Forest Therapy Guide Training Retreats
Deepen your nature connection and learn to guide.
Become a fully Certified Forest Therapy Guide while on retreat.
Are you looking for a professional training program that deepens your nature connection and empowers you to be a competent and confident forest therapy guide?
You’ve found it.
Are you a mental health or healthcare professional, educator, coach, clergy, or wellness practitioner who wants to learn how to skillfully integrate a nature modality into your practice or suite of offerings?
Our training is for you.
The Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program is also perfect if you simply want to strengthen your own nature connection and join an inspiring, supportive community of nature lovers while doing it.
Intentional Travel
Our in-person Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program retreats are held in various locations throughout the year.
If you have a strong desire to learn how to guide in a shorter period of time, this program is for you.
Included in this intensive format is time for self-care—such as gentle yoga, guided nature meditation, and opportunities for personal reflection in the wild.
Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program Retreats
October 16–20, 2024
Seven Springs Retreat Center
Maryville, Tennessee
April 2–6, 2025
Lotus Ranch Retreat Center
Wimberley, Texas
June 4–8, 2025
The Mountain Retreat Center
Highlands, North Carolina
August 2025
Medomak Retreat Center
Washington, Maine
The Forest Therapy School offers you a mindfulness-based, experiential learning journey on the path to becoming a forest therapy guide.
Evolve in our educational program.
As a boutique school, our training program delivers a superb level of quality, personalized focus, and excellence.
We put our heart and soul into creating a nurturing and loving family atmosphere. You will be guided by passionate and dedicated instructors, who are also the school's founders, throughout the program and beyond. We deeply value our relationship with our students – a dedicated community of guides - each doing our part to reconnect humans with nature for the health and wellbeing of all beings.
We are in this work together!
The Curriculum
Whether you are taking this training for personal growth or to share the life-changing benefits of forest therapy with others, the curriculum is thoughtfully designed to give you a deeper understanding of the emerging field of forest therapy. You’ll walk away with the skills and confidence to guide participants in meaningful and restorative forest bathing experiences.
Over the course of a 4 or 5-night retreat, you will learn:
What it means to be a forest therapy guide
The history of forest therapy and forest bathing
The holistic benefits of the practice along with the science to back it up
Mindfulness in nature and embodiment practices
How to offer guided nature meditations
The importance of the senses in connecting to nature and ourselves
A reliable and trusted walk sequence for guiding your clients
How to craft nature-based invitations for client engagement
How to personally style a forest bathing walk
Group facilitation and effective communication skills
The psycho-spiritual dimension of the human-nature connection
Following the in-person training, you will enter into a 6-week mentored practicum to deepen your skills where you will participate in weekly Zoom meet-ups, complete assignments, and guide 2 forest therapy walks.
Meet Your Teachers
Regan Stacey
"Regan is an artist with a scientist’s mind, and her work wonderfully marries the two. Deeply intuitive and sensitive, Regan immediately puts you at ease and provides the necessary space to allow you to show up fully as yourself.” —Kylea Asher
Julie Sczerbinski
“If you are looking for a thoughtful, engaged, and wise mentor to partner with you for your journey, look no further than Julie. I wouldn’t be where I am now without her in my corner.” —Jay Hake
“Regan and Julie are not only incredibly knowledgeable but also encouraging, kind teachers. The materials for the course were organized, thorough and incredibly well-written. Between the inspirational mentoring from Julie and Regan, the immersive experience in which we spent hours every day engaged in practice in the forest, and the treasure of high quality resources and materials I now have at my fingertips, I feel fully prepared (and very excited) to guide forest bathing experiences in my community. And the best part? Despite the fact that our days were filled with studying and learning together, the time spent in this immersive learning experience never felt like "cramming". It was truly a restorative retreat, shared with like-minded, nature-loving humans who started out as classmates and quickly became dear friends. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of this training. Thank you!”
— Joy Slesinger, Coach
Join The Forest Therapy School Family
Enroll in our Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program.
Choose the training retreat that fits in your schedule, register, and we will be in touch.
Become part of our family as a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.
Sign up for a life-changing journey and dive deep into the heart of nature connection.
Be rooted in your wholeness and share the love of nature.
Experience how forest therapy can benefit all areas of life and share your passion with others.
Wondering if the program is right for you?
What Our Students Are Saying…
“I loved this whole experience. I’m so grateful for this new lens I have now as I’m in the woods. It’s just been a delight. Thank you.”
— Elizabeth Bridges, Musician
“I feel like I’ve been given a special gift and now have an amazing gift to share with others. Thank you.”
— Kate Kirnie, Creative Guide
“The retreat and this practice has opened up something in me that needed opening up.”
— Nicole Popchak, Educator
“It’s been a very tumultuous couple of months and I thought ‘Can I go on a retreat right in the middle of everything?’ I look back now and the class is what helped me hold it together.”
— Melinda Welborn, Sales Representative
