Forest Therapy Certification REtreat

Hickory Cohort

Thursday, October 8 - Sunday, October 11, 2026

Rocky Creek Ranch in Statesville, North Carolina

Join us for a four-day immersive training retreat: an in-person experience of learning, practicing, growing, and belonging.

Within the arc of this retreat, not only will you experience a deep somatic relationship with the landscape, but you will learn how to masterfully guide others in an embodied, relational, and trauma-informed way anchored in reciprocity with the land. You’ll leave with both personal transformation and professional growth: clearer and grounded in yourself, more confident as a guide, and more able to support the kind of connection you feel called to bring into the world.

Your Retreat Experience Includes:

Heartwood’s Forest Therapy Guide Certification Program

4 weeks mentored practicum

Daily guided forest bathing

Community dinner on Saturday evening

Fire circle ceremony on Saturday evening

A copy of The Nature Reset and The Forest Therapy School Guidebook

A virtual Meet & Greet and pre-retreat support

Lifetime access to program materials via our online learning hub

An invitation to the Heartwood Collective

Enroll Now
A peaceful rural scene featuring a house or barn, horses grazing in a fenced pasture, and a water body in the foreground surrounded by greenery with trees and a blue sky overhead.

Rocky Creek Ranch is one of those rare places that instantly shifts your internal landscape.

Set in the foothills of North Carolina, about 50 miles north of Charlotte, this property spans roughly 500 acres, with open grasslands, protected hardwood forest, a small lake, and creek corridors that weave through the landscape.

Rocky Creek Ranch is recognized as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat, which you can feel the moment you arrive. There’s a reverence woven into the stewardship here, the landscape is protected, well-tended, and vibrant. Winding trails, native meadows, and pollinator gardens invite a slower pace, helping you settle into sensory presence and deep listening.

In addition to the immense wildlife that call this landscape home, there are the horses, donkeys, and goats, all incredibly well-loved and cared for. Even without formal interaction, simply sharing space near a herd in a peaceful pasture offers something subtle and powerful. Their grounded presence becomes part of the atmosphere: steady, regulating, and relational.

For over twelve years, our co-founder, Kathleen has partnered with Rocky Creek Ranch for retreats, restoration, and nature connection. Many of her clients have shared the same experience: upon arrival, there is an immediate sense of calm, like the land herself is already holding you. It is an ideal setting for immersive training, deep restoration, and remembering what becomes possible when we return to the rhythm of nature.

YOur Guides

A forest therapy guide with blonde curly hair, wearing a yellow sweater and white pants, leaning against a large tree in a forest.

Kathleen McIntyre, LCSWA

Co-Founder & Lead Instructor

A forest therapy guide sitting against a tree in a forest, smiling at the camera.

Co-Founder & Lead Instructor

Julie Sczerbinski

A dirt trail in a dense green forest with tall trees and sunlight filtering through the leaves.
A stone fire pit with a burning fire, a wooden chair nearby, overlooking a lake with trees and grassy fields in the background.
Two people riding horses through a wooded area with a fence in the background.
A peaceful countryside scene with a pond in the foreground, surrounded by lush green grass and trees, with several buildings and fences in the background under a pastel-colored sky.
A landscape scene with a large rainbow in the sky, a green tree in the foreground, a fence along a dirt path, and a line of trees in the background under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
Outdoor patio area with wooden chairs, a stone fire pit, and a covered pavilion near a body of water, with lush green trees and a fenced grassy area in the background.
A peaceful scene of a wooden fence at dawn with pine trees in the foreground and a misty pond in the background, illuminated by early morning sunlight.
A windmill silhouette set against a colorful sunset sky with clouds, with tree branches and leaves in the foreground.
Three people walking across a shallow creek in a lush, green forest
Close-up of blooming white cherry blossoms on a tree branch with a blue sky and blurred trees in the background.
Sunlight shining through a forest of tall trees, illuminating a dirt path with green grass on each side.
A deer standing on a lush green field with trees in the background, under a clear sky.
People sitting around a firepit near a pond at sunset, with trees in the background and a small wooden structure nearby.
Four donkey ears visible above a wooden stable door inside a barn.
A dirt trail running through a lush green forest with tall trees and a small creek on the right side, sunlight filtering through the branches.
Five ceramic animal faces with green eyes attached to a tree trunk in a wooded forest.
A serene forest scene with green leaves and trees along a small creek with rocks, and a dirt path.
Sunlight filters through a lush green forest, illuminating a dirt path.

  • Each day begins with arrival at 8:30 am, allowing time to settle in our bodies and onto the land before learning begins.  Evenings conclude at 5:30 pm on Thursday and Friday, at 8:00 pm on Saturday after a community dinner and fire circle ceremony, and at 3:00 pm on Sunday to support an easeful departure. We recommend planning travel with these times in mind so you can get the most out of your retreat experience.

  • Accommodations are not included as part of this retreat. A range of Airbnb and hotel options are available in nearby Statesville, with additional lodging options in Mooresville, approximately 30 minutes away. For those who prefer camping, the nearest campground is Lake Norman State Park in Troutman.

  • Meals are not included during the retreat, with the exception of a catered dinner on Saturday evening which we will share together before our fire circle ceremony. Throughout each day, tea, coffee, water, and light snacks will be available to support your nourishment and comfort. Meals are not included during the retreat, with the exception of a catered community dinner on Saturday evening, which we will share together as part of our time on the land. Tea, coffee, water, and light snacks will be available throughout each day to support your comfort. We recommend planning to bring your own lunches, as dining options are limited within driving distance of the retreat location.

  • Rocky Creek Ranch is located at 196 Old Stagecoach Lane in Statesville, North Carolina. The nearest major airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, approximately 57 miles from the retreat location, and offers the most convenient option for those traveling by air.

  • Following the retreat, you will continue into a four-week mentored practicum that supports integration, confidence, and real-world guiding experience. During this time, you’ll gather weekly on Zoom for live classes, guide two forest therapy walks and complete a Harvest Offering inspired by your Nature Quest experience. Weekly Zoom classes take place on Tuesdays from October 20 through November 10 from 7:00–8:30 pm ET, and are recorded so you can stay connected even if you need to miss a session.

The DeTails

Sunlight peeking through trees in a forest with red and green leaves on the branches, and a small white trail marker with a black arrow on a tree trunk.

Your Investment In You

$2195

Includes certification program, access to Rocky Creek Ranch, a catered dinner and ceremony on Saturday evening, and month-long mentored practicum. 

Travel, meals, and accommodations are not included.

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your spot. You will be sent an invoice for the balance due on August 8th. 

Space is limited. Save your spot today!

Register with $500 Deposit

NBHWC Health & Wellness Coaches earn 26 Continuing Education Credits upon successful completion of this immersive training.

Cancellation Policy

$500 non-refundable deposit guarantees your spot (unless the retreat is cancelled by the leaders, and then the deposit is fully refunded). No exceptions.

Cancellations after August 8, 2026: All payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES:  Heartwood cannot provide refunds or discounts for late arrivals, early departures, flight cancellations, travel delays, injury, or illness. 

For additional protection, we recommend purchasing travel insurance. Providers include Travel Safe, Insuremytrip, Travel Guard, or similar companies.