FTHub Summer School
Barcelona
July 11–18, 2027
Train where the Mediterranean forest meets the city that started it all
FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner
8-Day In-person Immersive Training
- July 11–18, 2027
- Barcelona | Spain
- In English and Spanish
- Limited to 15 Participants
Free Insight Session
NOVEMBER 12
6 pm CET · 5 pm UK · Noon ET · 11 am CT · 9 am PT
Learn all about the in-person immersive training program with experts and trainers.
This training is supported by:
Watch
From previous editions
A glimpse into what an FTHub intensive in-person training looks like in practice.
Why train with Forest Therapy Hub?
The only method researched at scale with international public funding.
What sets this apart
What makes it unique
FTHub Summer School Barcelona is where this movement began. Barcelona is the home of Forest Therapy Hub, the city where the FTHub Method and the Liquid Interactions Model were created, and from which the organization has grown into a global network spanning 80+ countries. Training here is not just another location. It is a homecoming.
You will train in Collserola Natural Park, which borders Barcelona itself, and in other Mediterranean natural settings, guided by FTHub’s training team and international experts present with you throughout the program. Barcelona offers what no other Summer School can: the intersection of a vibrant European city, a rich Mediterranean ecology, and the organization’s own roots.
The location
The Setting
The Barcelona region sits between the sea and a coastal range, creating a landscape where urban life and wild nature coexist in proximity. The largest metropolitan natural park in Europe, Collserola Natural Park dominates the city skyline: over 8,000 hectares of Mediterranean forest with holm oak, Aleppo pine, and dense maquis shrubland. The training combines university facilities for indoor sessions with natural parks for field practice. Each day moves between environments, giving participants direct experience facilitating varied Mediterranean landscapes.
This is not a backdrop. It is the training.
Main program locations
A TYPICAL DAY
Mornings begin in the field: a Forest Bathing Walk through the holm oak forests of Collserola, a guided sensory session in a Mediterranean pine grove, or a field trip to a natural park outside the city. After lunch, the group gathers for module content: theory, methodology, expert sessions, and debriefs. The rhythm is deliberate: experience first, then science, then integration.
Who Is This For?
Who is this training for?
From all backgrounds. At any stage.
Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Guides trained by other organizations who are ready for advanced practice
Health and well-being professionals (psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers, nurses, physicians) looking to integrate nature-based approaches
Educators, trainers, and facilitators working with specific populations in nature-based settings
Organizational well-being and HR professionals designing nature-based programs
Environmental and ecotourism professionals expanding into therapeutic services
Community health practitioners developing green social prescribing programs
Experienced nature-based practitioners seeking the highest professional certification and recognition
Curriculum
What you will learn
Six areas of advanced therapeutic competence.
Nature-Based Intervention Design
How to design structured, population-specific interventions with clear goals, session progressions, and outcome measures. You learn to create multi-session programs, not just individual sessions, using the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions as your design framework.
Working with Specific Populations
Adapting your practice to diverse groups: people experiencing stress, anxiety, burnout, grief, chronic conditions, social isolation, and life transitions. You develop the awareness to tailor interventions to the needs, capacities, and contexts of each group, from corporate teams to community health settings to therapeutic programs.
Advanced Facilitation & Holding Space
Deepening your facilitation practice: trauma-informed approaches, working with strong emotions, managing risk in nature-based settings, and the ethics of therapeutic practice.
Research Literacy & Evidence-Based Practice
Reading and applying research findings. Designing assessment frameworks for your programs. Contributing to the evidence base as a practitioner-researcher.
Healthcare & Institutional Integration
How to position Forest Therapy within existing pathways, healthcare, education, social care, and corporate well-being. Nature social prescribing models, referral systems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the language and frameworks that institutions use.
Advanced Application
Building on the foundational understanding gained at the FTHub Forest Bathing Guide level, you apply the FTHub Method, the Liquid Interactions Model, and the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions at a therapeutic level, designing multi-session programs with structured sequences adapted to specific populations and institutional contexts.
What's Included
What’s included in every FTHub Summer School
- All program content is delivered in person during the immersion. All trainers and experts are present on site.
