Many aspects of therapeutic horticulture in the US are very different to those in the UK, according to Katie Andrews, Social and Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner at RGWN members, Ridgeline and the Weller Centre. This was her finding from attending the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) annual conference held in San Francisco in October where she presented her findings from the Ridgeline Gardening for Wellbeing programme. She received a travel bursary from the RHS to attend the conference.
In the US, major programmes are typically embedded within large institutions like botanical gardens, universities, prisons, or hospitals, helping secure funding and drive community outreach. Thus, in contrast to the UK, the main challenge in the US is public awareness rather than funding; without household names like Monty Don, or an NHS to promote initiatives like the Five Ways to Wellbeing, they must work much harder to explain the value of nature-based therapy to the general public. Furthermore, HT practice is focused on individual therapeutic treatment plans and individual therapeutic work, rather than using groupwork and group dynamics to improve wellness markers.
The AHTA has now launched a board certification exam, meaning that US horticultural therapists will soon be recognised and paid on the same level as art or play therapists. A similar initiative is underway in the UK (see here).
For further insights from Katie’s attendance at the AHTA, including the University of Florida’s Therapeutic Horticulture Activity Database, see Resources.