Nature and Forest Therapy Guides

Forest Therapy Guide Training

Spain - Cohort 30

Cohort

September 21, 2018
to
September 28, 2018
Weeklong Intensive 20 - 27 Sept 2018 | Practicum Ends March 27, 2019

Duration
6 months training +
4 day immersion
Hybrid Format
Remote Live Calls +
In Person Immersion
US$ 2495.00 +
US$495 (Travel expenses, lodging and meals not incl.)
Duration
6 months training +
4 day immersion
Hybrid Format
Remote Live Calls +
In Person Immersion
US$ 3350.00
‍US$495 (Travel expenses, lodging and meals not incl.)

This is an ASL video by Deaf certified ANFT guide, Summer Crider, explaining the details of this retreat, including some video clips of the Aspen Camp location.

Schedule for Live Events

This training will be presented in Spanish.

​Our Spain location is at Sanillés ​Eco-Park & Thermal Spa in the Spanish Pyrenees, just 2 hours from Barcelona. Only one mile from the village and main road, Sanillés is an exceptionally beautiful and relaxing resort. Sanillés has a mediterranean climate averaging 300 days of sunshine per year and is at an altitude of 3500 feet.​ The address is: Sanillés, Carretera de LlésLlés de Cerdanya 25726 LERIDA, SPAIN​

Localización:

Nuestra ubicación en España se encuentra en Sanillés Eco-Park & ​​Thermal Spa, en el Pirineo español, a solo 2 horas de Barcelona. Sanillés es un lugar con atributos excepcionales, a solo dos kilómetros del pueblo y la carretera principal. Sanillés tiene un clima mediterráneo con un promedio de 300 días de sol al año y está a una altitud de 1000 metros.La dirección es: Sanillés, Carretera de LlésLlés de Cerdanya 25726 LERIDA, ESPAÑA​

What is Included in the Training? 

14 modules, over
120 lessons
Over 14 live calls with your trainers and cohort
Small group discussion calls with trainers
Downloadable manual
30+ short videos, recorded by different trainers
40+ assignments/ self exploration activities
20+ nature connection activities
Access to research papers and studies
Fun Facts and Reflections
Remote Forest Therapy walks guided by trainers
Guide your own walks and debrief them
Access to the largest forest therapy guide's community worldwide

Registering for a training begins by completing an application which may take 20-30 minutes. This application is a way for us to get to know you and to determine if we think you will make a good forest therapy guide. Once your application is received, our admissions team will review it and, if you are accepted into the program, send an acceptance letter within three weeks. This letter will contain all the information for next steps, including a registration link to reserve your space in the training. To promote an optimal learning environment, we generally cap enrollment at 21 participants per training. Applications we receive after we have filled the training will be placed on a waitlist. If an accepted applicant drops out, we will contact the next applicant on the waitlist until the training is full again.

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About the Venue:
VENUE
Sanilles Eco Park Pyrenees
Sanillés, Carretera de Llés, Llés de Cerdanya 25726 LERIDA
Llés de Cerdanya 25726 LERIDA
ESPAÑA​
https://www.sanilles.com/
Frank: (+34) 636 840 488 | sanilles@gmail.com

Location:

Our Spain location is at Sanillés ​Eco-Park & Thermal Spa in the Spanish Pyrenees, just 2 hours from Barcelona. Only one mile from the village and main road, Sanillés is an exceptionally beautiful and relaxing resort. Sanillés has a mediterranean climate averaging 300 days of sunshine per year and is at an altitude of 3500 feet.​ The address is: Sanillés, Carretera de LlésLlés de Cerdanya 25726 LERIDA, SPAIN​

Localización: 

Nuestra ubicación en España se encuentra en Sanillés Eco-Park & ​​Thermal Spa, en el Pirineo español, a solo 2 horas de Barcelona. Sanillés es un lugar con atributos excepcionales, a solo dos kilómetros del pueblo y la carretera principal. Sanillés tiene un clima mediterráneo con un promedio de 300 días de sol al año y está a una altitud de 1000 metros.La dirección es: Sanillés, Carretera de LlésLlés de Cerdanya 25726 LERIDA, ESPAÑA​

LODGING

Lodging:

Sanilles is a former spa hotel being renovated, and meanwhile managed by an Association of Friends of Sanilles. They do not operate as a commercial hotel residence and therefore ask for a membership certificate and disclaimer to be signed by all guests. There is no fee for this. All meals are included in the daily rates listed below. Rooms are limited and booked on a first-come first-served basis. All rates quoted are per night.  

