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Horticultural Therapy

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

Synonyms

Horticulture therapy; Nature-assisted therapy; Social and therapeutic gardening; Therapeutic horticulture

Definition

Horticultural therapy describes a process, either active or passive, of purposefully using plants and gardens in therapeutic and rehabilitative activities designed to positively affect a set of defined health outcomes for individuals (e.g., improved mood, improved self-esteem, enhanced social interaction). Horticultural therapy can include hands-on activities, such as potting up plants, or passive involvement such as viewing a garden through an open window and listening to birdsong. The focus is on multisensory experiences and engaging all of the senses. Horticultural therapists are trained professionals who possess knowledge in plant science, human science, and horticultural therapy and are experienced in the application of horticultural therapy practice (American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) 2015; Davis 1997). However, individuals with the...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, 4067, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

    Theresa L. Scott

Authors
  1. Theresa L. Scott
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theresa L. Scott .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Scott, T.L. (2015). Horticultural Therapy. In: Pachana, N. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_268-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-080-3_268-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-287-080-3

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