Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant
Specialized
accreditation
Assess, design, and certify healing natural spaces
Not all natural spaces are equally therapeutic. The qualities that make a landscape support health, biodiversity, sensory richness, perceived safety, accessibility, and restorative potential can be assessed, measured, and designed for.
Cities and communities need spaces that heal. The FTHub Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant accreditation trains professionals to do exactly that: evaluate existing natural spaces for their therapeutic potential, design new or improved landscapes that support nature-based health interventions, and certify therapeutic spaces on behalf of FTHub.
Overview
Program at a glance
Format
100% online · Asynchronous · Flexible & Self-paced
Duration
50–60 hours of learning · 6 months to complete the program, including the practical final assignment
Language
English
Price
1.200 €
+ Flexible payment plans available
Annual Maintenance Fee
EUR 250 | USD 284 to maintain an active Accredited Consultant status
+ The first year is free.
+ 2 live online update calls per year for continued support and guidance
Accreditation
FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant
+ Accredited to assess, design, and certify therapeutic spaces
+ Issue Therapeutic Spaces Certificates on behalf of FTHub
Included
Hub Seedlings Pro Annual membership
Network, articles and events, professional tools, practice-building courses, FTI Lab access, discounts, and more
Prerequisites
Previous or ongoing training as an FTHub Certified Nature Connection Specialist, Forest Bathing Guide, or Forest Therapy Practitioner
FTI Lab Connection
Priority consideration for FTI Lab projects in Therapeutic Landscape research
The most rigorously evidenced therapeutic landscapes certification available internationally.
Backed by over EUR 6M in EU research funding through NATURELAB, and EUR 15M+ in total public research funding through FTHub’s wider project portfolio.
1.200 €
Pay in full or in 3 installments.
PAYMENT IN 3 INSTALLMENTS AVAILABLE:
- First EUR 560 | USD 637
- Then 2 monthly payments of EUR 350 | USD 398
- Includes a surcharge of EUR 60 | USD 69
The scope
What you can Assess, Design, and Certify
The program covers 3 distinct categories of therapeutic landscapes:
Therapeutic
Forests & Trails
Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy trails, Therapeutic Forests, Forest Therapy stations, community woodlands, parks, greenways, and ecological buffer zones.
Therapeutic
Micro-Spaces and Gardens
Botanical gardens, hospital and school gardens, sensory spaces, rooftop gardens, and pocket parks.
Therapeutic
Blue Spaces
Beaches, rivers, lakes, wetlands, water gardens, fountains, riverwalks, and restored riverfronts.
Eligibility
Who is this Accreditation Training for?
At the intersection of forest therapy and spatial design.
Landscape architects and urban planners incorporating health outcomes into green space design
Municipal planners and regional authorities developing therapeutic green infrastructure
Advanced FTHub Certified Forest Therapy Practitioners expanding into spatial assessment and design consultancy
Ecotourism operators and public health officials working with nature prescription
Environmental designers working on parks, gardens, and public landscapes
Land managers responsible for forests, parks, and nature reserves with public health goals
Healthcare facility managers exploring outdoor therapeutic spaces
As a prerequisite to apply for this training, you need previous or ongoing training as an FTHub Certified Nature Connection Specialist, Forest Bathing Guide, or Forest Therapy Practitioner. If you do not yet meet this prerequisite, we recommend starting with the Nature Connection Specialist course.
Curriculum
What you will learn
The course is organized into structured modules covering the full consultant pathway, from diagnosis to certification:
1Module 1 · Welcome & Course Orientation
Course Overview and Outcomes: Structure, objectives, and expected outcomes of the training journey.
Introduction to tools and resources: Familiarization with the digital and printable materials that will support the learning and field practice.
Guided Professional Reflection – Positioning Yourself in the Course: Encourage participants to set individual objectives and connect the course content with their own professional context.
2 Module 2 – The Role and Skills of the Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant
Build a holistic, professional mindset to guide processes, engage stakeholders, and apply ethical principles of transparency, equity, and accessibility.
Consultant, facilitator, systems thinker: Develop the professional mindset needed to guide processes, mediate interests, and approach landscapes holistically.
Collaboration with land managers, communities, and health actors: Learn strategies to engage diverse stakeholders in co-creating therapeutic spaces.
