GIFT Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program

Join the international community of Certified Forest Therapy Guides and health care professional practitioners in this inspiring and growing field.

This six-month program begins with an 8-day intensive course (August 20-27, 2021 at Tofino Botanical Gardens), followed by a six-month mentored practicum completed through distance study with a personal mentor and peer group support. The Global Institute of Forest Therapy (GIFT) has a wonderful and engaging community of students, guides, mentors, and instructors who will share and support your journey.

Forest Therapy, also known as Forest Bathing and Shinrin-Yoku, is a therapeutic practice that guides people to an inner state of relaxation through a series of sensory-oriented invitations, bringing them into a present moment relationship with the forest. It is a gentle, physically undemanding practice based in a forested area.

The practice supports a deeper connection with the more than human world and invites a spirit of reciprocity to benefit the health of both humans and forests. The therapeutic benefits of this practice are primarily attributed to the interaction and relationship between the client and the forest environment, with the forest therapy guide utilizing the best practices for bringing the client into this relationship. It is a practice within the larger field of eco-therapy and ecopsychology.

At GIFT we say "Guided by Nature, We Heal".

For more information on GIFT and their training programs (including August in Tofino) follow links to the website.