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Linking people and plants

Some frequently asked questions about Horticultural Therapy

HT Career Choices

Required Courses

What is Horticultural Therapy?

"Horticultural therapy is a professionally conducted client-centered treatment modality that utilizes horticulture activities to meet specific therapeutic or rehabilitative goals of its participants. The focus is to maximize social, cognitive, physical and/or psychological functioning and/or to enhance general health and wellness."

From: Horticultural Therapy Methods: Making Connections in Health Care, Human Service, and Community Programs (Haworth Press, 2006)

Generally speaking, what benefits does
Horticultural Therapy offer?

Provides meaningful, purposeful activity
Offers versatility in programming for all developmental areas
Addresses innate psychological needs and connection with the natural world
Offers restoration and respite from mental stress
Encourages human growth that is fundamental and central to each individual served
Impacts visitors, staff and family members as well as participants

For more information on these benefits see Horticultural Therapy Methods: Making Connections in Health Care, Human Service, and Community Programs.

Where is Horticultural Therapy practiced?

Psychiatric hospitals and mental health programs
Vocational, occupational and rehabilitation programs
Substance abuse programs
Hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities
Hospice and palliative care programs
Correctional facilities
Public and private schools
Community and botanic gardens
Assisted living and senior centers
Residential setting such as foster care, homeless shelters,
therapeutic farms
Physical rehabilitation hospitals
Health promotion and wellness programs

How long has Horticultural Therapy been practiced?

HT is a relatively new profession; the first Master of Science degree in horticultural therapy was awarded in 1955 by Michigan State University. By 1971 a curriculum had been developed at Kansas State University providing students with training in horticulture and psychology leading to a bachelors degree in HT. Yet, horticultural therapy has documented use dating back to ancient times when court physicians prescribed walks in palace gardens for mentally disturbed royalty. In the late 1700s and early 1800s in the U.S., U.K. and Spain, a greater understanding evolved about the relationship between people and plants, and the ability to use that relationship in a clinical setting as an accepted approach to treatment. HT began in mental health facilities, followed by use in physical rehabilitation and vocational to it's current broad array of uses in many types of facilities and settings.

What training is needed to become a Horticultural Therapist?

Horticultural Therapy is an interdisciplinary field that combines horticulture, human sciences and HT coursework. Although not required, many HTI students begin training with at least some experience or education in either horticulture, or human service (or both). The American Horticultural Therapy Association has adopted a Core Curriculum that outlines the recommended courses for an HT degree or other HT training. See www.ahta.org for more information.