Forest Therapy Victoria, 148-150 Yarra Street, Warrandyte (2026)

Q: What is the website?

http://www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au/

16/06/2026

As the days reach their shortest point and winter settles in, we invite you to slow down and reconnect with the wisdom of the forest and celebrate the returning light.

Join us for a Winter Solstice Forest Therapy experience—a gentle guided journey through nature designed to help you pause, reflect, and embrace the quiet gifts of the season.

Join Laura Cox, counsellor with MGA Counselling Services and lead guide at Forest Therapy Victoria, at Warrien Reserve in Croydon North for three hours of connecting with nature for your wellbeing.

To book, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1987477338220?aff=oddtdtcreator

15/06/2026

Could your therapeutic practice use a little more 'green'?

Increasingly therapists are discovering the benefits of taking their work beyond four walls and into nature.

But how do you do it safely, ethically and effectively?

Join me on June 24th for "Using Forest Therapy in Your Therapeutic Practice," a four hour, practical professional development workshop presented by Forest Therapy Victoria. Whether you're a counsellor, psychologist, social worker, coach or wellbeing practitioner, this training will provide a solid foundation for incorporating nature into your practice.

Together we'll explore:

🌱 The history and growing scientific evidence behind Forest Therapy
🌱 Practical ways to integrate Forest Therapy with modalities such as ACT, EMDR, mindfulness, narrative therapy and more
🌱 Working with grief, trauma, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns in outdoor settings
🌱 How to establish and market a nature-based private practice
🌱 Considerations for using Forest Therapy within organisations, schools and workplaces
🌱 Legal, ethical, risk management and insurance obligations for practitioners working outdoors

This isn't just about taking a walk in the park with a client. It's about understanding how the natural environment can become a thoughtful, intentional part of the therapeutic process while maintaining professional standards and client safety.

If you've been considering how to incorporate nature into your work, join us on June 24th.

Places are limited to eight per workshop, and tend to sell out quickly.

To book, visit: https://www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au/programs-and-activities/professional-development/

08/06/2026

If the mountains are little far to go, we've got a number of suburban forest therapy experiences to choose from.

The next one is this coming Saturday afternoon (13th June) at he Edgars Creek Reserve in Coburg.

Liza Costello, counsellor, forest therapy guide, and all round excellent person will be leading this three hour event, with myself as her trusty assistant!

Come and join us to immerse yourself in the sounds and smells of nature in winter, and give your health systems a boost.

Standard tickets are $60 but there also tickets plus a discounted forest therapy journal available for $100. NDIS participants are welcome to pay through their plan manager.

For more information or to book your ticket, visit:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/forest-therapy-experience-edgars-creek-parkland-coburg-tickets-1989809836786?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

http://www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au
http://www.mgacounselling.com.au

05/06/2026

High Sensitivity Australia: Erica Webb and Matt Glover

Erica Webb and Matt Glover share a passion for empowering Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) to embrace their sensitivity as a strength. Together, they create safe, supportive spaces for HSPs to explore their unique traits, navigate challenges, and thrive.

Erica is a compassionate yoga and somatic movement teacher with years of experience helping people connect with their bodies and emotions. Her gentle, inclusive approach focuses on nurturing self-awareness, regulating the nervous system, and fostering self-compassion. Erica’s work is rooted in the belief that movement is a powerful tool for transformation, particularly for HSPs seeking balance and calm in a noisy world. To enquire about one on one counselling with Erica, or to join one of her popular Soma Home workshops, visit her website.

Matt brings his expertise as a counsellor and forest therapy guide to their shared mission. With over two decades of experience in mental health and community care, he specializes in working with trauma, grief, and the unique needs of sensitive individuals. His evidence-based approaches, including ACT and mindfulness, align seamlessly with the needs of HSPs. Matt also offers counselling for highly sensitive people, and can provide supervision for highly sensitive therapists or those seeking to better understand their highly sensitive clients. To book with Matt, visit the MGA Counselling Services website.

