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About horticultural therapy and therapeutic
horticulture:
What is Horticultural Therapy?
Horticultural therapy (HT) is an evidence-based practice that uses plants,
horticultural activities, and the garden landscape to promote health and
well-being. HT programs are goal oriented with defined outcomes and assessment
procedures for each individual in a program.
HT activity sessions are delivered in the
context of cohesive, seasonal programs and administered by a trained
Horticultural Therapist who often works as an adjunctive therapist with members
of a healthcare team.
Horticultural therapy practitioners in Canada usually have a
university degree in horticulture or a health or human service discipline such
as nursing, physiotherapy, or social work, followed by specific training in
horticultural therapy.
What is Therapeutic Horticulture?
Therapeutic horticulture (TH) is the use of plants and plant-related activities
to promote health and wellness. A TH program leader is trained to use
horticulture to support general goals relating to the physical, cognitive,
social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of participants but specific goals
and outcomes for individual participants are not charted and documented.
TH programs may be delivered by horticultural therapists but are also offered by
recreation therapists, teachers, youth workers, and others who recognize the
benefits of the connections between people, plants, gardens, and the natural
world. It is important that those who lead therapeutic gardening and
horticulture programs are knowledgeable about plant material and are trained to
safely deliver programs that use horticultural activities and plant materials.
Where can I find more information about training in TH and HT?
Take a look at the HT
Certificate page and review education information offered by the following
organizations.
The
American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) and the
Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association
(CHTA) are volunteer driven professional associations that each publish
education guidelines and offer voluntary professional registration to their
members.
Thrive partners with several agencies and
universities in the United Kingdom to offer social and therapeutic horticulture
programs for various populations and to provide education and training programs
in the UK.
For specific information about the recommended content for training programs in
horticultural therapy in Canada, please see the Canadian Horticultural Therapy
Association's
Horticultural Therapy Core Skills & Knowledge document.
A comprehensive occupational profile on horticultural therapy as a career is
available at
Prospect - a graduate careers website, based in the United Kingdom. Much of
the information in this profile and the salary ranges cited are relevant to
those considering a career in HT in Canada.
What are the key areas for program planning in therapeutic horticulture and
horticultural therapy?
At facilities where Ann works, she divides TH and HT programs into the four quarters
of the calendar year to make budgeting for supplies and purchasing or growing plant
materials easier. This also generates four seasons within which to
create themed activity programs: late winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
Ann uses four streams to develop therapeutic programs for her clients: indoor and outdoor gardening, floristry and flower
arranging, nature-related activities, and botanical arts and crafts. These
permit horticultural therapy sessions and plant-related activities to occur
year round.
These four streams are also the focus of hands-on activities for students in the
HT Certificate
courses. Each stream allows for an engaging sequence of seasonal
plant-related activities and fosters working with plants even on the rainiest day or when
participants may be limited to indoor activities during winter months.
Articles and information sheets written by Ann Kent HTM - check back every few months for something new.
Recent research on benefits of therapeutic horticulture
and nature-based activities for human health and wellness:
Follow a news stream on therapeutic horticulture and
gardening programs from around the world at:
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