Becoming a Forest Therapy Guide

Is this the path for you?

“…it occurred to me that I was missing something very crucial to my well being: Nature. Pure, quiet, serene, dynamic and enthralling nature. I couldn’t ignore this fact any longer. I had to make a drastic change to my life.”

It was the first day of my training of becoming a forest therapy guide. I had flown across the entire country. There I was standing in a circle of at least twenty complete strangers in a sunny, open field in Sonoma Valley, California. It was my turn to talk.

Everyone had been brave enough to speak from the heart before me so I trusted to the same. I tried to speak through the tears that burst forth like a breached dam released from my soul. I don’t remember what I managed to say but it was a combination of words expressing gratitude, grief, hope, relief and love. I had realized that throughout my life, I had always deeply connected to nature while I was in solitude and for the first time, I could share that bond with nature with others. I was not alone. I was officially on the path of becoming a forest therapy guide and with it, I would leave behind a new marriage and a decade of professional acting in New York City.

photo by Abby Portman

Missing Nature

My path to full adulthood was a winding one full of loops and divergent forks. From growing up in Vermont, I ended up living in New York City to experience the cultural diversity and the arts for 14 years. I loved it up until the very end. For many of those years, I was an actor exploring my psyche and battling my ego. It was exciting and very, very challenging. But despite rubbing elbows with celebrities and feeling the glory of the stage’s spotlight and financial reward that comes with doing commercial work, it occurred to me that I was missing something very crucial: Nature. Pure, quiet, serene, dynamic and enthralling nature. I couldn’t ignore this fact any longer. I had to make a drastic change to my life. I began working as a gardener.

Discovery of Forest Bathing

It didn’t take long for me to realize the healthful benefits that nature provides. I was on the right path. Through my connections with urban gardeners, I befriended a young woman who worked at Rikers Island, offering Horticultural Therapy to prison inmates. Wow! Could I do that? I remember sitting down at the computer with my career counselor and googling “horticultural therapy”. It didn’t feel quite right for me but it was close. What if there was something out there that was deeply ingrained in my being? Forests. Nature. I googled what I thought was a made up term, “Forest Therapy”. It was 2014 and I had never heard of such a thing and there it was right along with forest bathing!

Getting the Training

It was the very first certification training held by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) to become a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. I was excited that as a guide, I would have the knowledge and skills to lead forest bathing walks. The training was to be on the opposite side of the country in Santa Rosa, California. I had to go, there was no question about it. I found a way by bartering my film making services and with the help and generosity of family and friends, I flew out to California to take part in the week-long intensive training. It was to say the least, a life changing experience.

“I don’t remember what I managed to say but it was a combination of words expressing gratitude, grief, hope, relief and love.”

Do you want to become a forest therapy guide?

You likely have a deep affinity for nature and are compelled to share this with others. Along with this affinity of nature, having love, humility and patience are good traits to help you become a guide. You might be getting the same feeling that I had years ago about the prospect of becoming a guide. Listen to your soul. Listen to your heart. If you are called to pursue certification, honor yourself by doing so. The world needs people like you right now and if it’s the earth and not your ego that is guiding you, it is your time. As a guide, you will deepen your relationship to nature and you are also going to hold space for people from all walks of life to heal and connect to the natural world. And you will be part of what Joanna Macy calls, “The Great Turning.”

Making A Difference In This World

Know that this is a relatively new practice that has taken hold. It is being embraced but it has yet to become as commonplace as other related practices such as yoga or meditation. There are guides all over the world working hard at advancing the message that nature is good for us and that we can be good for her as well. If you are already involved in health care, having a certification would be a wonderful addition to your practice. If you come from a completely unrelated field, this certification will enable you to set up your own practice and be part of the global community of guides.

Know that having your own practice will require a good deal of screen time, networking and administration work. It will take some time, financial investment and hard work to be able to guide full time. In fact only a few out of hundreds of guides are making this their full time occupation. So being a guide may serve well as a parallel career to the one you already have or this may be something you do on your spare time as a passion project.

Regardless of how being a guide fits into your life as a feasible occupation, there is a great chance it will change the way you see the world.

“I am of the opinion that the world needs people like you right now. If it’s the earth and not your ego that is guiding you, it is your time. It is our time.”

Steps to Becoming a Forest Therapy/ Forest Bathing Guide

1. Listen to your soul and decide if this is right for you.

2. Find a training organization that’s holding a training at an accessible location near you.

3. Attend the training (3-8 days)

4. Fulfill the practicum requirements in your area (3-6 months)

5. Certification Approval

Choosing The Right Training Organization

As I mentioned, since my participation in the first cohort at ANFT in 2014, there have been a number of organizations that have begun to offer certifications for becoming a forest therapy/ forest bathing guide. Out of all that have sprung up, I will highlight four that I believe will give you the proper, comprehensive, authentic training in the practice that is firmly rooted in shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”.