Through workshops, retreats, and one-on-one sessions, Erica and Matt blend their skills to offer holistic support for HSPs. Whether through somatic movement, forest therapy, or counselling, their work empowers HSPs to flourish, embracing sensitivity as a superpower. For a helpful introduction to high sensitivity, join both Matt and Erica for one of their regular online HSP primer conversations.

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This post is part of a series profiling the services and team members of the MGA Group.

The MGA Group is made up of MGA Counselling Services, Forest Therapy Victoria, Nature Play 4 Kids and High Sensitivity Australia.

To make an enquiry for any of our services, please call 1300 38 50 20 or email [email protected]

www.mgacounselling.com.au www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au www.natureplay4kids.com.au www.highsensitivity.com.au

03/06/2026

MGA Team member Profile: Rhiannon Flavel

Rhiannon is a gestalt therapist, outdoor educator, & lifelong nature lover, living & working on Kulin land in Melbourne’s inner west. Considering herself an “edge dweller” she works with those at the edges of change—whether in relationships, work, loss, adolescence or personal growth—transforming experiences of exhaustion, stuckness, or disconnection into vitality, clarity & a deeper sense of connection.

Drawing on gestalt relational therapy, land-based approaches, & a mythic lens, Rhiannon supports you to slow down & listen—to the land, & to the quiet, subtle voice that resides within experiences of overwhelm, depression, anxiety, addiction, or relational distress.

Working as an outdoor educator & contemporary rites of passage facilitator for over a decade with young people & families, Rhiannon has developed a deep understanding of guiding people through times of transition. Her approach has been shaped by learning from First Nations educators on Kombumerri Country (Gold Coast)—including stories, protocols, Yugambeh language, & witnessing human-nature relationships grounded in respect & reciprocity. These experiences have deepened her understanding that we are meant to be wedded to the wild, seeing healing as inseparable from our connection with the land. They have also inspired Rhiannon’s ongoing exploration of how, as a settler, she can participate ethically in the web of relationships on unceded land.

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This post is part of a series profiling the services and team members of the MGA Group.

The MGA Group is made up of MGA Counselling Services, Forest Therapy Victoria, Nature Play 4 Kids and High Sensitivity Australia.

To make an enquiry for any of our services, please call 1300 38 50 20 or email [email protected]

www.mgacounselling.com.au www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au www.natureplay4kids.com.au www.highsensitivity.com.au

31/05/2026

We've got a special EXTENDED Forest Therapy event coming up this Saturday, 9:30am at Eagles nest in the Dandenong's.

A gentle bush walk combined with our usual sensory, mindful and creative nature-based activities, plus a few additional surprises that the extra time allows.

Led by experienced counsellor and guide, Laura Cox, and sponsored by the Zorali Outdoor Club, this event is both longer and cheaper than normal. A discounted version of the Forest Therapy journal is also availble with the purchase for your ticket.

Any questions, private message or leave a comment.

To book your spot, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1977361335985?aff=oddtdtcreator

See you under the trees!

https://www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au

29/05/2026

MGA Team member Profile: Kara Mansfield

Kara is the MGA Sexologist, with a special interest is sexual issues for women.

She is described as warm, empathetic, and understanding, drawing on her lived experience of chronic fatigue, neurodivergence, and the restorative benefits of nature therapy to inform her practice.

Kara takes an evidence-informed approach, integrating research-backed strategies alongside explorations of spirituality, meaningful rituals, and play as part of healing and personal growth. She is trained in Forest Therapy, offering one-on-one or group sessions, as well as Walk & Talk Therapy. At the core of her work is a strong commitment to client consent and autonomy. She is passionate about helping people access their inner strengths, fostering empowerment, self-advocacy, and emotional and relational skills so they can engage with the world in ways that feel meaningful to them.

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This post is part of a series profiling the services and team members of the MGA Group.

The MGA Group is made up of MGA Counselling Services, Forest Therapy Victoria, Nature Play 4 Kids and High Sensitivity Australia.

