Forest showers: The treatment of trauma that occurs in nature

When was the last time you went out into nature, and more precisely - to the grove or the forest? Try to think about the feeling that such nature gives, to calmness and peace. The idea of strengthening the connection between man and nature is not new, and it is developing and even receiving official recognition as an effective tool for dealing with traumas, and developing mental resilience as a whole.

For 20 years, Dotan Haim has been conducting nature therapy trips for IDF soldiers and security forces and post-trauma victims, as part of the activities of the FLOW center, which he founded together with his partner Rotem Yanai. In the last year since the events of October 7, the need to develop resilience and deal with trauma has intensified, and at the same time - The recognition of integrative treatment methods has also increased. These days, Dotan Haim and Rotem Yanai are establishing a school for nature therapy and the sciences of happiness, in the framework of which they will receive practical training in nature, forests and caves.

What are forest showers?

Dotan Haim (53), says that the connection to nature began as a child in Tiberias, when he was active in Sea Scouts in the Sea of Galilee. In his adulthood he traveled the world. He returned to Israel to study behavioral sciences in an experimental program that operated democratically at Rupin College, where he met Prof. Victor Friedman - who exposed him to the field. From there, Haim continued his studies in Brisbane, Australia, and specialized in therapy through nature and challenge. "Griffith University has a leisure faculty, with a dedicated specialization. Australians and New Zealanders have a connection to working in nature, and it stems from the Aboriginal and Maori tradition, part of which we still apply today. Over time, I experienced working in nature myself and saw that it works. Today it is It's no longer a trend - the whole world embraces it as an academic field."

In 2004 I finished my studies, returned to Israel and began to engage in it in all kinds of settings, so I also opened FLOW together with my partner, Rotem Yanai. Together we train guides for treatment and developing resilience through adventure. Our collaboration today is with Ridman College."

A special emphasis gives life to the forest, and more precisely to the trees. "Until 7-8 years ago, we all knew that we would be nice in nature, but we didn't know what exactly works for us there. The Japanese Prof. King Lee studied for years the concept of 'forest showers' (in Japanese: Shinrin Yoko) and discovered that trees, and I mean everyone - started From the Yarkon Park or KKL-Junk's forest, to the sequoia in Yosemite Park in the USA - they secrete phytoncides, microscopic particles that when we breathe them in lower the stress levels, the sugar levels, and generally improve the immune system. The term 'forest showers' has existed in Japan since the days of the samurai , and in recent years it has received empirical confirmation. There are real medicinal forests in Japan, and there is an orderly protocol that we will study in the course."

How long does it need to be exposed for it to be effective?

"Minimum two hours, maximum - endless. But the protocol is clear - no phones, for example. We teach everything in the course. All the trips we've taken, and today there are quite a few associations that do this, include two or three days of forest showers. And it works."

How has the last difficult year affected the field?

"In a significant way. The events of October 7 are not over; we are not in post-trauma - we are still traumatized, and this also requires group therapy. What's more, the trauma itself was experienced in groups in the surrounding settlements, in the north, and among soldiers who left Gaza and experienced it as fighting units. When we experience A traumatic event together - the ability to process it must be in the group to complete the puzzle. When therapy takes place in a non-judgmental space, an open place - it is experienced differently."

In recent years, Haim has visited abroad, among other places in Romania, where Lumi took a battle, for example after Tzuk Eitan. This is how he ended up with Itzik Saidian, whose story was revealed on the Uvda program. "When you process, talk and stay in a green space, the experience is rewired optimally at the synaptic level ", Haim explains, "Neophilia is the love of the new and there is also something in it that helps put the narrative story together in a different way, in a different and non-judgmental place."

However, Haim points out that if a patient chooses to return to a closed space - that is also fine. "If someone prefers to stay in an oak tree - we will live with that as well. But the majority expands the natural space and from there we start working."

What happens in the treatment itself?

"We work a lot with play and with art. There is a method called solo, where you find a pleasant and calm place in nature where, for example, you perform tasks such as describing what is happening in a space of 30 by 30 cm - this requires using the senses - sight, hearing, taste - everything which helps to be here and now. This is an ability that is difficult for those who have experienced trauma, but also for anyone else - everyone who lives in Israel experiences a lot of disturbing thoughts, especially today. Anyone who has been in a traumatic place experiences it over and over again."

Do the tools help the therapists themselves?

"Definitely. The program intended for Bridman is a one-year program, and it has 250 hours - it is the most intensive and practical in Israel - and we will experience all the methods and exercises in the field in an experiential way. The exercises take place in the forest. The Haifa campus course, for example, will be held in the Carmel forests, the Tel campus course Aviv will be in the Ben Shemen forest. The graduates will receive an official certificate of a senior instructor in nature therapy."

Haim wants to emphasize the practical strengths of the field. "Our graduates, and this is already happening today, will be able to work with a variety of populations: Youth at risk, post-trauma victims, daughters and spouses of reservists - that is, everyone in this country and that is exactly what we need today."

Are the studies also suitable for caregivers who want enrichment?

"From our experience, it suits many - Field and Outdoor Education teachers, social workers, therapists who want more tools, and those who come from the field of nature. We have graduates who came from KKL-JNF and the Society for the Protection of Nature, there are agronomists - anyone who wants to expand and enrich the work in nature, the worlds of The practical well being that is gaining momentum all over the world, and the ways to develop resilience. Studies in nature therapy and the sciences of happiness, as mentioned, are no longer a trend and certainly not a spiritual field of 'tree huggers'. They are practice for everything."

Isn't it pretentious to talk about a term like "the science of happiness"?

"Today we already know that positive psychology is the fifth stream in psychology. It is enough to see the amount of literature on the subject and the reference to well being. You can look at life from the difficult place, but you can also focus on the angle of growth and resilience. Even when it comes to post-traumatic growth."