When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else."~Georgia O'Keefe
At MAHTN, We're Growing the Field of HT!
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The Mid-Atlantic Horticultural Therapy Network is a group of practicing and aspiring horticultural therapy practitioners who are avidly and actively dedicated to expanding acceptance of horticultural therapy as a recognized therapeutic and rehabilitative discipline.
Please enjoy exploring our site and get in touch with us if you have questions or would like to learn more.
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To Our MAHTN Community, In this time of social distancing, community is more vital than ever before. We are thinking of you and working hard to develop innovative ways to bring our community together during these difficult times when in-person meetings are not possible. Later this week you’ll receive the April newsletter, MAHTNMatters, which will be packed with information. You’ll find out what the Board of Directors is doing to redesign (for online access) or reschedule the spring/summer member events. Our usual newsletter content, including program themes and ideas, continuing education information and “Meet the Board of Directors” interviews will be included. We would love to hear how you are doing; send us your thoughts on projects, ways to stay productive and innovative ways you are running programs online or at your HT site. You can reach us at info@mahtn.org. Meanwhile, we encourage you to turn the kindness and care that you offer your clients toward self-care. In these days of uncertainty, we – horticultural therapists – know at least one thing for sure: spending time in nature yields a wealth of benefits. Whether we are in the garden, walking in the woods, caring for our houseplants, or even looking at a green view from a window, contact with nature reduces stress, anxiety and mental fatigue, lowers blood pressure and stress hormones, decreases nervous system arousal and enhances immune function. There’s compelling evidence that engaging in nature-based activities enhances feelings of competence, elevates mood, eases feelings of isolation, speeds the rate of healing and helps build resilience. While the emphasis from health officials is necessarily focused on what we can’t do, our HT community advocates what we CAN do to help ourselves and others through this unprecedented period. And we can do it while complying with safety guidelines! With so much out of our control these days, we encourage you to shift focus from “what can I control” to “what can I choose.” In the coming weeks, we will offer choices for coming together as a community to share our experiences and to learn from one another; we welcome your suggestions for virtual classes and online gatherings that would best serve you until we can reconvene in person. We also urge you to bring the wise and compassionate perspective we have come to expect in our community to things which are beyond our control. This requires surrender - “I can do my best, but I can’t do it all. This is bigger than me”. The current pandemic is bigger than each of us. But it is not bigger than all of us together. With our warm regards for your health and well being, The MAHTN Board of Directors |
HT in the MediaScroll through the features below to observe expanding applications of HT programming. Expect to be inspired.
Watch them blossom: At N Street Village, homeless women
create floral art The Washington Post, Nov. 12, 2019 Healing nature of Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital's Horticultural Therapy Center
6ABC, Oct. 10, 2019 Get involved in
horticultural therapy gardencentermag.com June 5, 2019 Study shows gardening had therapeutic effects for
psychiatric patients MedicalExpress.com May 10, 2019 Oliver Sacks: The Healing
Power of Gardens New York Times, Apr. 18, 2019 Learning New Skills and Rehabilitating Old Skills
Mother Earth News, Apr. 16, 2019 Benefits of Gardening Activities
for Cognitive Function According to Measurement of Brain Nerve Growth Factor Levels International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Mar. 2019 Heal Me With Plants
The New York Times, Mar. 25, 2019 Green Wall in Therapeutic Conservatory, Not Just for “Show”
Greenroofs.com, Jan. 17, 2019 Survivors Of Intimate Partner Abuse Use Therapeutic Horticulture To Heal
WEKU-FM, Oct. 2, 2018 Gardening becomes healing with horticultural therapy
CNN; Aug. 3, 2018 The Green Road
TKF Foundation; Feb. 25, 2018 Magee's Horticultural Therapy Program
CBS3; Mar 6, 2013 Horticultural Therapy is Alive and Blooming NJN News Healthwatch Report; April 17, 2009 |
Something New To Do From NYBG!
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