Ethics, responsibility, and inclusion: Understand the ethical framework guiding transparency, equity, and accessibility in practice.
Roles across different contexts: Explore how the consultant’s role adapts to different types of therapeutic environments:
- Therapeutic Forests & Trails: Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy trails, therapeutic forests and Forest Therapy stations, community woodlands, parks, greenways, and ecological buffer zones.
- Therapeutic Micro-Spaces and Gardens: botanical gardens, hospital and school gardens, sensory spaces, rooftop and pocket parks.
- Therapeutic Blue Spaces: beaches, rivers, lakes, wetlands, water gardens, fountains, riverwalks, and restored riverfronts.
3 Module 3 – Foundations of Therapeutic Green & Blue Spaces
Nature and Public Health / Frameworks and Priorities: Examine global frameworks that connect natural environments with public health strategies.
Scientific Foundations of Nature-Based Health Benefits: Review key evidence on physiological, psychological, and social outcomes of contact with green and blue spaces.
Definitions and Ecological-Human Intersections: Clarify core concepts and explore how ecosystems and human systems interrelate in therapeutic contexts.
Nature Equity, Accessibility, and Therapeutic Design: Understand how equitable access and inclusive nature-based design principles shape the health impact of nature-based spaces.
4 Module 4 – Design of Therapeutic Spaces
Learn the core principles of designing Therapeutic Landscapes, zoning of trails, sensory inputs, signage, microclimate, ecological and social functions, and co-design with communities.
Core Design Principles for Therapeutic Landscapes: basic requirements, consideration of local climate, environmental quality, and infrastructure.
Trails & Accessibility: Trail zoning and difficulty; sensory inputs; micro-climate; signage, accessibility, risk reduction, and criteria for healing trails (length, seating, shade, noise protection).
Socio-ecological Roles: Ecological, psychological, social, and therapeutic functions; creating continuity between the contribution of green corridors to people and therapeutic uses.
Community & Professional Integration: Co-design with communities (schools, mental health groups, etc.); partnerships with clinics, schools, and local governments; programming for diverse populations (children, elderly, neurodivergent); involvement of professionals.
5 Module 5 – Assessment Criteria
What Makes a High-Quality Green and Blue Trail or Space? Discover key standards for quality, biodiversity, safety, and visitor experience. Assess site access, features, and ecological balance, and identify risks to ensure participants’ safety.
Environmental Characteristics: studies ecosystem health, biodiversity, microclimate comfort, and the site’s capacity to offer restorative experiences while maintaining ecological balance and resilience.
Spatial & Infrastructural Characteristics: infrastructure, accessibility, spatial qualities, and facilities that influence user experience.
Natural & Cultural Ecosystem Services: Examine vegetation and sensory richness, wildlife diversity, and sustainable management practices that ensure ecological balance.
Risk Assessment: Identify physical, environmental, cultural, and biological risks to guarantee participants’ safety.
Visitor & Therapeutic Experience: Usability and comfort to optimize therapeutic value.
6 Module 6 – Step-By-Step Site Planning & Design
Learn the methodology to analyze sites, engage stakeholders, design and refine plans, and prepare certification-ready implementation reports.
PHASE 1: PLANNING
Establishing agreements, analyzing the site, gathering baseline data, and involving stakeholders to set a strong foundation.
Initial Contact & Agreements
- Engage with land managers and relevant authorities.
- Draft and sign MoUs or partnership agreements.
Baseline Documentation
- Green and Blue Spaces Assessment Checklist: Safety, accessibility, ecological health, visitor experience.
- Site Mapping Template: Sketching, annotating, and sample trail maps.
Community & Stakeholder Input
- Conduct visitor experience surveys.
- Facilitate community discussions to gather qualitative input.
Presentation & Feedback: Preliminary Results Report Drafting
- Cross-check against the Green and Blue Spaces Assessment Checklist and the Site Mapping Template to ensure readiness for implementation.
- Transform field notes and stakeholder input into a professional design report.
- Use the Preliminary Results Report Template to consolidate findings and identify therapeutic potential and to present findings and proposed designs to stakeholders.
- Align recommendations with land managers and stakeholders to ensure ecological, social, and therapeutic coherence.
