Key Information

Important Dates and Times for this training

  • Course dates

    18 May to 16 November 2027

  • Weekly live calls days and time

    Tuesdays at 6.00am PST

  • Language

    In English

Check Your Time Zone

Check your local time for live sessions for this cohort

Online Forest Therapy Guide trainings offered by the ANFT include live sessions that are scheduled for different time zones. Please check your local time for live sessions.

What you will be able to do

What this training guides you to be able to do confidently

  • Guide Forest Therapy walks for groups

  • Facilitate the ANFT Standard Sequence of invitations

  • Meet the requirements for ANFT certification

  • Join a global network of Certified Guides

Pricing options

Secure checkout. Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal accepted, in USD. Wilderness First Aid certification is arranged and paid separately.

Trainers for this course

Mentor, Trainer

Youmin Yap

Youmin is one of Southeast Asia's pioneer ANFT-certified forest therapy guides, trained with Cohort 18 in 2017. Blending her science and research background with the subtler art of wellbeing, she has guided thousands of participants, designed bespoke journeys for global brands, and led wellness workshops for hotels, spas, and MNCs worldwide. She founded Forest with You (formerly Xiu Nature Connections), twice awarded the Singapore Tourism Board's Outstanding Wellness Experience (2023, 2024). As a trainer, Youmin has mentored 16 cohorts of guides globally, finding joy in witnessing each person's unique story unfold. She holds an MS in Life Sciences, is a Certified Shinrin-Yoku International Instructor, and is trained in Yoga Nidra and Mindfulness. She's fluent in English and Mandarin, dividing her time between Singapore and Thailand.

Mentor, Trainer-in-Training

Katarina Čuk

Katarina Cuk became the first ANFT-certified forest therapy guide in Slovenia, EU, trained in Cohort 10 in 2017 in Northern California. She has guided forest therapy experiences since 2014 in the city forest of Ljubljana and other regions of Slovenia. Passionate about bringing the forest and people back together, she has co-organized two ANFT trainings in her home country, worked as a mentor, and later became a trainer in remote training. Through her brand 'Forest Stories' (Gozdne zgodbe), she leads courses in forest alchemy and nature meditation, and authored the book 'Our Timeless Nature.' Holding a BA in translation studies, Katarina has also worked as a translator, editor, and in green tourism for many years. Fittingly, her last name means 'little owl' in Slovene.

What to Expect

What your training will actually be like

  • 6 Months Online

    May 18th to November 16th, 2027. Weekly live sessions with your trainers and fellow cohort colleagues

  • 4 Day in Person Immersion

    2 years to complete your 4 day in-person immersion which is the second part of your training.

  • Estimated Weekly Time Investment

    8 to 12 hours each week between live meetings (on Zoom, which are recorded in the event you miss them), online course work (such as reading, videos, quizzes), and field work in nature (practicing invitations, sit spot, and walks)

Course Curriculum

What you will learn during your training

Module 1 — What is Relational Forest Therapy?
You'll begin at the root of it all by learning about the story of how this practice came to be, and the values that hold it together. You'll learn to see any forest trail, garden, or local park with new eyes, discovering what makes a place ready to hold the kind of experience you'll soon be guiding others through.

Module 2 — The Standard Sequence & Liminal Space and Time
Here you'll learn the framework and methodology at the center of every walk you'll ever guide: a simple, elegant structure that opens space for relationship with the more than human world of nature.

Module 3 — Threshold of Incorporation
You'll learn the art of closing a walk well,  including how to safely forage, brew, and serve tea as a way of bringing people gently home. It's one of the most beloved parts of the practice, and you'll leave this module ready to hold it yourself.

Module 4 — To Be a Guide
This is where the vocation becomes real. You'll come to understand what it truly means to guide,  not as an expert with answers, but as someone who opens the door and lets the forest be the therapist.

Module 5 — Language for Relational Forest Therapy
Words shape experience more than we realize. You'll learn how to craft invitations that open possibility rather than close it down  and you'll leave with a complete, confident introduction ready for your very first walk.

Module 6 — Co-emergence and Landscapes of Invitation
You'll discover how to let invitations arise naturally from the moment, rather than forcing them and you'll walk away with a rich library of tried-and-true invitations from guides before you, ready to use right away.

Module 7 — Sharing and Deep Listening
At the core of forest therapy guiding is the art of deep listening. You'll learn to hold space for others to be truly heard, a skill that will change not just how you guide, but how you show up in every relationship in your life.

Module 8 — Senses, Pathways to Relationship with Nature
You'll be invited to rediscover senses you may have forgotten you had, and to guide others in doing the same. This module is where the felt, embodied heart of Forest Therapy really comes alive.

Module 9 — Bioregional Learning& Relationship
You'll trace the hidden water lines connecting your own sit spot all the way to the sea — a beautiful way of discovering that you already belong to something much bigger than yourself.

Module 10  — Edges and Headroom
You'll come to see discomfort as an ally, not an obstacle, and you'll gather the research and language to speak confidently about the healing power of this work to participants, to skeptics, to anyone who asks.

Module 11 - Health Science in Forest Therapy

You will learn about the Health Science that supports this practice, how to find it and to follow the threads of your own curiosity. You will have access to a significant amount of research on the health benefits of this practice, both for humans and for forests.

Module 12 - Developing your Guiding Practice

You will learn and be inspired to reflect on how to develop your guiding practice into. Business, a community offering or how to integrate it into your existing work

What students are saying

What this transformational training can open up for you

Danika Jones

Lavender Cohort

"This was a very transformative training for me as a forest bathing guide and as a person. I look at the world in such a different way now and am so grateful. While at times I wish I had this new found perspective for longer, I know this is exactly the right time for me to be going through this. This training has not only prepared me for guiding forest therapy walks but feel like it has provided the space, prompts and support for me to do some much needed remembering of who I am and what my purpose is while I am here on earth. I approach almost every aspect of my life in a new light and am beyond grateful that I listened to my gut and pushed through my edges and completed this course. For me, it was life changing."

