Certification has been granted to Taiwan's first group of forest therapists as Forest Therapy goes viral globally

The Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency commissioned the Taiwan Forest Therapy Association to formally establish the "Forest Therapist Certification Training Platform" in 2021, coinciding with the global push for forest therapy. Thirty-four students have finished the course and internship thus far.

Certification has been granted to Taiwan's first group of forest therapists as Forest Therapy goes viral globally.Photo provided by Taiwan Forest Therapy Association

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The Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency noted that the benefits of forest therapy have spread over the globe in recent years, mostly due to the environment's phytoncides and negative ions, which reduce stress, promote better sleep, and strengthen immunity. Forest healing is being aggressively promoted by the government and civil society organizations in an effort to use it as an additional therapeutic approach to improve people's health in many countries.

One must complete five internship courses, fifteen hours of activity courses, and sixty hours of core courses in order to get certified as a forest therapist. Individuals with backgrounds in horticulture, psychology, medicine, life sciences, sports, forestry, or other relevant fields, as well as individuals with prior expertise in forest treatment, are the current recruitment targets. Priority will be given to applicants with over five years of experience in fields connected to healing. Anyone over the age of eighteen who is interested in forest therapy can register to take part.

Certification has been granted to Taiwan's first group of forest therapists as Forest Therapy goes viral globally.Photo provided by Taiwan Forest Therapy Association

According to the Taiwan Forest Therapy Association, there are four main categories of forest therapists that are now approved: indigenous tribes, national forest volunteers, aromatherapists, and psychiatric counselors. Given that forest therapy is now popular worldwide, the recently enlisted forest therapists in Taiwan will go to South Korea to take part in the international forest therapy conference.