Forest Therapy Guide Certification Training Retreat
April 24 - April 28, 2024
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Forest Therapy Guide Certification Training Retreat
Brandywine Valley
of Pennsylvania & Delaware
Experience the beauty of world-renowned gardens and lush forests in America’s Garden Capital.
Wednesday, April 24 through Sunday, April 28, 2024
Your retreat experience includes:
The Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program
A 6-week mentored practicum
Admissions tickets to the following destinations:
Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA
Winterthur Museum & Gardens, Winterthur, DE
Brandywine Creek State Park, Wilmington, DE
A picnic lunch
A celebration dinner
Lifetime access to our program’s course content upon certification
The Location
Less than an hour from Philadelphia, the Brandywine Valley is home to world-class museums and gardens. Known as America's Garden Capital, the area offers breathtaking scenery, miles of trails, historical landmarks, and more, nestled in the valleys of southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware.
Each day of your retreat, we will meet at the Brandywine River Hotel in Chadds Ford, PA, and travel to one of 3 nearby destinations—Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, and Brandywine Creek State Park—where you’ll learn to guide in the built environment as well as the forest.
Longwood Gardens
Showcasing more than 9,000 species and varieties of plants, Longwood Gardens is one of the world's best horticultural gardens.
“Explore nearly 200 acres of lush, formal gardens, open meadows, and winding paths to breathtaking Brandywine Valley vistas. Together, mesmerizing displays, feats of engineering, and science-based research and conservation work harmoniously toward the overarching goal to unite and inspire our guests in appreciation of beauty—as only Longwood can.”
Learn more about Longwood Gardens, located in Kennett Square, PA, here.
Winterthur
A premier museum and one of America's best gardens, Winterthur is nestled in the heart of Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley.
“Spend the day enjoying our famous 60-acre naturalistic garden and the estate’s 1,000 acres of rolling hills, meadows, and woodlands. Winterthur has 25 miles of well-marked paths and trails, and lush gardens for you to explore.”
Learn more about Winterthur, located in Winterthur, DE, here.
Brandywine Creek State Park
Located along the historic Brandywine Creek, Brandywine Creek State Park encompasses 933 acres of rolling meadows, nature preserves, trails, and waterways.
“Known for its meadowland views and blue gneiss stone walls built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Brandywine Creek State Park sits within northern Delaware’s Piedmont region with more than 14 miles of trail and a remnant old-growth forest.”
Learn more about Brandywine Creek State Park here.
Photo: Jen McGovern, Rocky Run Loop Trail
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 this 4-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 where you will participate in weekly Zoom class meetups, complete assignments, guide 2 forest therapy walks and receive 2 small group mentor calls.
The weekly meetups will be held on Tuesdays (April 30 - June 4) at 7:00pm - 8:15pm EST. The meetups are recorded, so if you have to miss one, you can watch the recording.
Join like-hearted people committed to reconnecting humans to nature.
The Details
The Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program in Brandywine Valley
Arrive: Wednesday, April 24th between 3:00pm – 4:30pm EST
Depart: Sunday, April 28th by 11:00am EST
Your retreat experience includes:
The Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program
A 6-week mentored practicum
Admissions ticket to Longwood Gardens
Admissions ticket to Winterthur Gardens
Admissions ticket to Brandywine Creek State Park
A picnic lunch
A celebration dinner
Lifetime access to our program’s course content upon graduation
Your Investment:
Tuition:
$2400
(Includes program, admissions tickets for training locations, a picnic lunch and Saturday evening dinner, and the 6-week practicum. Meals and accommodations are not included.)
Hotel Option:
The Forest Therapy School has reserved a block of double deluxe rooms at a discounted rate at the Brandywine River Hotel. Located within 10 minutes of our training destinations, the hotel is tucked back from the main road for added privacy and has dining options within walking distance. The back lawn is open for guests to meander. A free continental breakfast is include with your room reservation.
Upon registration, we will send you an email confirmation with information to book your hotel reservation at the Brandywine River Hotel with a 10% discount code. Please book early for the best rate. If you are staying at another location during the training, please let us know.
Meal Options:
Breakfast: Free continental breakfast is included with a room reservation at the Brandywine River Hotel or walk over to Oso Sweet Bakery Café or drive to Hank’s Place for a down-home breakfast.
Lunch: Cafés are located at Longwood Gardens and Winterthur. Picnic lunches are welcome at Winterthur. On the day we visit Brandywine Creek State Park, we will have a picnic lunch which is included in your tuition.
Dinner: Dine as you wish on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights. The dinner for our last evening together is included in your tuition.
$500 non-refundable deposit required upon registration.
Please see Program Terms & Cancellations below.
Registration deadline: April 1, 2024
Stay at the Brandywine River Hotel
An 18th-century Victorian-style hotel in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
“…a family-owned and operated, 18th-century Victorian-style hotel located just off U.S. Route 1. Minutes away from Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Winterthur, the Brandywine River Museum, and the Brandywine Battlefield State Park, we are your ideal central location for all of the most popular local destinations.”
Double Deluxe Rooms
Rooms feature ample natural light, quality wood furnishings, and a classic design.
Classic double-bed hotel setup
Large windows with garden or river views
Central heating and air conditioning
Comfortable linens and fluffy pillows
Sturdy wooden desk, entertainment console, and nightstands
Wi-Fi
TV
Mini-fridge
Free continental breakfast
Fitness room
All hotel rooms are nonsmoking
Program Terms and Cancellations:
Tuition Payment Schedule:
A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due upon registration
50% of the remaining tuition will be due on March 1, 2024
Final tuition balance will be due on April 1, 2024
Prior to tuition due dates, you will receive an invoice via email. Failure to make a payment may result in a forfeiture of your booking.
Cancellations:
All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Cancellations made 31 days or more prior to retreat start date: The deposit is non-refundable. All payments (minus the deposit) are not refundable, but are transferable to a future training retreat held within one year.
Cancellations made 30 days or less prior to retreat start date: All payments are non-refundable or non-transferable. You may register to take the online certification course at no additional charge.
We offer 27 CE credits through the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching.
Getting Here
Please Note: Transportation is not included in the cost of the retreat.
By Car:
The Brandywine Valley is:
14 miles from Wilmington, DE
40 miles from Philadelphia, PA
112 miles from Washington DC
135 miles from New York, NY
By Air:
The Brandywine Valley is located near:
Wilmington Airport, DE (30 minutes)
Philadelphia Int’l Airport, PA (40 minutes)
Baltimore-Washington Int’l Airport, MD (2 hours)
“Thank you so much for this in-person forest bathing experience and certification course! It has always been about the trees for me. I have deepened my connection to the natural world and am looking forward to sharing the practice with others. My trees are happy and so am I. My mind is clear, and my heart is full. Standing in gratefulness to you Julie and Regan!”
— Ginny Speaks, Health and Wellness Coach