“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” 

Anais Nin

Nature & Wellness

Eco-therapies, are Nature based interventions that seek to have positive impact on human physical, social, emotional, cognitive or spiritual development. Horticultural Therapy belongs to this growing family of ecotherapeutic interventions, and evokes kinship with the various Creative Arts Therapies.

In its more formal medical expression, Horticultural Therapy (HT) is the clinical use of horticultural activities by a trained therapist to achieve specific and documented treatment goals. However, HT also has its place in wellness programming. It is the meaningful, versatile and creative use of plants, plant related activities and gardens or gardening to promote well being. Contact me.

Although present in acute hospital care situations, HT is used primarily in rehabilitative, vocational or community facilities where botanical and horticultural related activity helps people learn new skills, maintain skills or regain those lost. As beneficial therapeutic modality it has also gained credibility for many of its other positive effects and is used as an option in many more circumstances, from private practice to prison, from refugee camp to summer camp.

Here are some of the recognised benefits of Horticultural Therapy. They are documented in serious empirical research, more of which you can read about here.

• improved mood
• improved self esteem
• improved sense of control
• increased sense of calm
• reduced anxiety
• improved social integration
• improved group functioning
• improved communication
• stimulates memory
• improved attentional capacity
• improved concentration
• enhanced eye hand coordination
• decreased heart rate
• decreased stress hormones
• improved fine and gross motor skills

As an activity therapy, Horticultural Therapy relies on the transformative experience of guided sensorimotor stimulation and occupation. But its uniqueness lies in the fact that we work with perishables, organic materials, and more importantly are called upon to relate to living beings with a life cycle and a responsiveness to care not unlike our own.

Using my skill set as an horticultural therapist with experience in the clinical settings of New York city hospitals, my experience in botanical design and my practice of the meditative arts, I invite you to attend to the extraordinary in the ordinary.

You are invited to touch the soil of the earth, smell it, and marvel at the sensory versatility of the plant world. Experience intimacy with nature and allow yourself to be surprised.

Try your hand at growing? 

Your mind will follow. Slowing down, interrupting the cycle of automatic responses, we will call attention to self. We will foster awareness of others in a group setting, intentionally cultivating observational and problem solving powers. Engaging actively with the living species of the botanical world we will take notice of the sensuous senses. I invite you to journey through internal landscapes and private gardens.

So please contact me. Self awareness is a prelude to timely stress management, improved self care, and better communicative rapport with self and others.

These planting parties and creative workshops strive to broaden the sensory repertoire and the sensory diet of city dwellers.  However we are also facilitating self exploration. Strengthening sensory awareness enhances self awareness.

PLAY         WANDER         PRACTICE