ABSTRACT
Horticultural therapy differentiates itself from other therapeutic modalities by including plants, plant care, and cultivation in the therapeutic process. Carl Jung believed human experience must be considered within the context of nature. After spending time with indigenous tribes in East Africa, he expressed concern that the modern psyche had lost its foundational connection to natural timing. Horticultural therapy activates the inherent archetypal understanding of human embeddedness in nature.
Horticultural therapy is informed by the biopsychosocial, social-ecological, strength-based, and positive psychological models of treatment. Therapeutic approaches include psychodynamic, client-centered, and relationship therapy. Models and approaches to treatment are shaped by cultural narratives regarding health and wellness. Cultural and personal narratives selectively organize information into a cohesive whole that often excludes awareness of humans as manifestations of nature. Horticultural therapy reintroduces this awareness into the narrative of wellbeing.
Horticultural therapists integrate knowledge of plants with the specific needs of human populations. To be effective, horticultural therapists strive to understand how their own life experiences influence their perceptions. Developing a therapeutic style is akin to learning a craft. Elements of the horticultural therapist’s craft may include coursework, supervision, personal therapeutic work, gardening, and mindfulness practice.
