What is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide?
A Forest Therapy Guide facilitates safe gentle walks, providing “invitations” for sensory opening activities along the way. These walks follow the ANFT Standard Sequence.
Forest therapy walks are not hikes in the traditional sense. An entire walk is typically 2 to 3 hours in duration and often covers no more than a quarter mile distance. In that short distance most people experience contact with nature in a much deeper way than they ever have prior to the walk. On Forest Therapy walks, people have a wide range of experiences, some of which they feel are significant, even profound.
the Guide opens the Doors"
- Amos Clifford
What You Will Learn
- Learn how to guide ANFT's Standard Sequence - A Powerful approach to nature connection
- Sequencing forest therapy invitations for maximum impact and benefit
- The heart-centered Way of the Guide approach
- The Language of Invitation to help create powerful connections with self and nature
- Somatic techniques for embodied awareness
- The pedagogy and fundamentals of nature connection
- Nature and forest therapy research and knowledge
- Trail awareness and safety -how to choose a forest therapy trail
- Getting to know your bioregion, its history, watershed, awarenesses and more
- Facilitation skills that promote an open environment for group sharing
- Expressive arts activities for forest therapy
- Competency standards: what a Forest Therapy Guide should know and be able to do
- Tips for successfully promoting your forest therapy offerings
Certification Pathway
6-month remote training
4-day in-person immersion
Get your certification
You will start with a 6-month remote training, covering the content on live calls with your trainers and fellow students. As part of this program you will also be spending a lot of time exploring this practice through nature connection activities outside. After completing this training you will receive a provisional certification as a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.
After completing at least module 9 and submitting the corresponding assignments, of the six-month remote Forest Therapy Guide Training you're eligible to apply to a 4-day in-person immersion. During this time you will have the opportunity to be guided on forest therapy walks by your trainers and to deepen into this practice. You have two years time to complete this step. To view the available immersions click here
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.
2023 Forest Therapy Guide Trainings
6-month remote training
The trainings listed below all cover the same content and follow the same curriculum. They have different names and different schedules to offer as many options as possible
schedule for the calls works for you and your time zone. Check the detailed Schedule for every cohort in the detailed description or Compare the different schedules HERE
What you will get from your training
120 lessons