- 8 days of intensive, immersive, in-person FTHub Forest Bathing Guide training with experienced FTHub lead trainers
- Full FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner curriculum: intervention design, specific populations, healthcare integration, advanced facilitation, research literacy
- Daily field practice in the local natural environment
- Real-time feedback from FTHub lead trainers
- International cohort experience, with professionals from diverse countries and backgrounds
- Dual certificate upon completion: FTHub Certified Forest Bathing Guide + FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner
- Hub Seedlings Pro Annual membership: directory listing, professional tools, network, and Lab access
- Priority consideration for FTI Lab research projects
+ Online access
also included
In addition to the in-person training, you can still enjoy the standard 36-week online access to the full course materials, 16 live online classes, 72 online mentoring sessions with group dynamics, and 12 online Forest Bathing Walks.
Attendance at this online content is not mandatory, but it allows you to revisit the content at your own pace and complete the practice requirements.
3.300 €
EARLY BIRD: EUR 2900 | USD 3290
Until October 22, 2026
EARLY BIRD: EUR 3100 | USD 3520
Until January 21, 2027
FLEXIBLE PAYMENT PLAN:
#1 | Registration (deposit): EUR 1000 | USD 1137
#2 | March 8, 2027: 50% of the remaining amount
#3 | May 17, 2027: 50% of the remaining amount
PROGRAM Outline
Full program outline
The FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner program is structured in modules that combine self-paced learning, live online sessions, and practical assignments. It builds from the FTHub Forest Bathing Guide curriculum into an advanced therapeutic practice.
Click the tab below for the complete program structure.
Modules 1 – 14 | Full content outline
Module 1 – FTHub Conceptual Framework
- Principles of health and their practical application.
- Planetary Health: principles of health and its contributing factors.
Module 2 – Knowledge to Design Nature Experiences
- Path selection criteria in diverse natural environments, such as marine environments, rivers, forests, deserts, and urban parks.
- Risk analysis to create a safe environment for the participants.
Module 3 – Skills and Techniques to Guide Nature Experiences
- Group management techniques and facilitation of dynamics that support the experience of the participants.
- Methods and skills to communicate effectively with the participants.
Module 4 – Relation Between Nature and Humans
- Somatic components of connection.
- Practical skills for an optimal bodily experience of connection with the environment.
Module 5 – FTHub Method: Sequences
- Theoretical framework of the FTHub Walk Activities Sequences.
- FTHub Walk Activities Sequences.
Module 6 – FTHub Method: Liquid Interactions Model
- The Liquid Interactions Model: theoretical inspiration.
- The Liquid Interactions Model: structure, science, and themes to design nature connection activities.
- From theory and science to practice: how to apply the theoretical foundations to the design of nature-based activities.
Module 7 – Nature-Based Well-being Plan, Social Prescribing and Green Prescription
- Conceptualize and design Nature-Based Well-being Plans.
- Integrate health and well-being practices under social prescribing and nature prescription.
Module 8 – Theories, Science, and Scientific Research
- Fundamentals of Forest Medicine: practical integration of the main benefits of nature in human health.
- Scientific foundations and techniques to enhance your nature connectedness and support that of your participants.
Module 9 – Expressive Arts in Nature and Skills to Integrate Nature-Based Well-being Practices into Professional Contexts
- Expressive arts: practical application in Forest Bathing.
- Fundamental elements of organizational and emotional well-being nature-based experiences.
Module 10 – Skills for Selecting Healthy Spaces: urban parks, green and aquatic environments
- Knowledge about ecosystems and diversity, and their impact on well-being.
Module 11 – Design of Forest Therapy Interventions
- The steps and elements to be considered when designing a Forest Therapy intervention.
- The life cycles model and the importance of the Liquid Interactions Model (LIM) in designing appropriate interventions.
- Specific populations: vulnerable populations and mental health disorders, and how Forest Bathing/Therapy can alleviate them, based on scientific studies.
Module 12 – FTHub Nature-Based intervention model
- The FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions.
- FTHub Forest Therapy Intervention Program.
- Operationalized Forest Therapy Interventions grounded in +30 pilot research projects.
