Hi, I’m Sarah.

I would love to support your in your healing.

I’m in the process of updating my website to add my new services of 1:1 mind-body coaching, in addition to forest therapy.

Please forgive any glitches or confusion. Come back soon, and contact me with any questions!

Sarah Abu-Absi (photo by Erin Drewitz)

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(Don’t worry — I only email an average of 1 or 2 times per month!)

Open up to the wisdom, awe, connection and well-being that nature can offer you when you slow down and pay attention with curiosity and compassion.

Tend to your relationship with the Earth like you might with your friends, your family, or yourself.

Remember that your relationship with nature is about both giving and receiving—not only transactionally, but with your body, senses, and heart, through present-moment awareness.

Photo by Rob Wicks on Unsplash

Easier said than done, I know.

Most of us are so busy, distracted, stressed, and hurting, that it’s really difficult to tune down our analytical minds and let ourselves be present, with compassion, to what may arise from the nature around us and inside us.

As a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, with with supplemental certifications in mindful, somatic-based, trauma-informed modalities, I am here to help guide you.

This approach is not new, as it’s inspired by Native American and Indigenous people around the world, but much of modern society requires us to re-learn this way of being.

While so much of my approach is about un-learning ways of being that are damaging to the health and well-being of ourselves and the planet, it’s also inspired by what modern science is teaching us.

Ultimately, for me, forest therapy is about coming home to your true self, and remembering how interconnected we are with every other being on the planet.

I guide groups and individuals in the Chicago area (lands of the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi Nations), and beyond.

I’d love for you to join me. All are welcome, just as you are.

Photo by Jenna Beekhuis on Unsplash

What is Forest Therapy?

Forest Therapy, also known as forest bathing, is a practice for supporting healing and wellness—for both people and the Earth—through immersion in forests and other natural environments. It’s a very simple practice, but simple doesn’t always mean easy. That’s where your guide (me!) comes in — to help you tune into your senses and welcome whatever may arise. Documented benefits from Forest Therapy include:

  • decreased stress and anxiety

  • improved mood

  • nervous system support

  • increased immunity

  • reduction in chronic pain

  • emotion tending

  • increased attention span and creativity

  • increased feelings of connection to the Earth, oneself, and humanity

  • and so much more…

 

What People Are Saying

  • Abigail (March 2023)

    I had never experienced Forest Therapy before and I'm glad I did! Sarah is an excellent, gracious and accepting guide and facilitator and the experience itself was really freeing. It felt so nice to disconnect from devices and to take the time to really connect to nature, to myself, and to be present for the group. I'll definitely do it again and highly recommend Sarah and forest therapy!

  • Ande Breunig (June 2022)

    If you haven’t “bathed” in the forest, now is your chance! Not only is our area rife with beautiful areas to become one with nature and get closer to your soul, but Sarah is the perfect guide. She is so kind and entrenched in what she does that you feel better just being close to her energy. 11/10 recommend!

  • Liz (June 2022)

    The two hours spent with Sarah just a few minutes into Glenview Woods exceeded my expectations. What I thought would be just a pleasant morning walking among the trees turned out to be a fully immersive, rejuvenating and restorative event. I left feeling like I'd been at a week-long retreat. Thank you Sarah, can't wait to do it again!

  • J.L. Basbas (May 2022)

    This is my first time partaking in a guided forest bathing sesh and I couldn't be more grateful to have Sarah as my guide. The space she created during our walk felt both all-consuming and ever-expanding as if our energies were merging with our surroundings. It was a beautiful, much-needed experience and I recommend anyone who may be curious about forest bathing to give it a try. Trust, it will not disappoint. 💚

  • Lauren (May 2022)

    I highly recommend working with Sarah. Despite the cold and mud, I felt totally comfortable & safe. Sarah has a welcoming practice and has opened a new way for me to focus on wellness. Forest bathing isn't about hiking, it's about slowing down. I'm really grateful for having had this experience.

  • Lisa (April 2022)

    This was my first encounter with forest bathing, and it won’t be my last. Sarah’s guidance is light hearted and approachable, but also opens the door to deep personal exploration. Being fully absorbed in nature and feeling a true kinship with the trees connected me to the natural world in a fresh way — as well as to a pure, almost childlike version of myself. What a gift!

  • Eve (March 2022)

    Sarah has a true gift. She lovingly guides you to use the natural world to heal and find calm. I felt very at peace after the invitations and really enjoyed the tea.

  • Suzanna (March 2022)

    It’s a great way to put things in perspective and give you a wider view of your life. And it helps you feel connected to the world.

  • Allison (December 2021)

    I highly recommend Sarah's tree therapy walk as a means to finding serenity and focus through connecting more deeply to one's natural environment.