Healthcare professionals and institutions receive first-hand, evidence-based, practice-relevant knowledge about the health effects of forests. Our effective learning formats are designed to support structured professional work with patients and clients.
IM-WALD-SEIN® Academy | Exclusive. Authentic. Scientifically grounded.
The Academy for Forest Medicine, Forest Therapy, and Nature-Based Health Education
The IM-WALD-SEIN® Academy is the educational division of the IM-WALD-SEIN® Institute for Forest Medicine and Forest Therapy. It provides scientifically grounded knowledge, practice-based methods, and quality-assured standards for the professional application of Shinrin Yoku, forest bathing, forest medicine, and clinical forest therapy.
We Promote Individual Ways of Connecting with Nature
Every person brings their own nature, personal experiences, and individual way of relating to the forest. Perceiving, fostering, and professionally supporting this personal connection with nature is a central part of our work. With the IM-WALD-SEIN® Method, we have developed a supportive methodological framework that addresses the human being as a biophilic, multisensory being.
We Teach Forest Medicine and Forest Therapy at the Source
As the German section of
INFOM, the International Society of Nature and Forest Medicine based in Japan, and through our exclusive cooperation with
Dr. Qing Li, an internationally recognized expert in Shinrin Yoku, the IM-WALD-SEIN® Academy provides scientifically grounded knowledge and practice-based methods.
We Offer an Application-Oriented Teaching and Learning Concept
Our blended-learning courses combine the effectiveness and flexibility of digital learning formats with the social qualities of face-to-face communication. In-depth professional knowledge and practice-based teaching go hand in hand. Personal encounters, collegial exchange, and practical learning in the forest support the learning process.
We Specialize in Health-Related Professional Fields
Our programs are designed for professionals and institutions in healthcare, prevention, therapy, education, and counseling who wish to integrate nature-based approaches into their work in a well-founded and responsible way.
We Offer a Unique, Scientifically Grounded Training Profile
You benefit from a training profile that is unique in the German-speaking world: first-hand knowledge from science and practice, combined with an application-oriented teaching and learning concept. This is the right combination to strengthen your professional competencies in health care and education.
Get to know the Academy, its Directorate, its Faculty, and the professional foundations of our work. You can find our current 2026 course program with certified advanced training in forest medicine and clinical forest therapy
here.
Why We Teach Forest Medicine and Forest Therapy
For us, IM-WALD-SEIN® is a natural response to psychological stress, lifestyle-related diseases, and the challenges of an increasingly fast-paced world. We know that the experience of self-efficacy is becoming ever more important for health. Still, when it comes to health, we often expect too much from medicine and too little from ourselves. Nature-based approaches such as Shinrin Yoku, forest bathing, and forest therapy can help people experience new health-promoting pathways.
Clinical Forest Therapy in the Treatment of Diseases
Like other experts, we are convinced that the future of our health care system will also depend on how we address major lifestyle-related diseases, chronic stress, and mental health burdens. In addition to medical treatment, we need health-promoting, nature-based, and salutogenic approaches — and clinical forest therapy is one part of this development.
Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy in Disease Prevention
Health promotion should not be associated only with restriction, control, and rules. People need a friendly approach to health, body awareness, self-regulation, and connection with nature. This is exactly where Shinrin Yoku and forest therapy according to the IM-WALD-SEIN® Method come in.
SShinrin Yoku and Forest Bathing in Personal Healthcare
People enjoy spending time in nature and in the forest: immersing themselves in a soothing atmosphere, breathing freely, and allowing a wide range of natural impressions to unfold without pressure. Properly understood forest bathing and scientifically grounded forest therapy foster this individual connection with nature and the health-promoting relationship with the natural world. This is what the IM-WALD-SEIN® Academy teaches.
Directorate and Academy Management
Members of the Faculty
Our Faculty brings together expertise and excellence in key fields related to forest and health. Together, its members stand for the medical, therapeutic, and health-promoting application of Shinrin Yoku as taught by Dr. Qing Li and forest therapy according to the IM-WALD-SEIN® Method.
