The Horticultural Therapy Institute’s Faculty

Linking People and Plants

Each member of the faculty is an experienced leader with a personal passion for horticultural therapy. They represent the broad spectrum of approaches to horticultural therapy practice and have a strong professional level of understanding of Horticultural Therapy in its many settings.

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Rebecca Haller, HTM

Classes:

• Lead Instructor
• Fundamentals of Horticultural Therapy
• Horticultural Therapy Techniques
• Horticultural Therapy Programming
• Horticultural Therapy Management

Rebecca Haller has practiced and taught horticultural therapy since earning an M.S. in Horticultural Therapy from Kansas State University in 1978. In 1981 she established a still-thriving vocational horticultural therapy program in Glenwood Springs, Colorado for adults with developmental disabilities. In addition, she developed and taught a horticultural therapy certificate program at the Denver Botanic Gardens and has served as president and board member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA). Ms. Haller is an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University. She is an enthusiastic speaker on HT topics and has addressed numerous organizations including, AHTA, AOTA, ATRA, NAAP and APGA (formerly AABGA) as well as speaking at regional meetings, classes and conferences. ?

In 2008, she received the publications award from AHTA for the book Horticultural Therapy Methods: Making Connections in Health Care, Human Service and Community Programs. In 2005, she received the Horticultural Therapy Award from the American Horticultural Society.

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Karen Kennedy, HTR

Classes:

• Fundamentals of Horticultural Therapy
• Horticultural Therapy Programming

Karen L. Kennedy, HTR is active in the field of horticultural therapy (HT), developing programs and providing HT services to individuals with a wide variety of disabilities, illness and life situations.  After managing the HT and Wellness Program at The Holden Arboretum for 23 years, Karen now works as a private contractor providing HT and consulting services, developing educational materials and teaching.  She is a frequent presenter at regional and national professional conferences.  She has served on the board of directors and committees of The American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) and co-authored chapters in the textbooks Horticulture as Therapy: Principles and Practice, (1998) and Horticultural Therapy Methods:  Making Connections in Health Care, Human Service and Community Programs (2006).  Karen received the 1994 Rhea McCandliss Professional Service Award from AHTA and 2009 Horticultural Therapy Award from the American Horticulture Society. She holds a B.S. in horticultural therapy from Kansas State University.

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Jay Stone Rice, Ph.D

Classes:

• Horticultural Therapy Techniques

Jay Stone Rice was awarded his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the San Francisco School of Psychology. He was the principal investigator for an exploratory study of the effectiveness of San Francisco Sheriff Department’s innovative horticultural therapy program. Jay co-edited The Healing Dimensions of People-Plant Relations, which is published by the Center for Design Research, University of California, Davis. He has also written about the social ecology of the inner city family trauma, trauma’s relationship to substance abuse and crime, and gardening as a treatment intervention. Jay is a family therapist in private practice in San Rafael, CA.

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Pam Catlin, HTR

Classes:

• Horticultural Therapy Management

Pam Catlin has worked in horticultural therapy since receiving a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in 1976. She was instrumental in establishing over 50 horticultural therapy programs since starting in the field. During her career Pam was the director of horticultural therapy services at both Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe, IL) and Adult Care Services (Prescott, AZ).  She has worked as a private contractor/consultant serving a variety of populations along with being a Prescott College mentor in the area of horticultural therapy and a distance horticultural therapy internship supervisor. She is an active member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Pam has authored chapters in Horticulture as Therapy: Principles and Practice (Simson andStraus) and Horticultural Therapy Methods: Connecting People and Plants in Health Care, Human Services, and Therapeutic Programs (Haller and Capra); was a contributor to The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy (Haller, Kennedy, and Capra) and Calmer Waters (Cohn).  She authored the manual The Growing Difference: Natural Success Through Horticultural Based Programming. Her public speaking experiences include numerous presentations at national and regional conferences and workshops.