Horticultural Therapy Methods

Rebecca L. Haller, HTM, has practiced and taught horticultural therapy since receiving an MS in horticultural therapy from Kansas State University in 1978. Currently the director of the Horticultural Therapy Institute in Denver, Colorado, Ms. Haller teaches horticultural therapy classes in affiliation with Colorado State University, delivers workshops, and provides consultation to new or developing programs. At Denver Botanic Gardens, she designed and taught a series of professional courses in horticultural therapy, managed the sensory garden, and created programs and access for people with disabilities. She established a vocational horticultural therapy program for adults with developmental disabilities in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, which is still thriving after more than thirty years in operation. She has served as president, secretary, and board member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) and has worked on teams related to education and professional standards. In 2005, she received the Horticultural Therapy Award from the American Horticultural Society. Awards from the American Horticultural Therapy Association include: the Publication Award in 2009 and the Rhea McCandliss Professional Service Award in 2015. She has authored articles and chapters in the following publications: HortTechnology, Horticulture as Therapy: Principles and Practice, Horticultural Therapy and the Older Adult Population, Towards a New Millennium in People-Plant Relationships, AHTA News Magazine, The Public Garden, Acta Horticulturae, and Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction to Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives. She co-edited and wrote chapters in The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy. Christine L. Capra, BA, is the program manager at the Horticultural Therapy Institute in Denver, Colorado. She and partner, Rebecca L. Haller, HTM, cofounded the institute in early 2002, which continues to offer accredited horticultural therapy education to students from across the United States and abroad. Previously, she worked as the program coordinator at the Denver Botanic Gardens’ horticultural therapy program. She has a BA in journalism from Metropolitan State University in Denver. Ms. Capra has written for numerous publications including OT Weekly, Mountain Plain and Garden, Green Thumb News, People-Plant Connection, AHTA News, GrowthPoint, The Community Gardener, Health and Gardens, Colorado Gardener, Our Sunday Visitor, Making Connections (Horticultural Therapy Institute Quarterly Newsletter), and Jardins. She co-edited The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy. She was a reporter for the Denver Catholic Register newspaper for many years. She has received writing awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Catholic Press Association, and the Colorado Press Association. In 2009, she was awarded the Publication Award from AHTA.

Chapter 1. The Framework

Rebecca L. Haller

Introduction

Shaping a Profession

Horticultural Therapy Defined

Program Settings, Types, and Goals

Understanding the People Served

Horticulture As a Therapeutic Modality

Summary

References

Chapter 2. Goals and Treatment Planning: The Process

Rebecca L. Haller

Introduction

Treatment Teams

The Process of Treatment Planning

Summary

For Further Study

Chapter 3. Activity Planning: Developing Horticultural Therapy Activities and Tasks

Pamela A. Catlin

Introduction

Horticulture As a Vehicle to Meet Wide-Ranging Goals

Activity or Task Selection to Meet Treatment Objectives

Additional Considerations for Activity Planning

Planning for Seasonality and Efficient Use of Horticultural Resources

Idea Sources for Tasks and Activities

Summary

References

Chapter 4. Cultivating Respectful Relationships in Horticultural Therapy

Jay S. Rice

Introduction

Definition and Etymology of Respect and Relationship

Applications to Horticultural Therapy Methods

Respectful Relationship with Self

Respectful Relationship with Clients

Respectful Relationship with Plants

Summary

References

Chapter 5. Working with Program Participants: Techniques for Therapists, Trainers, and Program Facilitators

Karen L. Kennedy

Rebecca L. Haller

Introduction

Facilitation and Group Leadership

The Therapeutic Use of Self

Motivation and Behavior-Management Techniques

Training

Adaptation and Modification

Summary

References

Chapter 6: Planning Horticultural Therapy Treatment Sessions

Karen L. Kennedy

Introduction

Goals and Documentation as a Basis for Sessions

Evidence-Based Practice

Therapeutic Interventions

Session Review and Evaluation

Summary

For Further Study

Chapter 7. Documentation: The Professional Process of Recording Treatment Plans, Process, and Outcomes

Sarah Sieradzki

Introduction

Purpose and Importance of Documentation

General Guidelines for Horticultural Therapy Documentation

Individualized Documentation

Group Documentation

Summary

For Further Study