What are Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy?
What is Forest Bathing?
Forest Bathing is a nature-based well-being practice that enhances our natural ability to adapt to change in our lives, more positively and healthily, supporting a better quality of life.
What is the role of a Forest Bathing Guide?
A Forest Bathing Guide offers nature connection activities structured in a carefully designed sequence that aims to create experiences that enhance nature connectedness and strengthen social relationships, boosting the therapeutic and restorative effects of nature for health and well-being.
What is Forest Therapy?
Forest Therapy is a nature-based intervention that considers the specific needs of individuals and the natural and social environment in which they live. It approaches “health as the result of an adaptive process of the human being to his physical and social environment”. Forest Therapy aims to promote positive mental health states and enhance physical and social health by enhancing nature connectedness, interpersonal relationships and social cohesion.
Forest Therapy is underpinned by a multidisciplinary approach from fields such as planetary health, forest medicine, sociology, psychology, social work, emotional ecology, ecology and forestry, among others. Underpinned by this multidisciplinary approach, Forest Therapy can act as an adjunct to standard treatment and rehabilitation for specific illnesses.
What is the role of a Forest Therapy Practitioner?
The Forest Therapy Practitioner carries out interventions based on nature connection activities, including expressive arts and mindfulness-inspired activities to support positive health outcomes (treatment and rehabilitation). They collaborate, regardless of their academic training, with public and private institutions aimed at different types of populations (mental health, children, adolescents, social inclusion, sheltered, immigrants, etc.)
