User:Aichelemc/Horticultural therapy

Horticultural therapy (also known as social and therapeutic horticulture or STH) is defined by the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) as the engagement of a person in gardening and plant-based activities, facilitated by a trained therapist, to achieve specific therapeutic treatment goals. The visual aesthetics of plants are known to elicit feelings of inner peace, which generates positive emotions toward a meaningful appreciation of life. Direct contact with plants guides the individual's focus away from stress enhancing their overall quality of life. The AHTA believes that horticultural therapy is an active process which occurs in the context of an established treatment plan. Horticultural therapists are specially educated and trained members of rehabilitation teams (with doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists and other) who involve the client in all phases of gardening, from propagation to selling products, as a means of bringing about improvement in their life.

Types Of Treatment
There are many horticultural therapy types that are provided from hospitals, schools, rehabilitation center, elderly care facilitates, mental health hospitals, and other places of healthcare. Each one of these facilities have different types of horticultural therapy, each with their own individual forms of treatment. These treatments are introduced to the lives of people that are looking for flexible treatments that aren't time consuming and can tend to each individuals schedules.

 Treatment Teams  is a form of therapy that involves a therapist or group of therapists and one client. Their main focus is to create a list of goals that their client has and create a procedure that will best achieve that clients goals. To start off, they sit down with their patient and discuss their intention with horticulture therapy. This may vary with hopes of forming new relationships from horticultural activities, finding a job through horticulture, releasing unwanted emotions through the act of gardening, or continuing gardening/ working with plants at home. They establish an arrangement with their client that focuses on four steps to reaching their goal(s) including "Objective, Methods, Criteria, Documentation."

Objective: A list of goals the team and their client is looking to achieve through horticultural therapy.

Methods: Come to an agreement of what their therapy sessions will look like, such as how many times they plan to meet and what can they do to work towards their goal(s).

Criteria: Finding out where they are going to start with treatment and what will regulate the end of their goal.

Documentation: Determining what they want to document throughout their treatment and how many times they will they do so.

This type of horticultural therapy is used to introduce more people to gardening and use it as a way to work through their issues with the help of a team.

 Vocational Therapy  teaches people the background behind horticulture. They learn how to grow their own plants and garden in their own small area. After learning how to care for their space, they begin to learn how to make a profit out of selling their work. This form of therapy is used to redirect the focus of those learning the science of plants. This teaches them how to create their own business within growing plants while also learning the benefits of supporting themselves mentally and financially.

Activities vocational therapy teaches consists of how to repot, water, and move plants within their space. Learning the basic knowledge of their plants root system and the care different plants need is taught at their own pace.

 Social Therapy  is an environment in which people learn how to tend to their own plants and garden in a social setting. This form of therapy offers the opportunity to engage with others that may be seeking help through horticulture as well. Those who take part in social therapy work on their gardens and greenhouses with others, with their own plants to grow. This gives them a chance to learn on their own, surrounded by friends and professionals. Creating a community that focuses on plant growth together teaches self reliance but with a support system.

Therapeutic Therapy (TT ) includes the more calming aspect of horticulture. This therapy practice focuses on reducing stress in ones life through gardening and plant growing. Working with plants is viewed as a way to take a break and focus on nature. (TT) is often used in elderly care facilities to occupy the residents and get them more in touch with the outdoors. It is shown that acts of horticulture has had many benefits such as a decline in patients pain. The scenery of plants lessens the amount of negative stimuli in the brain, by relaxing and soothing the nerves. While people watch the progress of their gardens they may experience more confidence if their plants do well. With the right amount of sun exposure and watering new growth on their plants can excite the caretaker, building up their confidence and increasing enthusiasm towards horticultural activities.  

Past Experiments With Horticulture Therapy (Recent 2019)
The National Council for Therapy and Rehabilitation through Horticulture created a journal of 2019 experiments. These experiements tracked the progress of people with certain health conditions using horticulture therapy (HT) to document how it changed their mental and physical health. This journal is called "Journal of therapeutic horticulture" as a part of the (AHTA).

Throughout 2019 there were three experiments tested by (AHTA). The groups tested on had varied between a range of mental disorders in order to see how (HT) improved their functioning. Over the course of three months this therapy was mixed in with Schizophrenic patient's schedules while also receiving occupational therapy. Their progress was documented over their course of treatment based upon how their symptoms of depression and anxiety fluctuated, along with their attitude towards life. It was known to help reduce their symptoms but did not decrease their feelings of "hopelessness." An experiment later on was given to women with a past of sexual abuse taken over a course of ten weeks. They found involvement with horticulture broadened their "time with nature." This form of therapy was documented as helpful to forming better "relationships" with others and changing their view on life moving forward. The third experiment was provided to veterans and active duty members in order to open their awareness towards mental health. This therapy provided them with professional sources that could help them with the aftermath of being on duty. Those that took part in HT found working with nature and plants to be helpful and distracting.

Education And Job Requirements As A Horticultural Therapist
 Education:  In order to become a horticultural therapist a bachelor degree in Horticultural Therapy, Human Science, or Plant Science is required. After schooling there are internships that give hands on experience, which needs to be at least 480 hours of work in total.

Requirements:
- Working with clients/patients, focusing on their psychological blockages

- Creating an environment in which people can grow plants

- Working with a psychologist and patients together to incorporate multiple perspectives in ways to help

- Teaching the basics of plant growth including watering, potting, fertilizing, etc

- Directing volunteers and other workers

- Providing tasks for each client/patient