To make an enquiry for any of our services, please call 1300 38 50 20 or email [email protected]

www.mgacounselling.com.au www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au www.natureplay4kids.com.au www.highsensitivity.com.au

27/05/2026

MGA Team member Profile: Liza Costello

Liza works with people who are holding a lot—relationships, work, family, expectations, and the quieter “Who am I now?” questions that often surface during times of change. She has a particular focus on supporting women and brings over 10 years of experience in the mental health space, including roles across children and family services, case work, and Enhance Maternal and Child Health. This breadth of experience has given her a grounded, deeply human understanding of how anxiety, depression, and emotional overwhelm show up in everyday life.

Her style is warm, empathetic, and down-to-earth. She meets clients exactly where they’re at; no fixing, no rushing, no pressure to have the “right” words. Sessions offer a space to feel fully supported while gently making sense of what’s happening beneath the surface. There is room for honesty, depth, and even laughter— because therapy doesn’t have to feel heavy to be meaningful.

Her work is grounded in Emotion-Focused Therapy, supporting clients to explore and understand the emotional layers underneath anxiety, low mood, self-doubt, and relational stress. Together, the process is about slowing things down, tuning into what you’re feeling, and developing a more compassionate and empowering relationship with your inner world.

Outside the therapy room, Liza is a mum of toddler twins and a lover of nature. When her meagre backyard doesn’t quite offer the reset she needs, she heads off on forest explorations where the trees reliably remind her that growth is rarely neat or linear.

****

This post is part of a series profiling the services and team members of the MGA Group.

The MGA Group is made up of MGA Counselling Services, Forest Therapy Victoria, Nature Play 4 Kids and High Sensitivity Australia.

To make an enquiry for any of our services, please call 1300 38 50 20 or email [email protected]

www.mgacounselling.com.au www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au www.natureplay4kids.com.au www.highsensitivity.com.au

25/05/2026

MGA Team member Profile: Rhiannon Ross

I first met Rhiannon on a Forest Therapy event I was running the Dandenongs. As we chatted afterwards, she told me she was studying counselling. A year or so later she was on placement with MGA and then joined the team.

Rhiannon is based at our Boronia rooms, but also utilises surrounding outdoor spaces.

She sees individuals of all ages.

From her bio on the website:

“Rhiannon’s experience with those suffering depression, anxiety, and trauma and her innate interest in humanity and the human condition, along with her gentle, inquisitive and friendly nature have driven her to pursue a career in psychotherapy.
Drawing from person-centred, existential and acceptance and commitment therapeutic approaches, Rhiannon strives to help people in the way they want to be helped, without judgement, through finding tools to cope with life’s stressors and ultimately generating holistic and sustainable change in their life outside of therapy.”

Rhiannon sees people in person and online.

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This post is part of a series profiling the services and team members of the MGA Group.

The MGA Group is made up of MGA Counselling Services, Forest Therapy Victoria, Nature Play 4 Kids and High Sensitivity Australia.

To make an enquiry for any of our services, please call 1300 38 50 20 or email [email protected]

www.mgacounselling.com.au www.foresttherapyvictoria.com.au www.natureplay4kids.com.au www.highsensitivity.com.au

24/05/2026

The rain held off on Sunday morning and we enjoyed a Forest Therapy session at the Urban Forest in East Malvern. Asifa was my assistant and she introduced the session with her journey into the Forest Therapy space in Australia from the tropics of Mauritius.

These public event are not group therapy as such. Participants are not asked to share any of their own grief or trauma. They don't even have to share their name.

All that we ask is an openness to receive whatever nature has to offer int he moment.

Most of the time there are tears.

Often there is laughter.

There is always the deep breath out that comes with a reduction in cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and a sense of calm.

Forest Therapy Victoria will still be running public events during the cooler months, though the frequency will be reduced a little. One on one nature based counselling sessions will always be available, plus the journal is there for a year of self-guided Forest Therapy.

We've been doing wellbeing/team days for corporate organisations for a while, but we are currently working on some very exciting new partnerships to run some executive leadership wellbeing days that have not been attempted before.

I can't share too much, but as a hint, think of something really big in nature and make it small…

See you under the trees!

Forest Therapy Victoria

16/06/2026

15/06/2026

08/06/2026

05/06/2026

03/06/2026

31/05/2026

29/05/2026

27/05/2026

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

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