Founded in 1973, the American Horticultural Therapy Association serves as the professional organization for horticultural therapy practitioners, healthcare professionals, educators, and others who use horticulture as a medium for human wellbeing.
Horticultural therapy is the practice of engaging people in plant-based and gardening activities, facilitated by a trained therapist, to achieve specific therapeutic goals. These goals might include:
- Improving physical rehabilitation
- Enhancing cognitive function
- Promoting social interaction
- Developing vocational skills
- Supporting mental health recovery
What distinguishes horticultural therapy from simply gardening for pleasure is its intentional, goal-directed nature. Horticultural therapists are trained professionals who understand both horticulture and therapeutic practice.
Horticultural therapists design and implement programs tailored to specific populations:
- Veterans with PTSD
- Stroke survivors relearning motor skills
- Children with developmental disabilities
- Seniors experiencing cognitive decline
The AHTA plays a crucial role in establishing professional standards, providing education, certifying practitioners, and advancing the field through research and advocacy.
Mission
The American Horticultural Therapy Association’s mission is to promote and develop the practice of horticultural therapy as a unique and dynamic therapeutic modality. The organization works to advance the profession through research, education, and professional development while serving as the definitive voice for horticultural therapy.
At its heart, AHTA’s mission revolves around several interconnected goals:
- Establishing and maintaining professional standards for horticultural therapy practice
- Educating both practitioners and the broader public about horticultural therapy’s benefits and applications
- Promoting research demonstrating horticultural therapy’s effectiveness and identifies best practices
- Fostering a professional community
- Expanding access to horticultural therapy by growing the field, supporting practitioners in diverse settings, and advocating for horticultural therapy’s inclusion in healthcare, rehabilitation, educational, and community programs
The mission ultimately reflects a belief that engaging with plants and nature offers profound therapeutic benefits, and that professional, intentional application of horticultural activities can significantly improve quality of life for diverse populations facing various challenges.
Services
The American Horticultural Therapy Association offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to support practitioners, advance the profession, and promote horticultural therapy practice.
Professional Credentialing:
One of AHTA’s most significant services is its professional registration program. These credentials provide professional recognition, demonstrate competency to employers and clients, and help distinguish trained professionals from enthusiastic gardeners. The organization offers two levels of professional credentials:
- Horticultural Therapist Registered (HTR), the highest level requiring specific education, training, and experience.
- Horticultural Therapy Technician (HTT), recognizing those working under supervision with foundational knowledge.
The credentialing process involves meeting educational requirements, completing supervised practice hours, and maintaining continuing education.
Education and Training:
The AHTA maintains a directory of academic programs offering horticultural therapy coursework or degrees and also offers online courses, webinars, and workshops covering various topics from therapeutic garden design to working with specific populations.
For those already practicing, these educational opportunities provide continuing education units (CEUs) necessary for maintaining credentials.
Annual Conference:
AHTA’s annual conference serves as the premier gathering for horticultural therapy professionals. These multi-day events feature:
- Educational sessions
- Workshops
- Research presentations
- Therapeutic garden tours
- Networking opportunities
- Exhibits from vendors serving the field
The conference allows practitioners to learn about cutting-edge research and techniques, share their own work, connect with colleagues, and return to their practices reinvigorated and informed.
Publications and Resources:
AHTA publishes the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, an academic journal featuring research articles, case studies, and practice-based papers. This publication advances evidence-based practice and allows practitioners and researchers to share knowledge.
The organization also produces newsletters, fact sheets, position papers, and practice guidelines covering various aspects of horticultural therapy.
Definitions and Standards:
AHTA has established clear definitions distinguishing horticultural therapy from related practices like:
- Therapeutic gardening
- Social horticulture
- Therapeutic horticulture
The organization has also developed practice standards, ethical guidelines, and competency requirements. These documents provide crucial guidance for practitioners and help external stakeholders understand what horticultural therapy entails.
Career Resources:
AHTA maintains a job board connecting employers seeking horticultural therapists with credentialed professionals seeking positions.
The organization also provides resources for starting horticultural therapy programs and navigating career paths within the field.
Member Support and Networking:
AHTA facilitates connections among practitioners through:
- Online forums
- Regional chapters
- Special interest groups
For practitioners working in isolation, these connections can be personally sustaining while feeling part of a professional community.
Collaborations and Partnerships
The American Horticultural Therapy Association recognizes that advancing horticultural therapy requires collaboration with organizations across multiple sectors. The association has cultivated partnerships that strengthen the profession and expand its reach.
Academic Institutions:
AHTA partners with universities and colleges offering horticultural therapy programs or coursework. These partnerships ensure that academic programs align with professional standards and that graduates are prepared for credentialing.
- Develop curricula
- Provide student memberships
- Contribute to the field’s knowledge base
These academic partnerships are crucial for ensuring a pipeline of well-trained future practitioners.
Healthcare Organizations:
AHTA collaborates with:
- Healthcare systems
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Psychiatric hospitals
- Medical professional organizations
These partnerships involve:
- Educating healthcare administrators about horticultural therapy’s benefits
- Supporting facilities in establishing HT programs
- Advocating for horticultural therapy’s integration into treatment plans
Of most importance is demonstrating outcomes that matter to healthcare stakeholders:
- Reduced medication needs
- Improved recovery times
- Enhanced patient satisfaction
- Cost effectiveness
Veterans’ Organizations:
Given horticultural therapy’s significant application in treating veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and physical disabilities, AHTA works closely with veterans’ organizations and VA facilities.
These partnerships help bring healing gardening programs to veterans nationwide and contribute to research demonstrating horticultural therapy’s effectiveness for military-related conditions.
Aging and Senior Services Organizations:
With horticultural therapy widely used in senior centers, assisted living facilities, and memory care units, AHTA partners with organizations focused on aging populations.
