Intensive Course: Clinical Forest Therapy with a Focus on Lifestyle-Related Diseases

What Is This Course About?

The Health Relevance of Lifestyle-Related Diseases

Lifestyle-related diseases are among the major challenges facing modern healthcare systems. They affect almost every medical specialty.

Obesity, allergic conditions, chronic pain, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers associated with lifestyle factors, mental exhaustion and attention difficulties, psychosomatic disorders and sleep disorders are just a few examples of often chronic health problems linked to modern living conditions, environmental factors, stress, nutrition, lack of physical activity and psychosocial strain.

These conditions are often chronic, multifactorial and biopsychosocially complex. Current clinical practice is therefore increasingly multimodal, integrative and biopsychosocially informed. Rehabilitation clinics, psychosomatic facilities and specialized practices are using treatment concepts that address physiological, psychological and behavioral factors together.

Therapeutic Pathways in Clinical Forest Therapy

This is where Clinical Forest Therapy becomes particularly relevant. It offers an evidence-informed and accessible extension of existing treatment concepts. The natural forest environment can support:

• Autonomic nervous system regulation
• Stress reduction and inflammation modulation
• Motivation for movement, breathing regulation and health-related behavior change
• Mood stabilization and resource activation
• Mindfulness, calming and attentional regulation
• Support in somatic, psychosomatic and psychological conditions

Clinical Forest Therapy combines evidence-informed findings from medicine, psychology, stress research and the natural sciences in a therapeutic approach that reaches patients physically, emotionally and mentally. Many patients report greater motivation, improved wellbeing, increased self-efficacy and a noticeable sense of relief. Clinical Forest Therapy can therefore be a valuable, clinically relevant and patient-centered addition to multimodal treatment pathways for lifestyle-related diseases.

Target Groups and Admission Requirements

Target Groups

The intensive course is designed for physicians, healthcare professionals and therapeutic practitioners who want to apply forest therapy methods professionally in rehabilitation, psychosomatic, day-clinic or outpatient settings. This includes, in particular:

• Psychologists and psychotherapists
• Professionals from rehabilitation and specialist clinics
• Therapeutic staff in outpatient settings
• Nursing professionals with additional psychosocial qualifications
• Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and sports and exercise therapists
• Naturopathic practitioners, including practitioners specialized in psychotherapy
• Nature and environmental therapists with a healthcare background
• Health scientists and professionals from prevention and public health

Admission Requirements

• Medical, therapeutic or psychosocial professional qualification
• Professional context in healthcare, therapy, rehabilitation or prevention
• Physical ability to walk safely in the forest for several hours
• Willingness to participate actively in theory, practice and self-study phases
• Access to the required technology for live online sessions
• Completion of a written final assignment and participation in an individual final interview
• Other professional backgrounds may be considered on a case-by-case basis

Stucture and Content

The intensive course is designed as a hybrid, modular certificate program. It combines online theory, structured self-study, an in-person practice phase at the IWSI model site at Sana Kliniken Sommerfeld in Brandenburg and a final written assignment.

Four Online Theory Days

The four online theory days provide the scientific, clinical and methodological foundations for forest therapy work with lifestyle-related diseases.

Topics Include

• Foundations of Forest Medicine and Forest Therapy
• Effects and therapeutic pathways in lifestyle-related diseases
• Psychology and neurobiology of nature experience
• Mindfulness, breathing and stress regulation
• Communication and therapeutic conversation skills
• Forest ecology, nature conservation and setting design
• Safety, legal issues and risk management for vulnerable and multimorbid patient groups

Teaching Methods

Knowledge transfer is based on a clearly structured, interactive learning format:

• Evidence-informed professional input
• Clinical case examples
• Introduction to clinical application and decision-making logic
• Exchange, small-group work and reflection
• Transfer tasks for participants’ own professional settings

Self-Study Phase

The self-study phase deepens the theoretical content and creates a solid foundation for the practical phase. It includes, among other elements:

• Study reading and in-depth background knowledge
• Reflection tasks on autonomic regulation, clinical presentations and indication logic
• Observation tasks related to nature perception and sensory awareness
• Methodological preparation for the practical phase

Two Days of In-Person Practice

The in-person practice phase takes place at our model site, the forest therapy area used by Sana Kliniken Sommerfeld. Here, long-standing nature therapy expertise and an outstanding forest medicine setting come together.

