How STH works

The benefits of Social Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) come from three active processes:

• Time in nature
• Time being occupied and active
• Time in a positive social environment

Although these processes work separately, and potentially all have equal value, they are often interdependent and mutually supportive. The skill of the STH practitioner is to manage and adapt the three processes to suit the needs of the individual attending the programme.

When used as part of a therapeutic programme, the Practitioner must also manage i) the relationship between themselves and the individual and ii) the nurturing of plants and wildlife. This means that the practitioner must manage both the garden and the therapeutic context/programme.

The garden forms an integral part of the therapeutic process, and, unlike some other occupational therapy activities, the ‘result’ is important because it is alive: if the plants don’t grow well, it will not produce the same outcomes for health and wellbeing.

This multi-modal approach can work for a significant range of people, with different people benefiting from different processes. It offers holistic development which is important to the experience but with its multiple processes has the capacity to be more directed towards specific outcomes for each client.

STH is grounded in several theories relating to how the natural environment is beneficial to us as human beings.

Biophilia Hypothesis

• The theory that explains why nature is so therapeutic. E.O. Wilson (1984)
• An appreciation of life and the living world
• Humans have a genetic response to ‘greenness’ - feeling relaxed and comfortable in a green environment - incorporated into our genes for survival

Attention Restoration Theory

• Developed by Kaplan and Kaplan over the 80s and published in The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective in 1989
• Cognition is restored through the reduction in mental fatigue
• Ohly et al 2016 found multiple studies showing cognitive improvement post-time in nature

Stress Reduction Theory​

• Roger Ulrich and the restorative effects of natural environments​
• Impact stress response​ on gall bladder recovery​, reduced analgesic medication​, quicker recovery​ , and fewer complications​

An STH practitioner is tasked with managing various relationships within the programme, including building rapport with participants, guiding them in gardening activities tailored to their needs, managing their interactions within the group and broader community, and supporting their individual outcomes. The practitioner adapts their approach based on the needs of the group and individuals, balancing activities such as time in nature, occupation, and social interaction to maximise therapeutic benefits, considering factors like mental health severity and vocational goals.