These collaborations promote horticultural therapy as a non-pharmaceutical intervention for dementia symptoms, depression, and physical decline associated with aging.
Disability Services Organizations:
AHTA works with organizations serving people with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, and mental illness. Horticultural therapy programs in these settings often focus on:
- Vocational skill development
- Social skills
- Adaptive functioning
- Community integration
Partnerships with disability organizations help spread awareness of horticultural therapy as a valuable service modality.
Horticultural and Botanical Organizations:
AHTA collaborates with horticultural societies, botanical gardens, and arboreta that host or are interested in hosting therapeutic programs.
These partnerships benefit both parties—botanical institutions gain therapeutic programming that serves community needs, while horticultural therapists gain access to beautiful, diverse plant collections and established garden infrastructure.
Organizations like the American Public Gardens Association have been important partners in promoting therapeutic horticulture in public gardens.
International Horticultural Therapy Organizations:
AHTA maintains relationships with horticultural therapy organizations in other countries, including:
- Thrive (UK)
- The Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association
- The Japanese Society of Horticultural Therapy
These international connections, along with many others, facilitate knowledge exchange, collaborative research, and global advancement of the profession.
While practices and terminology may vary internationally, these organizations share common goals and benefit from learning from each other’s experiences.
Research Institutions:
AHTA supports and collaborates with researchers studying horticultural therapy’s effects, mechanisms, and best practices.
These partnerships contribute to the evidence base supporting horticultural therapy and help identify which interventions work best for which populations and conditions.
Funding Organizations:
The association works with foundations and grant-making organizations interested in supporting therapeutic horticulture programs, research, or access expansion.
These relationships help secure resources for field advancement and program development.
Outreach Services
Expanding awareness of horticultural therapy and reaching populations who could benefit from it requires strategic outreach. AHTA has developed multiple approaches to extend its reach and impact.
Website and Online Resources:
AHTA’s website serves as a comprehensive information hub accessible to:
- Practitioners
- Potential clients
- Researchers
- Curious public
The site provides information about what horticultural therapy is, how it works, who it benefits, how to find a practitioner, and how to pursue training.
The “Find an HT Professional” directory allows people to locate credentialed horticultural therapists by location, making services more accessible.
Online resources include fact sheets, position papers, research summaries, and program development guides available for download.
Conference Presentations:
AHTA members and leadership present at conferences beyond the organization’s own annual meeting, addressing:
- Healthcare conferences
- Rehabilitation conventions
- Aging services symposia
- Horticulutral events
These presentations introduce horticultural therapy to audiences who might not otherwise encounter it, potentially inspiring new practitioners or convincing administrators to establish programs.
Therapeutic Garden Symposia and Tours:
AHTA sometimes organizes or participates in events showcasing therapeutic garden design and programming. These events allow visitors to:
- Experience therapeutic spaces firsthand
- Understand design consideration for accessibility and sensory engagement
- Envision possibilities for their own facilities or communities
Educational Webinars and Workshops:
Beyond serving existing practitioners, AHTA offers introductory webinars and workshops that welcome newcomers to learn about horticultural therapy. These accessible entry points allow people to explore whether horticultural therapy might be a career path or beneficial intervention for their clients or loved ones.
Outreach to Specific Sectors:
AHTA targets outreach to specific sectors where horticultural therapy could be valuable but remains underutilized. This might include presentations to:
- Occupational therapy organizations (as many HT practitioners have OT backgrounds)
- Psychiatric nursing conferences
- Special education conventions
- Veterans’ service provider trainings
Sector-specific outreach helps overcome unfamiliarity and demonstrates relevant applications.
Student Engagement:
AHTA reaches out to students through:
- Acaddemic programs
- Offering student memberships at reduced rates
- Providing scholarships for conference attendance
- Creating opportunities for student involvement in the organization
Engaging students builds the next generation of practitioners and researchers while spreading awareness on campuses.
Community Garden Partnerships:
AHTA promotes therapeutic programming in community gardens, demonstrating how horticultural therapy can be delivered in community settings rather than only institutional ones.
These partnerships make horticultural therapy more accessible to underserved populations and integrate therapeutic programming into neighborhood spaces.
Advocacy and Policy Work:
AHTA engages in advocacy to ensure that horticultural therapy is:
- Recognized in relevant legislation
- Included in healthcare and rehabilitation service definitions
- Eligible for insurance reimbursement where appropriate
This policy-level outreach creates systemic changes that expand access and sustainability for horticultural therapy programs.
Transparency Links
- The American Horticulture Therapy Association at Charity Navigator
- The American Horticultural Therapy Association at Candid
- The American Horticultural Therapy Association at Propublica’s Non-Profit Explorer
Visit ahta.org
The American Horticultural Therapy Association represents the professionalization and advancement of a therapeutic practice grounded in humanity’s ancient relationship with plants and growing things. By establishing standards, providing education, certifying practitioners, and promoting research, AHTA has helped transform what might have remained informal “garden therapy” into a recognized, evidence-based therapeutic modality.
For those intrigued by horticultural therapy—whether as a potential career, a therapeutic option for themselves or loved ones, or a program to establish at their facility—AHTA provides the entry point. The organization welcomes not only credentialed professionals but also students, volunteers, educators, researchers, and supporters who believe in horticulture’s therapeutic power.
For more information about horticultural therapy visit ahta.org to:
- Find a credentialed practitioner
- Explore educational opportunities
- Support the field’s advancement
Whether you’re drawn to horticultural therapy’s evidence-based outcomes or its fundamental human appeal, the American Horticultural Therapy Association offers resources, community, and pathways forward in this unique field.
Visit The American Horticultural Therapy Association’s YouTube channel to see their services in action.