Working on site allows participants to apply the course content in a clinically safe, methodologically precise and patient-centered way. This real-world setting is a central quality feature of the intensive course.

Topics Include

• Therapeutic process guidance in natural settings
• Breathing work and autonomic regulation in the forest
• Station-based work according to the IWSA/INFOM framework
• Embodiment, sensory activation and rhythm-based processes
• Therapeutic conversation skills in individual and group settings
• Practical case work with indication-specific scenarios
• Safety and risk management in outdoor settings

Teaching Methods

• Guided practice sequences
• Simulation of clinical application situations with realistic process steps
• Structured process observation
• Peer supervision
• Feedback loops for methodological and professional development

Final Assignment

After the practical phase, participants complete a written final assignment as a recognized demonstration of competence. It documents their ability to plan and implement forest therapy interventions in a professionally sound, safe and clinically appropriate manner.

Components

• Analysis of a selected clinical field of application
• Design of a forest therapy intervention in an individual or group setting
• Structured assessment of indications and contraindications
• Process logic, therapeutic sequencing and methodological rationale
• Reflection on the participant’s own role, clinical and safety-related requirements and transfer options for their own professional setting

Certificate

After successful completion of all modules — online theory, self-study phases, practice and final assignment — participants receive the certificate: Clinical Forest Therapist – Focus: Lifestyle-Related Diseases (IWSA)

This certificate confirms that you are qualified to use forest therapy interventions competently, safely and on a clinically sound basis in rehabilitation, psychosomatic, day-clinic and outpatient healthcare settings.

Course Workload

The total learning workload is approximately 90 hours, divided as follows:

• Online theory: approx. 28 hours
• Practical phase: approx. 14 hours
• Self-study: approx. 24 hours
• Final assignment: approx. 18 hours
• Preliminary consultation and follow-up: approx. 2 hours

This workload corresponds to the usual scope of a 3 ECTS module and is provided for comparability with academic continuing education. ECTS credits are not currently awarded.

Dates and Location

Theory

April 24 and April 25, 2026

June 19 and June 20, 2026

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day

Location: remote, live online

Practice

September 18 and September 19, 2026

Alternative date, if a postponement is required for organizational or safety-related reasons:

September 25 and September 26, 2026

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day

Location: Sana Kliniken Sommerfeld, Waldhausstraße 44, 16766 Kremmen

Final Assignment and Certificate

Submission of final assignment: 1 month after completion of the practical weekend

Assessment by IWSA: within 1 month

Individual final interview: 20 minutes, online, by appointment

Certificate issued: in print by post and digitally as a PDF

Group Size and Course Leaders

Group Size
4 to 12 participants

Course Leaders
Dr. Melanie H. Adamek | Sabine Oberg

Costs and Services

Participation fee

€1980 including VAT per person. Bookings made by February 16, 2026 receive 10% discount.

Services

The participation fee includes:

• Full course management during all online and practical modules
• All course materials (digital and, where applicable applicable, printed)
• Support during the self-study phase
• Professional assessment of the final assignment
• Individual 20-minute final interview (online)
• Issuing of the certificate “Clinical Forest Therapist (IWSA) – Focus: Lifestyle-Related Diseases”

Accommodation and meals are not included. The in-person course generally takes place in all weather conditions. In the event of severe weather or force majeure, we reserve the right to postpone the date or provide a partial refund. Participants take part at their own responsibility. Terms and Conditions.

Your Next Step

If you are interested in participating in this training program, we would be pleased to receive a short, non-binding expression of interest by email. To help us assess your professional background appropriately and ensure a protected framework for the course, please include the following information:

• First and last name
• Profession and qualification
• Your professional context or institution
• Your preferred email address, ideally a professional address
• Your telephone number for a brief callback
• A few sentences about your particular interest in this continuing education program

After receiving your message, we will contact you for an initial telephone consultation. During this conversation, we will answer your questions and jointly assess whether the course is a good fit for your professional profile. Upon request, you will also receive the invitation link to the free online information evening on Monday, February 9, 2026.

We look forward to getting to know you and accompanying you on your path toward Clinical Forest Therapy!