- Programs with intervention recommendations by Life Cycle and by Specific Populations following the FTHub Method.
Module 13 – Group Dynamics: general well-being and the link to clinical, social, and holistic applications
- Development of personal skills and resources to support the integration of experiences.
Module 14 – Nature-Based Expressive Arts as an intervention tool
- Expressive Arts in Nature for Forest Therapy interventions.
- Intervention evaluation and scales.
- Scientific References
A bibliography with more than 340 references and scientific articles on which the training is based
- Certification Requirements
+ Design a Nature-Based Well-being Plan
+ Design a Nature-Based Intervention following the FTHub Intervention Program.
- Additional Requirements
+ Certification in “First Aid” (or “Wilderness First Aid”)
+ Certification in “Mental Health First Aid”
These certifications are not provided by the FTHub and are not included in the training fee. They can be completed during the rest of the program.
The Team
Trainers & Experts
Bring out your best with an interdisciplinary and multicultural team of the most experienced trainers and leading international experts in specific areas of knowledge. All trainers and experts listed will be present in person during the training.
Dr Jill Litt
Prof. Environ. Health Univ. Colorado | Assoc. Res. ISGlobal BCN
USA
Carlos A. Faerron
Assoc. Dir. Planetary Health Alliance
Costa Rica
Dr Kirsten McEwan
PhD Psych | Research Psychologist, Univ. of Derby
United Kingdom
Alex Gesse
Executive Director
Spain
Manuela Renzi
Training and Capacity Building Director
Italy
Inga Dreimane
Project Manager
Latvia
Dual Certification
The FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner program awards a dual certificate: you graduate as an FTHub Certified Forest Bathing Guide and an FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner.
This means the program covers the full FTHub Forest Bathing Guide curriculum before advancing to therapeutic practice, making it suitable for professionals who want to complete the entire pathway in one program.
FTHub Certified
Forest Bathing Guide
FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner
Logistics
Program details
Everything you need to plan your stay and prepare for the training.
PROGRAM LOCATIONS
The training will be itinerant, with different locations designated as “CAMPUS” inside and outside the city. The DIBA (Barcelona Provincial Council) Llacuna site will serve as the central point of the training. The departure point for all the field trips outside the city of Barcelona will be the Barcelona Century Hotel (map) (metro: L1, Red Line, Urgell station).
DIBA Llacuna site, Barcelona (info | map). The central training location for indoor sessions. Metro: L4, Yellow Line, Llacuna station.
DIBA Collserola Natural Park (info | map). Meeting point and transportation departure: 8:30 am, Barcelona Century Hotel.
DIBA Montnegre i el Corredor Park (info | map). Meeting point and transportation departure: 8:30 am, Barcelona Century Hotel.
Barcelona Institute for Global Health (info | map). Next to the beach and within walking distance from the DIBA Llacuna site. Metro: L4, Yellow Line, Ciutadella Vila Olímpica station.
Jardí del Silenci (info | map). Tucked away in the heart of the Gràcia district. Metro: L4, Yellow Line, Joanic station.
ACCOMMODATION
Barcelona offers a diverse range of hotels of various styles and prices. We recommend booking hotels in these neighborhoods: Poblenou, Eixample, or Gràcia.
The Barcelona Century Hotel will accommodate the team and the experts. Registration at this hotel is not mandatory.
MEALS
A welcome dinner is included in the training fee. Other meals are at the participant’s discretion. For lunch, FTHub may pre-reserve specific restaurants where you can pay directly. Each will offer a range of prices and cater to diverse dietary requirements.
A few weeks before the event, the Learning Team will contact you regarding any specific dietary restrictions.
COSTS
The training fee includes a welcome dinner and transportation to and from program locations outside the hotel, as detailed below. All other food, transportation, and accommodation costs are not included.
The training program may be slightly modified due to weather conditions or force majeure. A detailed schedule will be provided to registered participants one month before the start of the training.
If you have further questions or require assistance with planning your accommodation and travel, please contact us at adm@foresttherapyhub.com.
TRAINING CALENDAR
WELCOME & DINNER | July 11 | 7:30 – 9:30 pm | Centfocs Restaurant (info | map).
