Forest Therapy Alone or with a Guide: Is There a Difference between Self-Guided Forest Therapy and Guided Forest...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Nature-Based Interventions
• Therapeutic Horticulture

Background:

• Forest therapy, a nature-based intervention, exists in self-guided and guided formats.
• Understanding the distinct healing factors and health benefits of each type is crucial for optimizing therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the healing factors and health benefits of self-guided versus guided forest therapy.
• To examine the differential characteristics of these two forest therapy interventions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized experiment involving 37 undergraduate students (19 self-guided, 18 guided).
• Data collection through 111 self-reported essays post-intervention (three essays per participant).
• Qualitative analysis of essays to identify common and distinct themes.

Main Results:

• Common healing factors include auditory, visual, tactile, and olfactory elements.
• Common health benefits encompass changes in mind/body, introspection, emotional shifts, cognitive enhancement, and social interaction.
• Self-guided therapy emphasized introspection, while guided therapy highlighted emotional change and social interaction.

Conclusions:

• Self-guided forest therapy facilitates self-reflection and inner focus.
• Guided forest therapy promotes positive emotional experiences and social bonding.
• The choice of forest therapy type should align with desired personal outcomes for maximum benefit.