Welcome to Sanctum, the first sensory experience centre in the Baltic States. Surrounded by the vast pine and mixed woodlands of Nemenčinė Forest, Sanctum hosted Lithuania’s first FTHub Certified Forest Bathing Guide and FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner training, bringing together a diverse group of participants.
The FTHub training combined immersive forest bathing practice with experiential learning, giving participants the opportunity to develop practical guiding skills through direct engagement with reflective exercises and shared group experiences within Lithuania’s rich forest landscape.
A Growing Shift in European Education Towards Interdisciplinary Cooperation
The training echoes a trend that has been growing across Europe: a recognition that experiential learning should play a larger role in higher education and professional training. Universities and institutions in countries such as Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands are integrating outdoor learning, environmental psychology, and wellbeing practices into their programs. In Lithuania as well, conversations around innovative and interdisciplinary education are gaining momentum, especially as young professionals begin to prioritize learning that combines scientific knowledge with practical experience and personal growth.
Inga Dreimane, an FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner and Trainer who is actively involved in the Forest Therapy Institute Lab, noted that for the participants, interdisciplinary cooperation lay at the core of their choice:
“What we can see from the participant feedback is that they see university programs as being for doctors, and most of them come from other fields: biomedicine, library science, pedagogy, psychologists, ornithologist, etc. The choice for this training was based on the international background and cooperation with universities. For most of the participants, it was a practical chance to get to know what Forest Therapy and Forest Bathing is and what it is not.”
This tells us that interdisciplinary cooperation is at its strongest when a valuable hands-on element is included. While Lithuanian universities provide essential theoretical foundations, the training focused on the FTHud Method for forest therapy often creates a different kind of learning environment. This practical dimension offers significant advantages over more traditional academic settings.
Becoming a FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner requires more than understanding research or methodology; it also involves developing empathy, observation skills, and the ability to guide others through experiences in nature. Such skills are often best developed through practice and shared experiences. One rooted in direct experience, reflection, and human connection. Participants were not only introduced to the concepts behind nature-based wellbeing practices, but also invited to actively engage with them through guided forest bathing sessions, sensory exercises, group facilitation, and time spent immersed in nature in the forests.
Learning Through Immersion
The FTHub training demonstrated how immersive learning environments can support both professional development and personal growth. By stepping away from lecture halls and into forests, participants were encouraged not only to learn about forest therapy, but to experience firsthand the restorative qualities that lie at the heart of the practice.
FAQ
What is forest therapy training and who is it for?
FTHub Forest Therapy training teaches professionals how to guide others through structured nature-based experiences and interventions for health and wellbeing. It is open to people from any background, healthcare, education, environmental sciences, and beyond, not only those with medical qualifications.
How does FTHub forest therapy training differ from a university programme?
FTHub training is built around direct experience in nature rather than academic lectures. Participants develop practical guiding skills through immersive forest bathing sessions, sensory exercises, and group work in real forest settings, alongside a structured scientific curriculum.
What happened at Sanctum in Lithuania?
Sanctum, the first sensory experience centre in the Baltic States, hosted Lithuania’s first FTHub Certified Forest Bathing Guide and FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner training in Nemenčinė Forest near Vilnius. Participants came from diverse professional fields including biomedicine, pedagogy, and library science.
Why are European professionals increasingly choosing experiential nature-based training?
Professionals across Europe are looking for training that combines scientific grounding with practical application. Countries like Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands have been integrating outdoor and nature-based approaches into professional education, and this shift is now reaching Lithuania and the wider Baltic region.
