book, “Psychologist. Straight and Honest”, was published — an honest look at the work of a psychologist, mental health and the journey that took me from the school psychologist’s office into nature and closer to animals. Discover the book HERE.
over 15 years of experience incorporating animals and nature into psychological work
I have incorporated different animals into my work — rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs, chickens, fish and sheep. My interest in the human–animal relationship has led me to international training as well as practical work in the field.
Education and training
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Animals & Human Health Certificate – University of Denver, Institute for Human-Animal Connection, USA, 2013
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International conferences on the human–animal relationship
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Creator of the practitioner development programme “Animals in Learning and Therapy”
When working with animals, I believe it is important to focus not only on the person, but always also on the animal’s well-being, needs and ability to choose.
a psychologist’s office in the forest
Since 2019, nature has been an everyday part of my work. I have completed training in nature and forest therapy and brought the natural environment into my psychological and training work.
Further training and international experience
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International Forest Therapy Days — Finland, 2019
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9th International Adventure Therapy Conference — Norway, 2022
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International Congress “Forest and its Potential for Health” — Lithuania, 2024
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Forest Therapy HUB Summer School — Forest Bathing & Forest Therapy Certificate, Spain, 2025
I created the practitioner development programme “Nature in Learning and Therapy”, combining knowledge of the impact of nature on people with practical approaches for working in natural environments.
trainer since 2006
I am a Gordon Communication Trainer and have delivered communication training for both children and adults. Since 2012, I have worked as an expert trainer in values development at the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics, working with educational institutions on values and the development of their shared values.
Education and training
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Gordon Communication Trainer — USA, 2006
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Expert Trainer in Values Development, University of Tartu Centre for Ethics
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T. Harv Eker “Train The Trainer” — London, 2016