- Facilitate structured discussions to validate and refine the design.
PHASE 2: PRESENTING AND ADJUSTING THE SPACE DESIGN
Presenting the proposed design, collecting feedback, and refining the plan before implementation.
Final Documentation: Technical Design Report for Therapeutic Space Development
- Structured framework for documenting site assessments, design criteria, and development recommendations to support the planning and implementation of therapeutic spaces.
- Professional, ready-to-customize format for compiling observations, evaluations, and evidence-based design decisions.
- Transforms field notes and stakeholder input into a coherent, rigorous design report.
7 Module 7 – Step-By-Step Implementation, Certification & Monitoring
Navigate certification and set up monitoring and re-certification strategies to ensure long-term quality.
PHASE 3: IMPLEMENTATION
Executing the approved design, making ecological and infrastructural adjustments, and piloting the space.
Site Preparation & Infrastructure: Improve access, signage, resting areas, and basic facilities to ensure usability.
Ecological & Environmental Adjustments: Protect sensitive zones while enhancing biodiversity.
Therapeutic Design Features: Create spaces for group activities, sensory engagement, and safe interaction with natural elements.
Safety & Risk Mitigation: Address slopes, crossings, hazards, and emergency access to minimize risks.
Testing & Validation
- Pilot the space with stakeholders and users.
- Gather feedback and make necessary adjustments before certification.
PHASE 4: FINAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS
Formal certification, improvement planning, and establishment of long-term monitoring systems.
Testing & Validation: Survey Template for Stakeholder and Visitor Experience for Green & Blue Therapeutic Spaces
Certification Process
- Submit documentation for certification.
- Participate in standards evaluation and decision-making processes.
- Signing of formal final agreements regarding the awarded certification and brand+logo usage.
Ongoing Maintenance & Monitoring
- Develop and implement long-term monitoring plans.
- Schedule periodic evaluations and apply adaptive management strategies to maintain standards over time.
8 Module 8 – Case Studies & Final Application
Analyze real projects, apply structured assessment and reporting methods, and develop strategic communication skills to integrate Therapeutic Landscapes into local planning.
Case study reviews
From Practice to Insight: Lessons Learned and Assessment Reporting
Strategic Communication and Next Steps for Continuous Quality
+ Course Tools & Resources
Get access to a complete downloadable toolkit to support your consultant work. These resources support each stage of the training, from site analysis to certification and long-term monitoring. All tools are provided in printable and digital formats and include:
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Template
Green and Blue Spaces Assessment Checklist
- Safety: Hazards, signage, terrain
- Accessibility: Entrances, pathways, resting spots
- Ecological health: Biodiversity markers, signs of stress
- Visitor experience: Sensory qualities, aesthetics, flow
Stakeholders Workshop Guide for Co-creation of Therapeutic Green and Blue Spaces
- Community discussion guide with tips for facilitating conversations with stakeholders, land managers, local communities, ONG’s, public bodies, among others
Site Mapping Template
- Blank map grids for sketching or annotating
- Example map of a model trail with notes
Preliminary Results Report Template
- Structured for summarizing observations, ratings, and recommendations to consolidate findings and identify therapeutic potential
- Professional-looking format ready to customize
Technical Design Report for Therapeutic Space Development Template
- Structured for documenting site assessments, design criteria, and development recommendations to support the planning and implementation of therapeutic spaces
- Professional, ready-to-customize format for compiling observations, evaluations, and evidence-based design decisions
- Clear summary of benchmarks required for certification
- Helps participants and partners understand expectations
Testing & Validation: Survey Templates for Stakeholder and Visitor Experience for Green & Blue Therapeutic Spaces
- Sample questions to gather feedback from trail users and stakeholders
- Ready-to-use form for local contexts
Therapeutic Space Certification Agreement Template and Brand & Logo Usage Guide
Monitoring Plan: Annual Evaluation of Sustainability, Maintenance, and Monitoring Template
- To help spaces remain certified through periodic evaluations and adaptive management
- Supports the development and implementation of long-term monitoring plans
- Provides structure for scheduling periodic evaluations
- Guides the application of adaptive management strategies to maintain standards over time
- Ensures sustained quality, safety, and therapeutic impact of the space
Practical final assignment: As part of the training, you will be required to evaluate and certify a real green or blue therapeutic space, developing a full certification dossier applying the methodology and tools learned throughout the program. You will have six months to complete the program, including this final assignment.