BREAKS | Lunch break: 1:00 – 3:00 pm | Coffee breaks will be provided during the content sessions.
| DAY | MORNING | AFTERNOON |
Jul | FIELD TRIP | Campus: DIBA Collserola Natural Park (info | map) Transportation departure: 8:30 am, Barcelona Century Hotel (map) 9:30 am–Noon: Forest Bathing Walk #1 – Guide in Mediterranean Forests | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00–4:00 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief 4:30–5:30 pm: Module 1 – FTHub Conceptual Framework |
Jul | FIELD TRIP | Campus: GRÀCIA Barcelona – Jardí del Silenci (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Workshop – Nature-based Well-being Plan 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Module 7 – Nature-based Well-being Plan, Social Prescribing and Green Prescription | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00–4:00 pm: Module 2 – Knowledge to Design Experiences in Nature 4:30–5:30 pm: Module 3 – Skills and Techniques to Guide Experiences in Nature |
Jul | FIELD TRIP | Campus: DIBA Montnegre i el Corredor Park (info | map) Transportation departure: 8:30 am, Barcelona Century Hotel (map) 9:30 am–11:30 pm: Forest Bathing Walk #2 – Guide in Central European and Subalpine Forests 12:00–1:00 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00–4:00 pm: Module 5 – The FTHub Method: Sequences 4:30–5:30 pm: Module 6 – The FTHub Method: Liquid Interactions Model |
Jul | FIELD TRIP | Campus: GRÀCIA Barcelona – Jardí del Silenci (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #3 – Guide in Urban Environments 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00–4:00 pm: Module 4 – The Relation between Nature and People 4:30–5:30 pm: Module 8 – Theories, Science, and Scientific Research |
Jul | Campus: ISGlobal – Barcelona Institute for Global Health (info | map) 9:00 am–2:30 pm: Content by experts | Out on your own, designing and leading your first sessions: student preparation |
Jul | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 9:00–10:00 am: Module 11 – Design of Forest Therapy Interventions 10:00–11:00 am: Module 12 – FTHub Nature-based Intervention Model 11:30 am–1:00 pm: Module 13 – Group Dynamics: General Well-Being and Link with Clinical, Social, and Holistic Applications | FIELD TRIP | Campus: GRÀCIA Barcelona – Jardí del Silenci (info | map) 3:00–4:00 pm: Module 9 – Expressive Arts in Nature and Skills to Integrate Nature-based Well-being Practices into Professional Contexts 4:30–5:30 pm: Module 14 – Nature-based Expressive Arts as an Intervention Tool |
Jul | Campus: Parc de la Ciutadella (info | map) 9:00–11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #4 11:00 am–Noon: Closure | CLOSING CEREMONY | – |
WELCOME & DINNER | July 11 | 6:30 – 9:30 pm | Centfocs Restaurant (info | map).
BREAKS | Lunch break: 1:00 – 3:00 pm | During the content sessions, 30-minute coffee breaks will be provided.