The Double Occupancy room is a shared room and you will be booked with a roommate.  Accommodation is booked with the venue by contacting Frank: (+34) 636 840 488, email: sanilles@gmail.com.​

€80/per night/per person: Single occupancy with private bath

€65/per night/per person - Double-shared room with private bath for room

€50/per night/per person - Camping space​

Sanilles es un antiguo hotel spa en proceso de renovación y, mientras tanto, gestionado por la Asociación de Amigos de Sanilles. No operamos como una residencia hotelera comercial y, por lo tanto, solicitamos un certificado de asociación y una exención de responsabilidad para ser firmado por todos los huéspedes. No hay tarifa por esto. Todas las comidas están incluidas en las tarifas diarias que se detallan a continuación. Las habitaciones son limitadas y se reservan por orden de llegada. Todas las tarifas cotizadas son por noche. La habitación doble es una habitación compartida y se reservará con un compañero de habitación. El alojamiento se reserva directamente contactando a Frank: (+34) 636 840 488, correo electrónico: sanilles@gmail.com.

€ 80 / por noche / por persona - Habitación individual con baño privado

€ 65 / por noche / por persona - Habitación doble compartida con baño privado para la habitación

€ 50 / por noche / por persona - Espacio para acampar

MEALS

Food: 

Three daily meals focusing on fresh organic ingredients and nutritional combinations are included in the nightly cost of all accommodation options including camping. When booking lodging please inform the resort staff about any food intolerance's or preferences. ​

Comidas:

Tres comidas diarias, centradas en ingredientes orgánicos frescos y combinaciones nutricionales, están ​incluidas en el coste por noche de todas las opciones de alojamiento, incluido el camping. Al reservar alojamiento, informe al personal del complejo sobre cualquier intolerancia a los alimentos o preferencias.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation: 

Sanillés.com in the Pyrenees - close to Andorra, about 2 - 2.5 hours’ drive from Barcelona. The nearest town is Martinet: https://goo.gl/maps/tYOiP.  We recommend driving or bus as the closest train station is 20km away. Please use the rideshare where at all possible.To get there by Bus: Buses going from Barcelona to Martinet can be booked here: http://www.alsa.es/.  IMPORTANT: Once you arrive in Martinet, call anyone you know on site and collection can be arranged.

Transporte:

Sanillés.com está ubicado en los Pirineos, cerca de Andorra, a unas 2 horas y media en coche de Barcelona. El municipio más cercano es Martinet: https://goo.gl/maps/tYOiP. Recomendamos el uso de coche o autobús ya que la estación de tren más cercana está a 20 km. Por favor, compartir el coche cuando sea posible. Para llegar en autobús: los autobuses que realizan el trayecto de Barcelona a Martinet se pueden reservar aquí:http://www.alsa.es/. IMPORTANTE: una vez que llegue a Martinet, llame a alguno de los contactos facilitados y se puede organizar la recogida.

SCHEDULE DETAILS
GENERAL NOTES

Tuition

Trainers

Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.

Entrenadores

Manuela Siegfried was born and raised in this beautiful, bio diverse country called Costa Rica. Having a biologist as a father, Manuela experienced contact with nature as an intrinsic part of her life. This passion led her to work as a naturalist tourism guide and in the tourism industry for 15 over years. She came across the concept of Shinrin-Yoku and the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and immediately felt inspired and related to it. Manuela was trained and certified in 2018 and has been guiding very actively since then. As a trainer she has trained and mentored people from all over the world.

She enjoys the underwater world, scuba diving, freediving, camping and long hikes in remote wilderness areas.
Manuela offers forest therapy walk for an addiction rehabilitation Center and also works in close collaboration with different wellness retreats and hotels. She has also been successfully offering retreats of various duration, that include forest therapy and other modalities as a way to support people in their holistic wellbeing.

Currently she is the Training Director for the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.

