About the Association of Nature
and Forest Therapies (ANFT)

Welcome to the global home of forest therapy. Founded in 2012 by M. Amos Clifford, our organization was born out of a deep inspiration for Shinrin-Yoku (the Japanese practice of forest bathing). Today, we are the leading global trailblazer in training certified guides, certifying healing trails, and fostering a worldwide community dedicated to nature connection.

Our Core Philosophy

In our early years we said it simply: the forest is the therapist, and the guide opens the doors. That phrase was a milestone in how we first understood our work — it marked guiding as something apart from clinical therapy — and we have since grown into a deeper understanding of the Way of the Guide.

Through sensory invitations, a guide brings people to the edges of the familiar — into liminal terrain. Moving into those edges widens the perceptual territory we inhabit, and that widening is the heart of the work: an expanding range of freedom. Greater freedom deepens our connection with self, with others, and with the living world; and in time it can redirect the choices of a life toward greater authenticity — toward a fuller capacity to embody one’s own medicine, one’s gifts for the world.

This is its own practice, not clinical therapy, and it is not meant to be. We do not teach clinical practice; that is the work of qualified clinicians, whom we hold in genuine respect. The Way of the Guide stands on its own, and it can also complement clinical care — which is why many licensed clinicians train with us, bringing the guide’s perspective and methods into their own work.

Our Mission and Framework

Our mission is to support global healing by rebuilding the fractured bond between humanity and the earth. To achieve this, we developed a unique framework known as Relational Forest Therapy.

• Human Wellness: We cultivate spaces where people can lower stress, find peace, and support their physical and mental health.
• Planetary Health: We believe that when people fall in love with nature, they naturally want to protect it. Healing is a two-way street.

Transforming Landscapes: Our Places, Trails, and Spaces Certification

True reciprocity requires that we care for the land just as it cares for us. To support this, we establish enduring partnerships with parks, resorts, municipalities, and land stewards through our ANFT Trail Certification Program.

Led by our specialized Certified Trail Consultants, we thoroughly assess natural areas based on sensory richness, accessibility, safety, and biodiversity. We then help design intentional, immersive pathways that optimize the forest therapy experience. Whether it is a quiet woodland, an urban greenway, or a coastal path, an official ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail signals a space intentionally held for deep, self-guided or guided relational healing.

Our 2026 Evolution: Moving into Four Specialized Academies

As our global community expands, so too must our infrastructure to support it. To meet the demands of a changing world and a growing network of more than 3,150 guides (as of June 2026, and growing each month), we are transitioning our entire operational model into a unified ecosystem of four distinct academies.

This strategic shift organizes our collective wisdom into specialized branches, ensuring deep, dedicated attention to every facet of our mission:

• The Academy of Relational Forest Therapy: Protecting and advancing our core, heart-centered framework of Shinrin-Yoku, and serving as the foundational training home for our global network of certified guides. Explore Relational Forest Therapy
• The Academy of Places, Trails, and Spaces: Scaling our efforts to consult, design, assess, and officially certify the natural landscapes, parks, and pathways that host our immersive practices worldwide. Explore the Academy of Place
• The Academy of Applied Forest Therapy: Bridging the gap between our methodology and the broader world by integrating forest therapy frameworks into healthcare, education, tourism, corporate wellness, and environmental policy. Explore Applied Forest Therapy
• The Opus Academy: Nurturing the long-term professional development, creative work, ongoing mentorship, and specialized advanced studies of our seasoned practitioners as they grow in their mastery. Explore the Opus Academy
• Our Healthcare & Clinical Partnerships: Beyond our core academies, we collaborate with leading organizations so that the Way of the Guide can complement clinical care. Through our partnership with the Nature and Systems Institute, we support specialized pathways like the Nature as Medicine Practitioner Training and Certification program, helping licensed healthcare professionals bring forest therapy guiding into their own practice. Explore Nature as Medicine

By deepening our focus through these four distinct structural pillars and collaborative partnerships, we are positioning our collective mission to better serve human wellness and planetary health for decades to come.

Join Us

Join us as we walk this path together, one step, one breath, and one tree at a time.

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