In 2021 Alexis Ashworth founded Root in Nature, an organisation that promotes the health benefits of plants and nature. Its latest initiative, the GrowTH Community, is an inclusive and supportive online network specifically designed for horticultural therapists, practitioners and professionals delivering therapeutic horticulture sessions.
Founder and CEO Alexis Ashworth explained why the resource is much needed: “The field of horticultural therapy faces some challenges that hinder its ability to grow. There is a disconnection between practitioners, leading to feelings of isolation and burnout, as well as a lack of practical resources available, forcing therapists to spend precious time creating activities and forms rather than directly engaging with clients.”
Root in Nature promotes the health benefits of plants and nature
The community, which launched last month, aims to provide practitioners with the support and resources to help them thrive in their work. By joining the GrowTH Community, members gain access to a range of benefits designed to enhance their practice and foster their professional growth.
These include access to an ‘activity’ database, where members can find therapeutic activities, a resource library, monthly check-ins and Q&A sessions and networking opportunities.
“Instead of spending the majority of time focussed on client care, practitioners are spending considerable time creating activities from scratch, building session plans and intake and evaluation forms, that’s why we created the GrowTH Community.”
Professor Emeritus, Dr Paula Diane Relf from Virginia Tech University said she hoped that the initiative would expand the growth of horticulture as a therapeutic tool and that "professionals from many fields working together will bring this valuable tool to more people."
If you’re interested in finding out more about Root in Nature and the GrowTH community, visit the website here.
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