The process
How does the step-by-step certification process work?
Four phases from planning to formal certification.
1
Phase 1. Planning
Agreements with site owners or authorities, baseline analysis, and stakeholder engagement. You define the scope, identify the landscape type, and establish the assessment criteria
2
Phase 2. Presenting & Adjusting the Design
Design presentation to stakeholders, incorporating their feedback, and refinement of the assessment and design recommendations based on site-specific conditions.
3
Phase 3. Implementation
Site preparation, ecological enhancement, and piloting. This step is conducted by the consultant or their client before certification—the consultant guides and oversees the process
4
Phase 4. Final Certification
Documentation, evaluation against FTHub criteria, and formal certification. Includes a continuous improvement plan for the space.
Note: Phase 4 requires a specific certification fee, applicable to each certification process, including the one necessary to complete the course.
1.200 €
Pay in full or in 3 installments.
PAYMENT IN 3 INSTALLMENTS AVAILABLE:
- First EUR 560 | USD 637
- Then 2 monthly payments of EUR 350 | USD 398
- Includes a surcharge of EUR 60 | USD 69
Your toolkit
Tools you receive
The FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant program equips you with ready-to-use professional instruments and templates:
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Template
- Green and Blue Spaces Assessment Checklist
- Stakeholders Workshop Guide for Co-creation of Therapeutic Green and Blue Spaces, for municipalities, clinics, communities, etc.
- Site Mapping Template
- Preliminary Results Report Template
- Technical Design Report for Therapeutic Space Development Template
- Testing & Validation: Survey Templates for Stakeholder and Visitor Experience for Green & Blue Therapeutic Spaces
- Therapeutic Space Certification Agreement Template and Brand & Logo Usage Guide
- Monitoring Plan: Annual Evaluation of Sustainability, Maintenance, and Monitoring Template
RESEARCH CONNECTION
The connection to the FTI Lab
The FTI Lab actively works on therapeutic landscape assessment and design as part of its internationally funded research portfolio (NATURELAB, PHorestAll).
FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant graduates are eligible to:
1
Contribute to FTI Lab research projects, applying their skills in real-world settings and gaining access to the latest findings
2
Work with or for the FTI Lab on institutional consultancy projects
3
Collaborate on the development of Therapeutic Spaces & Nature-Based Programs services
4
Access ongoing case studies, benchmarks, and reference sites from the FTHub global network
WHY CHOOSE US
Why FTHub?
Internationally accredited training, recognized by health and education professionals worldwide
Evidence-based methodologies, backed by over EUR 6M in EU and UK research funding
Innovation in nature-based health, with more than EUR 15M in total public research funding
Global network of practitioners and experts across 80+ countries
Blending ancient practices with cutting-edge science, FTHub is the global leader in Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy education
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant?
An FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant is a professional accredited by FTHub to assess, design, and certify natural spaces for their therapeutic potential. The accreditation covers systematic assessment frameworks, evidence-based design principles, integration with nature-based programs, and certification protocols. It is designed for landscape architects, planners, land managers, healthcare facility managers, and advanced Forest Therapy Practitioners.
Do I need to be an FTHub Forest Therapy Practitioner to enroll?
Is the program self-paced?
Yes. The FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant is 100% online, fully asynchronous, and self-paced. Complete the 50–60 hours of learning at your own pace, anytime, anywhere.
Are payment plans available?
Yes. The total program fee can be paid in 3 installments with a small surcharge. The first payment is due at registration, followed by 2 monthly payments, charged automatically to the card provided.
Is there an annual fee after the course?
Yes. To maintain an active FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant status, there is an annual maintenance fee. This includes 2 live online update calls per year for continued support, access to methodology updates, and the right to certify spaces on behalf of FTHub. The first year is free.
Can I certify landscapes after the course?
Yes. In fact, you will certify a real space as part of the course itself. Each certification requires a specific certification fee per space, including the one necessary to complete the course. Since certification processes are usually linked to a specific end client, we recommend including this cost in the professional budget you present to your client. The certification adds formal recognition and significant professional value to your work.