Sara Danford

Lotus Cohort

"While, on its surface, this learning journey has been a journey to becoming a certified Guide, it has been so much deeper than that. It has been a journey back to self-trust and autonomy. It has changed how I view myself, the wider world, and my place in the world. I am crossing the threshold from Trainee to Guide with a clear sense of my vocation and how to bring that to life in the world. This experience has been so healing and so much more than just learning a new skill. Thank you."

Kaira Lim

Mossy Forest Cohort

"Before enrolling in this forest therapy course, I was actually learning mindfulness and trying to apply mindfulness in my everyday life. However, sitting down and noticing my breath didn't work well for me. On a really challenging mental health day, I gave up sitting down to meditate, and walked into the forest instead. I sat with a stone for 20 minutes, and from then on I knew that my path would take me out of the meditation room and into the arms of mother nature. Since enrolling in the course, I have discovered the power of now. Not in force-fitting myself into a method that didn't work for me, but in opening the doors of my senses and trusting my heart, body, and the forest to guide me through the door. The power of now lay in being relationally present with nature, with others, and with myself; not in a sterile room of isolation. Through these 6 months, I have become more present to Love -- through relationship, connection and remembrance."

Natasha Sizlo

Mossy Forest Cohort

"After losing my home in the fires, I was drawn to this course as a way to steady myself and begin to heal. What I received was far more than I expected. This training taught me how to slow down, listen deeply, and relate to the natural world as a living partner rather than a backdrop. One of the greatest challenges was unlearning the urge to fix or overexplain, and learning to trust simplicity, silence, and the wisdom of the land. The impact has been profound. I am now offering forest therapy in Los Angeles and Montecito with confidence and ease, and already working with clients through referrals. This course didn’t just support my healing, it fundamentally changed how I show up in my life and work."

Jennifer Zara

Regal Birdflower Cohort

"Taking this course has been life-changing for me. I've always been a "nature person" but I had no idea just how much deeper my connection to nature could be. I have reignited my childhood awe with the natural world without feeling embarrassed by it. Now I am proud of my connection to nature and hope to lead by example so that others can have no hesitation in their true feelings for the natural world and the more-than-human-beings. While this course has been absolutely amazing it has not been without its challenges. Public speaking has always been a huge challenge for me so this is something that I've been working on during the course and I'm sure I will continue to improve as I do more walks. This course has allowed me to reconnect with my true self."

Yuliana K

Sky of Clouds Cohort

"This learning journey has been very meaningful for me. The value of slowing down truly opened for me for the first time. Through this course I began to recognize my own natural rhythm of being. For many years I have lived and worked in a very intense and fast environment, and this practice helped me rediscover a different pace of life. For the first time in a long time, I felt that I was in the right place with my cohort. Many things in the course resonated deeply with me. Some things still feel challenging, and I know this is part of the path. At home, I noticed that I spend more time simply observing the space around me instead of trying to control everything. This has influenced my relationship with my children. I feel less tension and more trust. I realized that I am not responsible for everything all the time. In the same way that we say “the forest has your back,” I began to feel that life also has my back. The regular practice of walks and the shift from acting in the world to being in relationship with it has changed the quality of my life. I look forward with an open heart to continuing this path."

FAQ

  • What exactly do I achieve at the end, and what is ANFT certification?

    When you complete the training, you become a Certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT), which is recognized as one of the founding, most established certification bodies in the field. In practical terms, you'll leave with: ANFT Certification, which allows you to use the title "Certified Forest Therapy Guide" and practice professionally under that credential. Listing in the ANFT Guide Directory, connecting you to a global network of guides and to potential clients searching for someone in your area. Proficiency in the ANFT sequence and methodology, the walk structure and set of invitations that guides use to open a relational, embodied experience of nature for others. Membership in a living community of practice — ongoing peer connection, continuing education opportunities, and a lineage of guides who support one another well beyond the training itself.

  • What does it cost in total, including things not in the price above?

    Part 1 - Online: Tuition for the 6-month online certification training is US $3,350.00 Students may opt to select a payment plan for tuition if full payment cannot be made upfront. Payment plans are for $560 per month over six months, $3,360.00 USD total, with the first payment of $560 serving as a deposit that will confirm your enrollment and reserve your space in the course. Part 2 - In-Person: The tuition for the four-day immersion is $495. It does not include travel, lodging, or meals. You will have two years from the completion of your core guide training to do the immersion. Payment for the immersion is made only upon registration for the immersion. There is no payment for immersion necessary at the start of Part 1, the 6-month online training.

  • How much time per week does the online part take?

    8 to 12 hours each week between live meetings (on Zoom, which are recorded in the event you miss them), online course work (such as reading, videos, quizzes), and field work in nature (practicing invitations, sit spot, and walks)

  • Do I need prior experience, or a background in therapy or nature work?

    There are only two requirements for joining: an ability to communicate semi-fluently in the language the course is being offered in and an enthusiasm for nature.

  • What is the refund and cancellation policy?

    Please view our full Payment, Transfer, and Refund Policy here: https://anft.earth/payment-refund-policy/

  • What happens if I miss a live session?

    Main live sessions are recorded. You can make-up less than half of those session and still be eligible for certification.

  • Can I work as a guide anywhere in the world after this?

    Yes! We have guides internationally who work in their own communities and travel to others to guide walks all over our beautiful Earth.

  • Who do I contact if I have a question before enrolling?

    Please reach out to [email protected] with any specific questions.