Emma Swann

About

Emma is a forest therapy guide offering guided walks around some of Victoria’s most beautiful places. Highly qualified in environmental management and experienced as a wildlife guide, Emma has sound knowledge of nature as therapy. Emma enjoys sharing her love of the outdoors and nature with people, and witnessing its calming and healing powers on everyone. Her clients report feeling calmer, re-energised, more connected to themselves and the space around them and stress free. Emma says that... Emma is a forest therapy guide offering guided walks around some of Victoria’s most beautiful places. Highly qualified in environmental management and experienced as a wildlife guide, Emma has sound knowledge of nature as therapy. Emma enjoys sharing her love of the outdoors and nature with people, and witnessing its calming and healing powers on everyone. Her clients report feeling calmer, re-energised, more connected to themselves and the space around them and stress free. Emma says that walking with a forest therapy guide helps to release your inner child and engage in simple things that bring you joy and peace. Doing it with others can add an enriching dimension to the experience. The well-established physical health benefits of forest therapy include decreased cortisol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. It also helps to decrease pain and depression and increase a positive mood and energy levels, as well as production of natural cells vital for a healthy immune system. Emma has a passion for research and studied the science of Nature Connection through the University of Derby, with some key themes from this study appearing in her walks. She has a Masters in Environmental Management, certification with the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance and worked for a number of years as a wildlife guide, taking international tourists to some of Victoria's wildest places. Having studied and practiced Insight Meditation for close to a decade, some of Emma’s meditation techniques also find their way into her forest therapy sessions. Emma and her business partner Rob have completed several research projects investigating the relationships between human health and wellbeing and time spent in the natural environment. Their research found overwhelmingly that interaction with nature and natural elements (such as plants, fresh air and natural light) has a profoundly positive impact on human health and wellbeing. Emma offers walks at the following locations: Altona Dandenong Ranges Eltham Lysterfield Montmorency Viewbank She also offers accessible walks suitable for people in wheelchairs (all terrain preferably), limited mobility or vision impairment at: Lysterfield Dandenong Ranges Toolangi She can also tailor your private Forest Therapy experience to be in a different location. Read more

Languages

English and Spanish

Therapies

Membership of professional associations

• International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA)

Education and training

Certified and Accredited Forest Therapy Guide - International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (2019)