Forest Therapy
In the State of Israel
Healing and recovery for body and mind through nature
based on Israeli and international research
Our Vision: Accessible and Natural Healing for All
To help Israeli society heal and recover from the great rupture and national trauma by transforming the Israeli forest into a therapeutic resource accessible to all. This is done by conducting the first Israeli study of its kind and implementing the method in the public health system, which will enable a “forest prescription” for anyone who needs it.
"Forest
Prescription"
Implementing the method in the public health system that will allow for a "forest prescription" for anyone who needs it.
Forest therapy is a research-based therapeutic method that has gained global recognition. It promotes mindful time spent in nature according to a structured protocol, guided by certified instructors, with the goal of improving both physical and mental health indicators.
In countries such as Germany, Canada, Japan, and others, family doctors issue “forest prescriptions” to reduce symptoms of burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Since October 7th, forest therapy has been providing preventive and therapeutic support to thousands of participants from diverse populations, as part of the effort to cope with the overload and inaccessibility of the collapsing public healthcare system.
What is Forest therapy?
- Reduction of stress hormones (such as cortisol) by 30% after two hours
- Relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Improvement in sleep, concentration, memory, emotional regulation, and sense of purpose
- A preventive process – from trauma to growth
- Strengthening of the immune system, improvement in blood pressure and heart rate indicators
Benefits of Forest Therapy
(based on international research)
- Mental Health Crisis Following the War
- A sharp increase in the use of anti-anxiety, sleep, and antidepressant medications
- Emotional and psychological gaps among teams combining military reserve service
- Burnout and fatigue among families of reservists
- The need for a physical rehabilitation within an accessible, consistent, non-medical framework that allows for repetition and self-healing
Why now?
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
Albert Einstein
For those suffering from trauma symptoms
To reduce the use of sleeping pills
To reduce the use of sedatives
To regulate blood pressure
Support for cancer survivors
Loneliness among the elderly
Forest Therapy will be prescribed in Israel - as it is done globally
Research team and partners:
Forest therapy is a natural, accessible, scientific, effective, and
groundbreaking solution.
Join us in supporting the treatment of hundreds of thousands of people
affected in Israel. We would be glad to guide you through this unique
process, as part of a national effort – in collaboration with senior leaders from
Israel’s healthcare system and academia.
Dr. Efrat Danino
Prof. Itamar Grotto
Galia Ben Haim
Israeli
Research!
1.
We have recently completed the first large-scale forest-therapy clinical study in Israel, designed and led by senior public-health and academic experts.
2.
In this trial, about 500 adults were randomly assigned either to a structured forest-therapy protocol or to a comparison group that simply spent mindful time in the forest.
3.
Over three guided sessions of about three hours each, we measured changes in stress using validated questionnaires, saliva samples for the stress hormone cortisol, heart activity, and a wearable brain-signal device.
4.
While both groups benefited from being in nature, the structured forest therapy protocol produced stronger and more consistent improvements across almost all measures.
5.
Participants in the protocol group reported a 24% reduction in overall perceived stress, together with better sleep, mood, and emotional regulation.
6.
Biologically, mean cortisol levels in this group fell by about 57% over the course of the program, indicating a profound calming of the body’s stress response.
7.
Heart-rate variability data showed roughly 40% more time spent in a “relaxed” physiological state in the protocol group compared with the comparison group.
8.
Brain measurements demonstrated a clear reduction in markers of stress and mental overload in the protocol group, while these markers remained unchanged or even worsened in the comparison group.
9.
n a follow-up several months later, participants who completed the full protocol maintained lower stress levels and showed meaningful gains in overall well-being scores, suggesting that the benefits are durable and not just short-term.
10.
Taken together, these findings position forest therapy as a rigorous, evidence-based intervention that can be scaled within health, welfare, and community systems to protect mental health, reduce future illness, and support national recovery.
Forest therapy is a natural, accessible, scientific, effective, and groundbreaking solution. Join us in supporting the treatment of hundreds of thousands of people affected in Israel.
Through our non-profit association, we are seeking partners who will help us advance two essential pillars of Forest Therapy in Israel.
First, to enable continued and expanded clinical research on Forest Therapy for specific and underserved populations, including recovering from cancer, people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, lone soldiers and combat soldiers, and additional groups affected by prolonged trauma and stress. These studies aim to deepen evidence-based understanding, refine protocols, and support integration into public health frameworks.
Second, to support education, training, and professional capacity-building in Israel – including the training of certified Forest Therapy guides, the development of ethical and clinical standards, and the dissemination of knowledge among healthcare, welfare, and community professionals. Together, these two pillars ensure that Forest Therapy in Israel is not only a response to crisis, but a sustainable, research-driven and educationally grounded contribution to long-term healing, resilience, social recovery, raising awareness of sustainability and nature conservation.
We need YOU!
שותפים לחזון
כנסו תשפיעו תתמכו
"I go to nature to relax and heal, and to reconnect my senses."
John Burroughs
