What is therapeutic horticulture?
Therapeutic horticulture (TH) is a professionally facilitated treatment intervention that uses plant and nature-based activities to work towards the psychological, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, and vocational goals of its participants.
For example, if a therapeutic horticulture practitioner is working with someone who has just had a stroke and experiences weakness on one side of their body, the individual’s personal goals may be to increase their balance, to improve the fine motor skills in their affected hand, and to cope with the sense of loss and grief associated with adjusting to their new level of ability. Research has shown that there are many gardening activities that provide motivating, fun opportunities to improve balance, fine motor skills, and mental health. TH practitioners personally (or in collaboration with an interdisciplinary treatment team) pinpoint client goals, design plant-based activities that address those goals, and ensure the participants’ safety as they complete them independently or in a group setting.”
The benefits of therapeutic horticulture include (but are not limited to) physical activity, relaxation and enjoyment, skill development, creative expression, sensory stimulation, intellectual, cognitive, and personal growth, social interaction, a sense of productivity and self-satisfaction, a spiritual connection with life, and improved mental health and wellbeing. Therapeutic horticulture is a low-cost, effective, and versatile modality that enables both individuals and groups to attain personal goals through task adaptation and environmental modification. Therapeutic horticulture sessions typically last 45-60 minutes, and TH activities can be applied to almost all situations, indoors or outdoors.
Brief history of the therapeutic horticulture/horticultural therapy field
- In 1817, Benjamin Rush, a physician, politician, and social reformer who is considered to be the “Father of American Psychiatry” established a psychiatric facility that (among other programs) utilized gardening as a treatment intervention.
- In the 1800’s, Dorthea Dix worked to reform the conditions in American psychiatric facilities and advocated for utilizing farming and gardening activities as a treatment intervention with patients.
- After World War I and II (early-late 1900’s), veteran hospitals used gardening activities to work towards the rehabilitative treatment goals of military veterans.
- The American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) was established in 1973. AHTA established professional ethics and standards of practice for the field of horticultural therapy and serves as the accrediting body for all registered horticultural therapy education programs in the U.S.
Where is therapeutic horticulture practiced?
Therapeutic horticulture can be practiced in a large variety of clinical and community settings, such as:
Mental Health:
- Psychiatric Hospitals
- Domestic Abuse Shelters
- Substance Abuse Clinics
- Group Homes
Community:
- Community Centers
- Homeless Shelters
- Community/Public Gardens
- Religiously Affiliated Programs
- Botanical Gardens
- Museums
Elders:
- Independent Retirement Communities
- Assisted Living Homes
- Skilled Nursing Homes
Government:
- State/Federal Government-Related Programs
- Military Services Centers
- Military Rehab Facilities & Hospitals
Education:
- School K-12
- College/Universities
- Vocational Rehabilitation Centers
Medical:
- Medical Hospitals
- Rehabilitation Centers
- Palliative/Hospice Care Centers
- Spinal Cord/Traumatic Brain Injury Centers
- Chronic/Acute Illness Center (Cancer, etc.)
Criminal Justice:
- Local/Federal Prisons
- Juvenile Detention/Rehabilitation Centers
- Halfway Houses
Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled
- Assisted Living Homes for I/DD Population
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services Center
- I/DD Day Programs
Who benefits from therapeutic horticulture?
The short answer is – everyone! Engaging with plants and nature-based activities within the context of semi-formalized or formalized programming can benefit every population on numerous levels. Many therapeutic horticulture programs focus their efforts on populations that tend to have less access to the natural world because of physical, cognitive, and/or mental health conditions, life events outside of their control, and other characteristics that prompt the need or desire for additional support. However, therapeutic horticulture is also regularly practiced with individuals who do not have impairments or disabilities. Some of these populations are as follows:
- Children, teens, adults, elders
- People who have mental health concerns/illness/disability
- People who have mild/acute/chronic medical conditions
- People who have mobility, vision, hearing, speaking, and/or sensory impairments
- People who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities
- People who have traumatic brain and/or spinal cord injuries
- People who have ‘invisible disabilities’ that are not apparent to the eye, but profoundly affect the individual’s life. (Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Disorder, Chronic Lyme Disease, back/joint pain, etc.)
- People who have experienced trauma, violence, sexual assault
- People who are in palliative or hospice care
- People who are incarcerated
- Veterans
- People who work at a computer all day and have limited access to the natural world.
