What is Horticultural Therapy? How does it help?

  • Horticultural Therapy is an evidence-based approach that the specialized therapist integrates into mental health care. It is not limited to use in mental health though. Over the past few decades, Horticultural Therapy has been practiced in many settings, for people experiencing a range of challenges. With seeds, flowers, houseplants, herbs, vegetable gardens and farms, art materials, among other tools, the therapist presents the person with opportunities to heal from an illness or injury, build upon strengths, enhance coping strategies, find a sense of purpose, strengthen relationships, experience the present moment, sharpen focus, combat loneliness, connect with others, and more. In a vocational setting, Horticultural Therapy plays a significant role in preparing people for jobs in settings such as gardens, nurseries, farms, and greenhouses. You will also find Horticultural Therapists in programs that offer recreation, vocational, and social experiences for people with varying abilities.

  • Sessions can take place in homes, in community centers, in senior facilities, in programs for veterans, in hospitals, in recovery centers, in vocational centers, supportive housing, in private offices, in schools, and any place where plants and nature exist or can be brought in.

  • Stacey is a behavioral health provider for United Healthcare, Aetna, and Oscar EAP. In addition to therapy, Stacey also leads workshops and groups that are not "therapy" but instead, offer socialization, education, mindfulness, relaxation, and vocational skill building if desired.

  • Is this a new trend? Not so new! Since the 1800's, horticulture, gardening, and farming have helped people heal, cope, grieve, recover, conquer fears, discover community, combat isolation, relax and re-charge. In the early 1800's, Dr. Benjamin Rush, widely considered the father of American psychiatry, observed that individuals who engaged in gardening experienced improved psychiatric health. Hospitals and asylums across Europe and the United States started to formally incorporate gardening, farming, and green spaces settings into their treatment as a result of his work. Horticulture as a therapeutic intervention became a significant part of treatment for World War I and II veterans, not only for physical injuries, but also for the psychological and emotional effects of war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.