What you will be able to do

What this course guides you to be able to do confidently

  • Pitch your work to journalists who cover your area

  • Speak about Forest Therapy in language that lands outside the field

  • Give interviews for print, podcast, radio, and TV

  • Build a digital media room that makes you easy to feature

Instructor

Mentor, Trainer

Nadine Mazzola

Nadine Mazzola (she/her) is a senior ANFT trainer, certified forest therapy guide, and founder of New England Nature and Forest Therapy Consulting. Trained with ANFT in 2015, she became a guide following her 2013 breast cancer diagnosis, a turning point shaping her teaching and mentoring ever since. Her work integrates forest therapy, expressive arts, somatics, and embodied leadership. She authored the award-winning "Forest Bathing with Your Dog" and brings lived experience to work with cancer-affected populations across wellness, education, and healthcare settings. Featured on PBS, ABC's Chronicle, and in the Boston Globe, Nadine stays grounded in current research while teaching. A former professional billiards player on the WBBA tour, she brings discipline, strategy, and heart to training the next generation of guides.
  • Nadine sits with teh journalist on a park bench. camera filming

What to Expect

What taking this course will actually be like

  • Seven Chapters, Self-Paced

    Short videos with written material throughout, taken in whatever order and at whatever pace serves you. Start today, finish this month or next year.

  • Explorations in Every Chapter

    You build the real thing as you go. Your media list, your key messages, your bio, your hooks, your soundbites, your press release. You finish with materials, not notes.

  • Estimated Time Investment

    Roughly six to ten hours total across the seven chapters, plus whatever time you give the explorations and sit spot reflections. Most of the work is yours to pace.

Course Curriculum

What you will learn as you work through the course

Welcome to the Course

A short welcome from Nadine and an orientation to how the material is built, so you know what's coming and how to use it.

Chapter 1 — How the Media Works and Being Easy to Work With

You'll learn the three types of media, what journalists actually want, and why being easy to work with matters more than being impressive. You'll also look at your own mindset about publicity, the inner game that shapes whether you ever send the email.

Chapter 2 — Building Your Media List

You'll learn how to identify the outlets and contacts that fit your practice and your audience, and you'll leave with a working list and a tracking sheet for pitches and interviews.

Chapter 3 — Positioning Yourself: How Are You Unique?

This is the heart of the course. You'll work through your stories, your key messages, your brand and your way of guiding and you'll practice claiming your expertise, which for most guides is the hardest part. You'll finish with a short bio you can actually use.

Chapter 4 — Crafting Your Publicity Materials

You'll learn the difference between a press release and a pitch, and build the pieces that make both work: interview topics, talking points, hooks that catch attention, and a running list of your own soundbites.

Chapter 5 — Sending Your Pitch and Being Ready When the Media Contacts You

You'll learn how and when to send, how media lead times work, and what happens from booking through follow-up — so that when someone does reply, you're ready rather than scrambling.

Chapter 6 — Your Digital Media Kit

You'll learn why a digital media room matters and begin building your own, so a journalist on deadline can find your photo, your bio, and your story without emailing you first.

Chapter 7 — Pro Tips for Interviews

You'll learn to open an interview well, tell a story that holds attention, bridge back when a question wanders, and handle surprises. Includes specific guidance for on-camera and print interviews, and a look at your energetic signature — the vibe you bring into the room.

Before You Go

Closing reflections and a thank you from Nadine.

FAQ

  • What will I actually have at the end of this course?

    Working materials, not just knowledge. A media list suited to your practice, a pitch and interview tracking sheet, your key messages, a short bio, a set of hooks and soundbites, interview topics and talking points, a press release, and the beginnings of a digital media room. The explorations are built so that doing them produces the thing.

  • Do I need to be a certified Forest Therapy guide to take this course?

    No. The course is designed for forest therapy guides and written with their work in mind, but there is no certification requirement to enroll.

  • How long will it take, and how is it delivered?

    It's self-paced, with seven chapters of short videos and written material. Most people spend roughly six to ten hours on the core content, though the explorations and sit spot reflections can take as much time as you want to give them. There are no live sessions and no set start date.

  • Is this the same as hiring a publicist?

    No. A publicist pitches on your behalf; this course teaches you to do it yourself. It doesn't include media placements, introductions to journalists, or review of your materials. What it gives you is a repeatable process you own.

  • I'm uncomfortable promoting myself. Is this course still for me?

    Especially then. Chapter 1 addresses mindset directly, and Chapter 3 includes an exploration on claiming your expertise. Sit spot reflection prompts run through every chapter, because the internal work of being visible deserves as much attention as the pitch template.