Geeta is a certified Forest Therapy Guide based in Portugal and the founder of the company Renature where she creates and facilitates restorative programs that promote wellbeing and health through Forest Therapy, nature connection practices, clean eating and self-care. She works all over the world with various populations that range from the general public, corporate senior and junior teams, schools, families, mental health populations and individuals recovering from situations of excess stress and resulting depression and anxiety. Her passion is to bring human beings back to nature and support the reconnection to the restorative potency of the natural world. She is trained in Forest Therapy, Embodied Mindfulness and Conscious Resting, Council and Active Meditation Techniques, and in the field of Healthcare as a Pharmacist. She holds a Masters in Business Management and is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French.

Advisors

Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.

Entrenadores

Dr. Qing Li

Dr, Qing Li (MD, PhD) graduated from Shanxi Medical University in China and got a PhD degree from Kagoshima University in Japan. He has studied at Stanford University School of Medicine.

He is a clinical professor at Nippon Medical School, President of the Japanese Society of ForestMedicine, Director of the Forest Therapy Society, Vice-President and Secretary General of International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine (INFOM) (https://www.infom.org).

Prof. Li is the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine and immunology. He has received Society ward from the Japanese Society for Hygiene in Forest Medicine in 2022 and University Award from Nippon Medical School in Forest Medicine in 2011 (https://researchmap.jp/read0045249?lang=en)

Some people study medicine. Some people study forest. Dr. Li studies forest medicine to find out all the ways in which walking in the forest can improve our well-being. He started the forest medicine research (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing/Forest therapy) from 2004 and has published many articles in scientific journals and books in forest medicine.

His book: Shinrin-yoku (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/308285/shinrin-yoku/9780241984857.html) has been translated into 26 languages.

His book: Forest bathing (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/579709/forest-bathing-by-dr-qing-li/) was ranked in the bestseller list in the US in 2018.

Dr. Susan Abookire

Susan Abookire, BSEE, MD, MPH, FACP, is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, a practicing Internist, and a senior executive with 20 years’ experience leading healthcare organizations. She has served as Chief Medical Officer, System Chief Quality Officer, and Chair of Quality and Patient Safety. Dr. Abookire began her career as an electrical engineer in aviation systems. She has taught nationally and internationally on patient safety, high reliability, systems design, and the health benefits of nature. Dr. Abookire also enjoys being a Forest Therapy guide and incorporates Forest Therapy into medical curricula.

Dr. Robert Zarr

Dr. Robert Zarr is a physician researcher and public health pediatrician based at Unity Health Care, Inc. and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Canada. He has provided medical care to minority and immigrant populations for more than 20 years.

A longtime advocate for Medicare for All, Dr. Zarr served as PNHP president from 2015 through 2016. He founded and was the first medical director of Park Rx America, a community health initiative to prescribe nature to patients and families to prevent and treat chronic disease and promote wellness. A certified nature and forest therapy guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, Dr. Zarr previously served as the Park Rx Advisor to the National Park Service in his national advocacy to connect patients to parks.

Dr. Zarr earned his medical degree at Baylor University and his MPH at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and completed residency in pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor.

Advisor

Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.

Entrenadores

Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.

Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.

Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves. Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.

Advisor

Summer Crider

Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves.

Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.

After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.

Advisors

Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.

Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.


Certification Pathway

STEP 1
6-month remote training
STEP 2
4-day in-person immersion
STEP 3
Get your certification
STEP 1
You will start with a 6-month remote training, covering the content on live calls with the support of your trainers, fellow students, a very user friendly learning platform, many self exploration and nature connection activities that are done outside. After completing this training you get a provisional certification as a Certified Forest Therapy Guide. To view the available trainings scroll down
STEP 2
After completing module 4 you can apply to attend a 4-day in-person immersion, for hands on forest therapy guiding experience with trainers and fellow students. You have two years time to complete this step. To view the available immersions click here
STEP 3
After completing the 6-month remote training and the 4-day in- person immersion, you will receive your permanent certification as an ANFT Certified
Forest Therapy Guide
and be part of the largest Forest Therapy
Guide Community Worldwide. Click here to see the guide´s map.
IMPORTANT: Before you send out your application, please make sure that the
schedule for the calls works for you and your time zone. Check the detailed Schedule HERE
Additional Questions?  Check our FAQ section

Advisors

Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.

Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.


Advisors

Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.

Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.


Advisors

Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.

Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.