Using horticultural therapy to cultivate healing and connection
What is horticultural therapy?
Horticultural therapists use plants and horticultural activities
– with individuals or groups –
to reach specific social, cognitive, physical and/or emotional therapeutic goals.
For example:
• Making aromatherapy candles to support calming, relaxation
• Planting seeds to strengthen motor skills
• Gardening in teams to promote working together and social interaction.
Harticulture currently manages gardens and runs therapeutic gardening programming at three sites.
Harticulture runs therapeutic gardening programming at three Center for Discovery Residential Treatment Centers in the Bay Area.
Clients in RTC are receiving specialized treatment for eating disorders and other mental health issues.
The garden program supports clients in developing compensatory behaviors and stress reduction tools. Clients are growing herbs, flowers and food that are used directly in their program
Harticulture runs child development and therapeutic garden programming in the Wellness garden at HPP in San Francisco, CA.
HPP works with families to end the cycle of childhood poverty by offering housing support services, prenatal care and parenting support.
The Wellness Garden is a place for creativity and fun and there is always something unforgettable happening.
Harticulture volunteers with Insight Garden Program working in the garden with inmates at San Quentin State Prison.
IGP built the first and only accessible garden on a prison yard and maintains this perennial flower garden as well as a vegetable garden with the help of program participants.
The program looks to transform lives through nature connection developing transferable landscaping and vocational training.
.
