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.

Pathways in Clinical Forest Therapy and Forest-Based Health Promotion

This is where Clinical Forest Therapy and forest-based health promotion become particularly relevant. Evidence-informed findings on forest and nature exposure offer valuable opportunities for therapy, rehabilitation, prevention, and health promotion. 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

Forest Therapy combines evidence-informed findings from medicine, psychology, stress research, and the natural sciences in interventions that engage people directly: physically, emotionally, and mentally. Patients report greater motivation, improved wellbeing, increased self-efficacy, and a noticeable sense of relief. In this way, Clinical Forest Therapy and forest-based health promotion expand the professional scope of practice for lifestyle-related diseases through a nature-based, strengths-based approach with clinical relevance.

Focus on psychosomatics? → Explore the Intensive Course: Psychosomatics
Other areas of interest? → Explore other training programs

Target Groups and Admission Requirements

Target Groups

The intensive course is designed for physicians, medical, therapeutic, and psychosocial professionals, as well as suitable participants from other professional fields, who wish to use forest therapy methods or forest-based health promotion professionally in rehabilitation, prevention, psychosomatic, clinical, 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
• Professionals from health promotion, counseling, education, coaching, movement and exercise, as well as somatic, creative, or strengths-based fields

Admission Requirements

• For the Clinical Forest Therapy qualification track: a professional qualification in medicine, a therapeutic profession, or psychosocial care, with current professional practice in therapy, rehabilitation, clinical care, or outpatient care
• For the Forest-Based Health Promotion qualification track: a relevant professional background and a clearly defined area of practice in prevention, health promotion, or a related field
• Physical ability to spend several hours walking and working in forest environments
• Willingness to participate actively in theory sessions, practical training, and self-study
• Access to the technology required for live online sessions
• Completion of a written final assignment and participation in a one-on-one final interview
• Admission is based on a personal interview and an individual review of the applicant’s professional background

Structure 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, health-related, and methodological foundations of Clinical Forest Therapy and forest-based health promotion for 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
• Professional communication and facilitation skills
• Forest ecology, nature conservation and setting design
• Safety, legal issues, and risk management for vulnerable and multimorbid target groups

Teaching Methods

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

• Evidence-informed expert instruction
• Clinical case examples and health promotion application scenarios
• Introduction to decision-making frameworks for clinical and health-promotion applications
• 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:

• Assigned readings and in-depth background materials
• Reflection tasks on autonomic regulation, clinical presentations, indications, and clinical decision-making
• 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 clinical training site at Sana Kliniken Sommerfeld. Here, long-standing nature-therapy expertise and an outstanding setting for Forest Medicine come together. Working on site allows participants to apply the course content safely, professionally, and with methodological precision in both clinical-therapeutic and health-promotion contexts. This real-world setting is a key quality feature of the intensive course.



Topics Include

• Professional facilitation of therapeutic processes in natural settings
• Breathing practices and autonomic regulation in the forest
• Station-based work according to the IWSA/INFOM framework
• Embodiment, sensory activation and rhythm-based processes
• Professional communication in individual and group settings
• Case-based practice with indication- and target-group-specific scenarios
• Safety and risk management in outdoor settings

Teaching Methods

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

Final Assignment

After the practical phase, participants complete a written final assignment as a demonstration of competence. The assignment is aligned with the respective qualification track and may focus on a Clinical Forest Therapy intervention or a forest-based health promotion intervention. It documents the ability to plan and implement forest-based interventions in a professionally sound, safe manner appropriate to the respective area of practice.

Components

• Analysis of a selected professional area of practice
• Design of a Clinical Forest Therapy or forest-based health promotion intervention in an individual or group setting
• Structured assessment of target group, indications, and safety
• Process design, sequencing, and methodological rationale
  

Reflection on the participant’s professional role, clinical and safety-related requirements, and ways to transfer the approach into their own professional setting.

Certificate

After successful completion of all course components — online theory, self-study phases, practice, and final assignment — participants receive one of two IWSA certificates, depending on their professional background:

“Clinical Forest Therapist – Focus: Lifestyle-Related Diseases (IWSA)”

or

“IWSA-Certified Course Leader in Forest-Based Health Promotion – Focus: Lifestyle-Related Diseases”

The certificates document the qualification acquired for the professional use of forest-based interventions in the participant’s respective field. Depending on the qualification track and professional background, the scope of application ranges from clinical and rehabilitation settings to prevention and health promotion.

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.

Group Size and Course Leaders

Group Size
4 to 12 participants

Course Leaders
Dr. Melanie H. Adamek | Sabine Oberg

Costs and Services

Participation fee

€1,980 including VAT per person. Bookings made by December 15, 2026 receive a 10% discount.

Services

The participation fee includes:

• Instruction and facilitation throughout all online and in-person modules
• All course materials (digital and, where applicable, printed)
• Support during the self-study phase
• Professional assessment of the final assignment
• Individual 20-minute final interview (online)
• Certificate issuance

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. Participation at your own risk. 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 and ensure that the course is a good fit, 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.

We look forward to getting to know you and supporting your professional development in Clinical Forest Therapy or forest-based health promotion.

Feedback from the 2026 training cohort clearly reflects what matters most to us in our programs: a strong scientific foundation, intensive hands-on practice, personal guidance, and confident transfer into professional practice.

The course received an average overall rating of 9.8 out of 10. The learning environment and support were consistently rated 5 out of 5. All participants also confirmed that the training expanded their professional expertise, that they are able to apply what they learned in their own professional settings, and that they would recommend the program to colleagues in the healthcare field.

Participants particularly valued the integration of theory and practice, the opportunity to lead exercises themselves, differentiated feedback, and the growing confidence they developed in practical application.

Silke Krüger, Education Specialist (Diplom-Pädagogin), identified the “clear distinction from other disciplines” and the “strong combination of theory and practice” as particular strengths of the program. In terms of the learning environment and support, she especially appreciated the “motivation of the participants” and the “excellent preparation of the instructors.” During the self-study phase, she found it particularly helpful to “plan using both provided and self-developed case examples.” 

Peggy Grigoleitis, Therapist at Sana Kliniken Sommerfeld, particularly emphasizes the direct transfer into professional practice: “I gained additional ideas for exercises that I can use when conducting forest therapy.” What stood out to her about the program was the learning environment: “There was a very positive and comfortable atmosphere among the participants and instructors.” She also draws a clear personal conclusion: “The course is valuable not only for my work as a therapist, but also for me personally.” Her verdict: “I can recommend this course. It is definitely an enriching experience!”

→View Current Course Dates

Learn at a High Level. Grow Together. Bring Confidence and Joy Into Practice.

Certified Intensive Course in Clinical Forest Therapy: Theory, Practice, and Professional Transfer

The gallery offers a glimpse into the KWT-Z Intensive Course: grounded in science, closely connected to practice, and shaped by intensive exchange and shared discovery.

Scientific foundations, practical exercises, shared reflection, and personal exchange come together to create a learning environment where focused work and a sense of ease go hand in hand. Participants explore, discuss, observe, laugh, and develop ideas together.

The practice block at the clinical training site in Sommerfeld is where knowledge becomes directly tangible. Participants develop their own sequences, take the lead, reflect on their impact, and receive differentiated feedback. At the same time, there is room for curiosity, personal experience, and the freedom to try something new with an open mind.

Professional depth, personal development, and shared experience go hand in hand—with one clear goal: to apply the knowledge and skills gained with confidence and in ways that fit each participant’s own professional field.

Questions about which course is right for you? Get in touch for personal guidance.