Unpacking Horticultural Therapy vs. Therapeutic Horticulture

The world of people-plant connection offers profound benefits for human well-being, and increasingly, we’re seeing these benefits integrated into healthcare and wellness practices. Two terms you might encounter are “horticultural therapy” and “therapeutic horticulture.” While seemingly similar, there are crucial distinctions between them. Understanding these differences is key to appreciating the unique power each offers.

Therapeutic Horticulture: Gardening for Well-being

Think of therapeutic horticulture as the broader umbrella under which many beneficial plant-based activities fall. It’s the use of gardens and plant-related activities to promote well-being, improve quality of life, and foster a sense of accomplishment.

Here’s what generally characterizes therapeutic horticulture:

• Goal-Oriented, but Flexible: Activities are designed to be beneficial, but the specific outcomes might be less rigorously defined or measured than in a clinical setting.
• Diverse Settings: You’ll find therapeutic horticulture in community gardens, senior centers, schools, botanical gardens, and even corporate wellness programs.
• Focus on General Benefits: Participants might experience reduced stress, improved mood, increased physical activity, enhanced social connection, and a boost in self-esteem.
• Led by Various Professionals: Facilitators might include garden educators, volunteers, activity coordinators, or even individuals with a passion for gardening and helping others. While they are knowledgeable about plants and human well-being, they may not necessarily be clinically trained therapists.
• Accessible to Many: It’s often accessible to a wide range of individuals, regardless of their specific challenges or diagnoses – or no diagnosis at all, but rather to enhance wellness.

In essence, therapeutic horticulture is about harnessing the inherent power of nature and gardening to simply help people experience more well-being, without necessarily addressing a specific clinical need.

Horticultural Therapy: A Clinical and Goal-Driven Intervention

Now, let’s turn to horticultural therapy. This is where the practice becomes a specific, formalized therapeutic intervention. Horticultural therapy is a recognized treatment modality that utilizes horticulture-based activities to achieve specific, measurable treatment goals within a therapeutic relationship.

Key characteristics of horticultural therapy include:

• Clinical and Prescriptive: It is a professional intervention often prescribed as part of a treatment plan.
• Specific Treatment Goals: Each activity is evidence-based, chosen and adapted to meet documented therapeutic goals for an individual or group. These goals could be physical (e.g., improving fine motor skills), cognitive (e.g., enhancing memory), social (e.g., practicing communication), or emotional (e.g., reducing anxiety).
• Credentialed Professionals: Horticultural therapy is delivered by registered horticultural therapists (HTRs) who have specialized education, training, and usually clinical experience in horticulture, therapy, and human behavior. They are trained to assess individual client needs, develop treatment plans, implement interventions, and evaluate outcomes.
• Documentation and Evaluation: Like other clinical therapies, horticultural therapy involves ongoing assessment, progress notes, and evaluation of client outcomes.
• Targeted Populations: It is typically used with individuals facing specific physical, cognitive, emotional, or social challenges, often in healthcare settings like hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health facilities, and long-term care facilities.

To put it simply, horticultural therapy is a professionally guided, evidence-based practice where plant-based activities are intentionally used to achieve specific, measurable therapeutic outcomes for individuals with identified needs.

The Crucial Distinction

The primary difference lies in the intent, structure, and the qualifications of the practitioner.

Understanding the difference is important for several reasons:

• Appropriate Referrals: It ensures that individuals receive the most appropriate and effective support for their needs. Someone requiring clinical intervention for a specific condition will benefit most from a horticultural therapist.
• Professional Recognition: It helps distinguish the specialized training and expertise of a horticultural therapist.
• Funding and Program Development: Clear definitions are vital for securing funding, developing robust programs, and advocating for the value of these plant-based interventions.

The NC State/NC Botanical Garden Online Therapeutic Horticulture certificate courses prepare individuals from many different backgrounds to deliver high-quality TH services to many different populations in a variety of settings, with appropriate assessment, safety considerations, and evaluations. The focus of this certificate program is to develop facilitator skills in matching appropriate activities to different population needs and settings so that participants can move toward their goals through an intentional connection with plants and the TH group.

Both therapeutic horticulture and horticultural therapy leverage the incredible power of nature to heal and enrich lives. While one offers broad benefits for general well-being, the other provides a targeted, clinical approach to achieving specific therapeutic goals. Both are valuable, and both continue to grow in their impact on human health.