When we talk about wellbeing, it is easy to focus only on symptoms, treatment and disease. But the World Health Organisation has long offered a broader view.
The WHO Constitution describes health as including physical, mental and social wellbeing, not only the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition helps explain why practices such as forest therapy are relevant today.
Many people are not clinically unwell, yet they are tired, overstimulated, disconnected, stressed or mentally overloaded. They may be functioning, but not flourishing.
A fuller view of care
Forest therapy speaks to this wider understanding of health. It creates space for the body to soften, the mind to settle and the person to feel connected again, to self, others and the natural world.
The social aspect is also important. In guided group sessions, participants may share reflections, listen to others and experience nature in community. This can be especially meaningful in corporate and urban settings, where relationships are often shaped by speed, deadlines and digital communication.
A forest therapy session is not a medical appointment. It is a wellbeing practice that aligns with a more complete view of health.
When health is understood as physical, mental and social wellbeing, time in nature becomes more than leisure. It becomes part of how we care for human life.
Further reading: WHO Constitution.