Keep in mind, I’m not being paid by these organizations to promote them. This is purely from my own evaluation of their programs and from my experiences and what I know about the people who are involved in them. There are so many ways to guide people towards connecting to nature. It is important to know that there are only some that specialize in specifically forest therapy/forest bathing. It is a unique field and practice and when utilized properly, has a profound effect on people. So in no particular order:

Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT)

From their website:

“The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs is the most experienced global leader promoting the development and practice of Forest Therapy. Our Forest Therapy Guide Training draws on the latest medical research, new developments in the field of nature connection, and ancient traditions of mindfulness and wellness promotion. Every guided walk is an act of power and beauty, cultivating deep connections with transformational impacts on people and nature.”

Week-long intensive + 6 month practicum

$3,570 USD

Based in US. Global Trainings.

Check for a training near you

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Scholarship information

Forest Therapy Institute (FTI)

From their website: The Forest Therapy Institute (FTI) is a “profit for purpose” Institute with the mission to achieve social and environmental benefits. Our trainings are the combination of the latest cutting-edge research on forests and human health, international nature connection practices, science and ancient wisdom traditions.

FTI respects the social, cultural and environmental context in which people live. This approach is supported by an extended network of local Institutes and trainers to support guides development. FTI unique 5×5-model has been developed from research conducted with 121 Forest Therapy Guides, scientists, land managers and health professionals from 28 countries on the core skills, knowledge and experience necessary to be a world class guide. We are guided by the latest developments in forests and human health, Forest Therapy, and Forest Bathing research.

6 days intensive + 3 months mentored practice

$2,195.57 (not including travel, accommodations and meals.)

Based in Ireland. Europe, North America Trainings

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Stipend Programs

Global International Forest Therapy (GIFT)

From their website:

“Our forest therapy guide training provides the skills and confidence for you to become a forest therapy guide, giving you the tools needed to be a professional practitioner in an exponentially growing field of inspiring and holistic health-care that is breaking new ground in human and planetary health. Through taking our training you will also become part of an experienced international community of forest therapy guides who together are continuously expanding the frontier of this practice forward to reach an ever-increasing spectrum of clients and health-care professionals.”

Based in Canada. Global Trainings

$2,871.75 USD

Includes 8-day intensive and 6-month practicum and mentorship

Check for a training near you

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International Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA)

From their website:

Extend your professional scope and become a Forest Therapy Guide (FTG) certified by and accredited with the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA). INFTA-Certified FTGs perform a vital role in preventative health or therapeutic medicine. The training is suited for medical practitioners, psychotherapists or environmental experts who are active in clinics, spas, specialized resorts, hotels and wellness centers, in Government departments, organizations, companies or running their own practice. INFTA’s training adheres to the International Core Curriculum for Forest Therapy (ICCFT) validated by experts from over 20 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Australia in 2017. The overall duration of the INFTA FTG training is six months and comprises of:

Compact introductory workshop (40 hrs over five days)
Theoretical and practical training (248 hrs over five months)
Theoretical and practical examination (8 hrs over two days)

5 day compact introductory workshop

5 month Theoretical and practical training

Theoretical and practical examination

$2,500 USD

Based in Australia. Europe & Asia Trainings

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Wherever you are on your journey, I hope this helps you! Please leave your comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I am available for consultations at natureconnectionguide@gmail.com. May the forest be with you:)

by Duncan Murdoch

Duncan is a certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide through ANFT and a Nature Integration Consultant. Contact Nature Connection Guide if you would like to experience a Nature & Forest Therapy Walk and if you would like to know how to best incorporate nature into your life. Be sure to subscribe to Nature Connection Guide’s Nature Newsletter to keep informed and current on the movement of Nature Connection.

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2 replies

leslie tuchman says:
April 19, 2022 at 7:09 pm
Thank you for keeping me on your mailing list. I really want to get involved but I think I should have an experience in taking a class……….maybe this summer of 2022.
Reply
- Duncan Murdoch says:
  May 8, 2022 at 5:41 pm
  Hi! You’re welcome:) I hope you consider taking the 6-week program starting in June!
  Reply

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Duncan Murdoch

CERTIFIED NATURE & FOREST THERAPY GUIDE Duncan is a Certified Nature & Forest Therapy guide living and working in Vermont. He grew up on the shores of Lake Champlain where his deep connection to Nature was formed. Following his passion for art, he moved to NYC where he lived and worked as a professional actor for 14 years. Nature called him to become a horticulturist so he transitioned to become a NYC parks department gardener which lead him to a life of nature (re) connection. After receiving his Nature & Forest Therapy Guide Certification from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) in 2015, he began his practice in New York City guiding the first forest bathing groups in Central Park. He then moved back to his home state in Vermont in 2015 and began his work with the Intervale Center growing and planting native trees where he now serves as the Land Stewardship Coordinator. As a wellness practitioner, he is part of the UVM Integrative Health Practitioner Network and frequently conducts forest bathing experiences throughout Vermont and the world, in-person and online with his organization, Nature Connection Guide.