| DAY | MORNING | AFTERNOON |
| Jul 12 | FIELD TRIP | Campus: DIBA Collserola Natural Park (info | map) Transportation departure: 8:30 am, Barcelona Century Hotel (map) 9:30 am – Noon: Forest Bathing Walk #1 – Guide in Mediterranean Forests | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00 – 4:15 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief 4:45 – 5:30 pm: Module 1 – FTHub Conceptual Framework |
| Jul 13 | FIELD TRIP | Campus: GRÀCIA Barcelona – Jardí del Silenci (info | map) 9:00 – 11:00 am: Workshop – Nature-based Well-being Plan 11:30 am – 1:00 pm: Module 7 – Nature-based Well-being Plan | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00 – 4:15 pm: Module 2 – Knowledge to Design Experiences in Nature 4:45 – 6:00 pm: Module 3 – Skills and Techniques to Guide Experiences in Nature |
| Jul 14 | FIELD TRIP | Campus: DIBA Montnegre i el Corredor Park (info | map) Transportation departure: 8:30 am, Barcelona Century Hotel (map) 10:30 am – 12:30 pm: Forest Bathing Walk #2 – Guide in Central European and Subalpine Forests | FIELD TRIP | Campus: DIBA Montnegre i el Corredor Park (cont.) 3:00 – 4:30 pm: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief |
| Jul 15 | FIELD TRIP | Campus: GRÀCIA Barcelona – Jardí del Silenci (info | map) 9:00 – 10:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #3 – Guide in Urban Environments 10:00 – 10:30 am: Forest Bathing Walk Debrief 11:00 am – Noon: Module 4 – The Relation between Nature and People Noon – 1:00 pm: Module 8 – Theories, Science, and Scientific Research | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00 – 4:15 pm: Module 5 – The FTHub Method: Sequences 4:45 – 6:00 pm: Module 6 – The FTHub Method: Liquid Interactions Model |
| Jul 16 | Campus: ISGlobal – Barcelona Institute for Global Health (info | map) 9:00 am – 2:30 pm: Content by experts | – Forest Bathing Walk, student preparation |
| Jul 17 | FIELD TRIP | Campus: GRÀCIA Barcelona – Jardí del Silenci (info | map) 9:00 – 10:00 am: Module 9 – Expressive Arts in Nature and Skills to Integrate Nature-based Well-being Practices into Professional Contexts 10:00 – 11:00 am: Module 14 – Nature-based Expressive Arts as an Intervention Tool 11:30 am – 1:00 pm: Module 13 – Group Dynamics: General Well-Being and Link with Clinical, Social, and Holistic Applications | Campus: DIBA Barcelona (info | map) 3:00 – 4:15 pm: Module 11 – Design of Forest Therapy Interventions. 4:45 – 6:00 pm: Module 12 – FTHub Nature-based Intervention Model |
| Jul 18 | Campus: Parc de la Ciutadella (info | map) 9:00 – 11:00 am: Forest Bathing Walk #4 (guides in training) 11:00 am – Noon: Closure | CLOSING CEREMONY | – |
What Our Students Say
Real practitioners. Real outcomes.
Hear from previous FTHub Summer School participants.
Eeeva Salvik
FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner • Switzerland
Elayna Toby Singer
FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner • USA
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any preparation required before this FTHub Summer School In-Person Forest Therapy Practitioner training?
No mandatory preparation is required. However, if you want to arrive with context, we recommend browsing the FTHub Method page and the FTHub 5 Components of Nature-Based Interventions page on our website. You may also find it valuable to spend time near water or in a local green space, simply noticing sounds, textures, light, and movement, as a personal baseline before the training begins.
Are places limited?
Yes. FTHub Summer Schools is limited to 15 participants to ensure personalized attention, meaningful group dynamics, and direct access to trainers during every session. Once the group is full, registration closes. We recommend applying early to secure your place.
Is this training suitable for international participants?
Yes. The training is delivered in English and Spanish. EU/EEA citizens need no visa. Citizens of most other countries can enter Spain visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days in the Schengen area). Check current requirements before travelling.
How do I get to Barcelona?
Fly to Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN), with direct flights from major cities across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Latin America. From the airport, the city center is approximately 30 minutes by Aerobus, metro, taxi, or train. High-speed rail (AVE) also connects Barcelona to Madrid and other Spanish and European cities.
Where should I stay?
Accommodation is at your discretion. Barcelona offers a vast range of options across all budgets and neighborhoods. July is peak season, so early booking is recommended. FTHub can assist with planning if needed. Contact adm@foresttherapyhub.com.
What should I bring?
No specialist equipment is required. Comfortable outdoor clothing suitable for walking in a Mediterranean forest in summer. Sturdy footwear with good grip; forest trails can be dry and rocky. Sun protection (hat, sunscreen). Light layers for air-conditioned indoor sessions. A notebook for reflections.
What is the weather like?
July in Barcelona is warm and sunny, with temperatures typically between 28–32°C and long daylight hours. Rain is rare. The Mediterranean forest provides natural shade during outdoor sessions. Indoor sessions are air-conditioned. We recommend sun protection, plenty of water, and lightweight breathable clothing. The program may be adjusted for weather conditions if necessary.
