Horticultural Therapy

What Is Horticultural Therapy?

Horticultural therapy is the practice of utilizing plants and horticultural activities to improve social, educational, psychological, and physical movements and adjustments of persons in pursuit of goals under the stewardship of a trained professional, improving mind, body and spirit as defined by the American Horticultural Therapy Association.

How the Craig Horticultural Therapy Program Works

Craig’s Horticultural Therapy program is within the Recreational Therapy Department and operates on a referral basis. Referrals are often made by a patient’s recreational therapist (CTRS) after indication of interest, but referrals can also be made by any other member of the care team to promote interdisciplinary therapy goals. Patients can also ask to participate in the program through one-on-one sessions or sign up for the group sessions in the rec room. Horticultural therapy supports holistic healing and the development of transferrable skills, benefiting patients from both the brain and spinal cord injury programs in new or established interests. Craig’s Horticultural Therapy Department operates out of the on-site therapy garden and greenroom full of tropical and succulent houseplants. There is currently one full-time horticultural therapist who sees patients in a clinical setting and coordinates the program on a wider level. You can reach the Horticultural Therapy Program at HT@craighospital.org.

• Clinical program sessions: Clinical sessions are available to both inpatients and outpatients. One-on-one sessions take place after referral or patient request — ask your recreational therapist or visit Recreational Therapy for more information on scheduling a session. These sessions are open-ended and can help answer any and all gardening questions or explore any plant or garden curiosities. Groups are also offered twice a month to inpatients and outpatients, centered on various houseplant activities. Sign-up for groups are on the calendar in Recreational Therapy.
• Hospital-wide events: Hospital-wide events take place quarterly and include programming for Valograms at Valentine’s Day; National Horticultural Therapy Week celebrations in March; the Plant Sale in May; the Garden Harvest Party in September; and the Spring in Winter: A Botanical Museum Exhibit event in December. These events are facilitated with inpatient and outpatient involvement but are open to all patients, families, volunteers and staff.
• Garden club: Garden club is a two-hour block of time every Thursday from April through October for drop-in gardening. Designed to allow therapists to bring patients to the garden and work on transferable skills, it is open to any patient, grad, volunteer, family member or staff member to engage with the Craig therapy garden and contribute to its upkeep.
• Outpatient internship opportunities: These internship opportunities are made possible by partnerships with community organizations. Internships shift year to year and are designed to foster vocational experience for Craig grads in the local community. Questions can be directed to the Horticultural Therapy Program at HT@craighospital.org.

Qualifications of the Craig Horticultural Therapy Program

Horticultural therapy is an allied health profession built on decades of practice and research. Craig Hospital’s Horticultural Therapy Program is a leader in the field and was established in 1982. The program is coordinated by a registered horticultural therapist (HTR), a credential offered by the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) upon completion of a bachelor’s degree and other required academic coursework in the fields of human sciences, horticulture and horticultural therapy. Craig’s program meets interdisciplinary therapy goals by uniquely offering three programming structures: wellness-based, therapeutic-based and vocation-based programming. All horticultural therapists are members of the AHTA and are highly trained and skilled professionals.