Online Forest Therapy Guide Certification
Deepen your nature connection and become a fully Certified Forest Therapy Guide—from home.
Our online programs meet you where you are—providing a supportive structure, practical tools, and mentorship as you learn to guide mindful nature walks. Explore the seasonal paths below and start your journey.
NEW FOR FALL 2025
OUR FIRST-EVER “ONLINE RETREAT”
3.5 Days At-Home Retreat + 6 Week Practicum
Enrollment NOW OPEN!
Early birds: Save $200 through September 15, 2025
Go on retreat with us - from home!
Learn all the skills you need to guide meaningful forest therapy sessions over the course of a 3.5 day, online retreat training experience followed by a 6-week practicum from home. Mirrored after our in-person program, you’ll experience comfortably-paced content delivery and 3 guided walks, followed by a 6-week practicum.
Online Forest Therapy Guide
Certification Programs
7-week Online Training Retreat
A New Learning Format:
3.5 Days At-Home Retreat + 6 Week Practicum
October 15 - November 23, 2025
16-week Online Signature Program
10 Weeks of Content + 6 Week Practicum
Tuesdays @ 7:00 - 8:15 PM ET
January 20 - May 5, 2026
March 2026
16-week Online Signature Program
May 2026
7-week Online Training Retreat
"Without a doubt, your program does the best job of preparing guides for taking people out on a walk. The gradual release of responsibility and the live sessions where you model each skill really resonates with me. “
— Kathy Simulcik, Nature Connection Educator
Our Online Certfication Pathways
Your training takes place 100% online
with no in-person requirement
You will receive…
10 modules with instructor-led classes
weekly nature connection practices
6-week mentored practicum
3 forest therapy walks
mentoring calls
resource library
community
lifetime access for FTS Certified Forest Therapy Guides
We offer 2 pathways to train with us online:
Join our 16-week Online Signature Program to deepen your nature connection as you slowly embody the teachings. You’ll enjoy 10 weeks of content and guided walks with weekly meetups, followed by a 6-week mentored practicum.
–OR–
Join our 7-week Online Training Retreat, a 3.5 day online retreat mirrored after our in-person retreats. You’ll experience comfortably-paced content delivery and guided walks, followed by a 6-week practicum.
Whichever path you choose:
✓ You will attend live instructional classes and 3 forest therapy walks before entering into a mentored 6-week practicum. All classes and walks take place virtually via Zoom.
✓ During the ‘live meetups,’ you will have the opportunity to join in discussion with our highly qualified instructors and your peers, bringing life to the online course materials.
✓ You will also experience 3 virtual forest therapy walks during the program—2 instructor-led walks and 1 student-led walk where you will get hands-on practice.
✓ During the 6-week practicum you'll have access to your instructors via Q&A group mentor calls.
✓ Once certified, you’ll receive The Forest Therapy School’s collection of 100 invitations for use on your walks, a resources library of books, articles, websites, films, poetry, research studies, etc. to deepen your knowledge, and a fully customizable slide presentation to share with your community to grow your guiding practice.
✓ In addition, you will receive an invitation to join our virtual community of Certified Forest Therapy Guides where you can connect, be inspired, and receive ongoing support.
✓ As an FTS Certified Forest Therapy Guide, you receive lifetime access to our online training guidebook, which means as we add to the program, you will have access to all the new training content.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect but the training looked like it would be fun. I wasn’t disappointed in the least. It turned out to not only be enjoyable but very rewarding as well. With a background in natural science, I really appreciated a different way of thinking about taking people out into the woods and how woods can affect them in a different way from what I’ve been used to in the past. I enjoyed this training very much.”
— Brian Fannon, PhD, Aquatic Biologist & Outdoor Educator
The Curriculum
Whether you are taking this course 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.
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
We believe more guides are needed to do the important work of reconnecting humans to nature for the betterment of ourselves, our communities, and the Earth.
Meet the Team
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Regan Stacey
LEAD INSTRUCTOR
"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
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Leah Manuel
INSTRUCTOR
“Leah enters everything with her full heart and attention, bringing an infectiously positive energy to her work. Her personal commitment to growth, authenticity, justice, community engagement, and building strong, positive relationships is evident in everything she does.”
—Amanda Fong
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Lara Laskowski
INSTRUCTOR
“Lara’s affinity for the outdoors and nature makes her a symbiotic fit for leading people on a forest therapy journey. Her gentle approach helps to ease participants into this relaxing and holistic experience.”
— Jennifer O’Day Ashworth
Graduate a Certified Forest Therapy Guide and join a community of heart-centered guides across the globe.
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 live the work. 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 well-being of all.
We are in this work together!
No matter the season, there’s an opportunity to begin. Our year-round online programs combine mindful nature connection with professional guide training, so you can choose the start date that fits your life.
