Horticultural therapist
Horticultural therapists use gardening to improve their clients' health and wellbeing, and to learn new skills.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a horticultural therapist, you could:
- develop clients' practical and social skills, confidence and self-esteem
- provide outdoor activities to restore strength and mobility after injury or illness
- support clients to take horticultural qualifications or to move into work
- work closely with other professionals like psychologists and social workers
- manage staff and volunteers
- draw up proposals for projects and raise funds
Working environment
You could work in a garden, on a country estate or in a therapy clinic.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and physically demanding.
Career path and progression
You could use horticultural therapy as part of a wider role, like occupational therapy. With experience and further study, you could move into a supervisory role, or research.
You could become self-employed or teach and supervise trainees in therapeutic horticulture methods.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of psychology
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- excellent verbal communication skills
- sensitivity and understanding
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- the ability to work well with others
- leadership skills
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- specialist courses run by private training organisations
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree course, then take further training in social and therapeutic horticulture.
Subjects include:
- horticulture
- health and wellbeing
- occupational therapy
- mental health or learning disability nursing
Some universities offer horticulture courses that include modules on social and therapeutic horticulture.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
You could take a college course to get some of the skills needed for this job, which may help you when looking for work.
Courses include:
- horticulture
- garden design
- practical horticulture skills
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
You may be able to work towards this role by doing an apprenticeship before taking further training in therapeutic horticulture.
Apprenticeships include:
- Horticulture Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Horticulture Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Community Health and Wellbeing Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Entry requirements
To get onto an apprenticeship, you'll find it useful to have:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More Information
It can be really useful to get experience by volunteering as a support worker on a horticulture project. You'll get a better understanding of the role, and make contacts who could help when looking for work.
Thrive offer volunteering opportunities, if you live within travelling distance of their gardens in Battersea (South London), Birmingham or Reading. They also have details of other horticulture projects around the UK.
You can find other local volunteering schemes from Do IT and NCVO.
You can do training courses with Thrive, a national charity working in horticultural therapy. Thrive offer courses from introductory level to more advanced, like the Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture.
Career tips
You may have an advantage if you are moving into this career from another area of horticulture or gardening, or a job such as social care, occupational therapy, mental health nursing, counselling or teaching.
Further information
You can find out more about becoming a horticultural therapist from Thrive and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
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This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.