- People who are striving to find a deeper sense of wellbeing, physical health, and balance in their lives.
*This is not an exhaustive list
What kind of plant and nature-based activities are conducted in a therapeutic horticulture session?
- Garden maintenance activities- Weeding, deadheading, planting, watering, etc.
- Starting/growing plants from seed
- Planning, planting, maintaining vegetables
- Maintaining a perennial/shrub nursery
- Planting and maintaining raised beds and annual flower containers
- Greenhouse plant production
- Hydroponics/aquaponics/vertical gardening systems
- Indoor & outdoor plant propagation
- Plant-based arts and crafts
- Creation of value-added products- Pressed flower cards, salsa, dried herb blends, etc.
- Cut flower gardening & bouquets
- Nature walks & ‘Forest Bathing’
- Vocational training- green-industry skills & workplace psychosocial skills
- Mindfulness activities
- Plant sales
What are the primary roles of a therapeutic horticulture practitioner?
Jump to:
1.) Create therapeutic gardens/programming spaces (indoors & outdoors)
2.) Facilitate plant & nature-based activities
3.) Provide adaptive tools & techniques
4.) Proactively govern safety
5.) Document treatment outcomes
6.) Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (when applicable)
1.) Create therapeutic gardens/programming spaces (indoors & outdoors)
Therapeutic horticulture practitioners are trained to inform the intentional design of therapeutic gardens based on Universal Design principles. Some practitioners may possess the skills to design the garden themselves and others may work with a trained landscape designer to make their vision a reality. Therapeutic gardens are designed to meet the diverse psychological, physical, and cognitive needs of the population that will engage in plant-based therapeutic horticulture activities in the space.
2.) Facilitate plant & nature-based activities
Therapeutic horticulture practitioners design plant and nature-based activities that target treatment goals that clients identify for themselves or with the help of their family, guardian, or clinical treatment team. Examples of these goals are as follows:
Health & Wellbeing Goal: Increase sense of personal health and wellbeing.
Psychological Goal: Decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.
Physical Goal: Improve balance and physical endurance.
Cognitive Goal: Improve memory and concentration.
Social Goal: Increase self-awareness and healthy interpersonal relationships.
Spiritual Goal: Increase sense of connection and belonging.
Vocational Goal: Increase workplace communication skills.
*All of these goals are based on evidence-based research outcomes performed within TH studies.
3.) Provide adaptive tools & techniques
Therapeutic horticulture practitioners are trained to assess the needs of participants and provide adaptive gardening tools and techniques that enable them to successfully engage in activities during TH programming and/or in their own personal gardens.
4.) Proactively govern safety
Therapeutic horticulture practitioners take responsibility for ensuring the safety of TH participants during programming sessions by:
- Understanding the needs/challenges/strengths of their client population and designing appropriate activities based on this understanding.
- Controlling or eliminating the use of plants that contain toxins and/or cause skin irritation.
- Screening participants for environmental allergens to pollen, stinging insects, etc. and having a crisis plan in place prior to delivering services.
- Maintaining close control over the use of sharp and/or potentially dangerous tools/materials.
- Performing pre and post session walk throughs of programming spaces to ensure that no tripping hazards, sharp edges, or other hazards are present.
- Teaching proper lifting and body mechanics to prevent injuries.
- Building a culture of respect, inclusivity, and trust amongst participants so that all feel welcome and safe to share and grow together.
5.) Document treatment outcomes
Some therapeutic horticulture programs will document the progress of their participants and others may not. In more clinical settings, it is customary to document on a regular basis and in non-clinical community settings, documentation is often more informal and conducted at the request of the host-site. TH practitioners are trained to document factors such as a participant’s behavior, social interactions, ability to complete tasks, vocational skill level, etc.
6.) Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (when applicable)
Therapeutic horticulture practitioners often collaborate with clinical treatment teams, community stakeholders, and administrators. TH activities target many of the same goals that more traditional treatment interventions (such as physical, occupational, and psychotherapy) can address. In this way, therapeutic horticulture is a complimentary intervention and works to fortify the successful completion of established goals. Allied health professionals can become cross-trained in TH practices in efforts to combine the healing properties of their own intervention and those of therapeutic horticulture. Learn more about our online certificate program and hybrid certificate program in Therapeutic Horticulture.
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