Who We Are
The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy
The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) Guides and Programs is the most experienced global leader in Forest Therapy Guide Training, and promoting the development and practice of Forest Therapy. Our Forest Therapy Guide Training draws on the latest medical research, new developments in the field of nature connection, and ancient traditions.
Our heart-based “Relational Forest Therapy™” approach focuses on rebuilding relationships with the More-Than-Human World as a foundation for healing people and planet.
We are a mission-driven Limited Liability Company founded in 2012 as a response to global warming and other environmental catastrophes.
Our mission: Support planetary health by nurturing heart-centered relationships between all peoples and the More-Than-Human World of Nature.
Our strategy: We train guides, teaching the pedagogy and methods of The Way of the Guide, and how to apply these in the context of Forest and Nature Therapy.
Administrative and Operations Team
Founder/CEO
Amos' current focus is on building scalable systems to support ANFT's training, membership, and trai...
Business Director and Trainer
Jackie is the Business Director of ANFT.
Director of Training and Trainer
Manuela is responsible for the direction of all training activities for ANFT.
Operations Manager
Mish started off as a part-time administrative assistant and now handles operations for ANFT.
Administrative Assistant
Aaliyah fields phone calls and email inquiries and lends a hand wherever it's needed.
Extension Manager and Trainer
Geeta manages ANFT's trainee extension program.
Social Media Coordinator & Trainer
Youmin manages ANFT's Social Media presence.
Spaces & Places (TSP) Certification Program
Contact Holly Jo with any questions related to ANFT certified Forest Therapy trails, spaces, and pla...
The ANFT Difference
What Distinguishes ANFT: Our methods and scope of practice are based upon scientifically backed research in health science. We teach our forest therapy guides a standard sequence of techniques that assist participants in receiving the full health impacts of forest medicine. The standard sequence provides a strong framework that helps participants slow down, awaken their senses, and reconnect with the more than human world, and it is culturally adaptable so that it can be creatively adapted to working with an incredible diversity of populations. Our forest therapy practice operates within the paradigm of holistic healing; the medicine of the forest is a complex wellness experience, good for the body, the mind, and the spirit.
Our forest therapy guide training is more than a set of techniques, it is also a pathway to understand what it means to be back in relationship with the More-than-Human-World. A Forest Therapy Guide works with the forest as a partner, to support the wellness and healing of people and nature alike. The guide is not a therapist; the forest is the therapist. Guides help others open the doors of their senses and heartfelt presence, so they can enter completely into a healing relationship with the forest and other places in the more-than-human world.
ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guides have gone on to found businesses in alternative health and eco-wellness tourism, work in the non-profit section for special populations, provide corporate wellness programs and retreats, incorporate our techniques in educational settings, and collaborate in wellness programs through botanical gardens, arboretums, and private and public land managers. What began as a dream from the Earth, to simply restore our relationship with the Forest, has become a global movement. We invite you to join us on this incredible path.