Skyland Trail Horticultural Therapists Present at the Annual American Horticultural Therapy Association Conference
ATLANTA, GA – Skyland Trail horticultural therapists, Jeanne Schultz, CARES, HTR, and Marisol Clark, HTR, presented at the American Horticultural Therapy Association’s annual conference in Raleigh, North Carolina on October 18-19, 2024. Schultz and Clark shared examples of how they use horticultural therapy, or “nature therapy,” to help adolescent and adult clients work toward recovery in the residential mental health treatment programs. Horticultural therapy is a therapeutic practice that uses activities in nature to improve mental, physical, and emotional well-being. It involves planting, growing, and caring for plants, which can help reduce stress, improve mood, and promote relaxation.
Schultz highlighted the significance of the “12 Places of Pause” on Skyland Trail’s adult campus, a therapeutic framework created in collaboration with clients in the dual diagnosis program. “These 12 places on campus are aligned with the 12 steps from Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups,” Schultz explains. “It was partially designed by clients and installed in our gardens and outdoor therapeutic spaces across campus. Over the years, we’ve integrated horticultural therapy activities into these steps, creating a sensory journey through recovery.”
Schultz detailed her monthly rotations with dual diagnosis clients, incorporating meaningful horticultural activities corresponding with the 12-step principles such as honesty, hope, and courage. For example, a client stopping at the fourth Place of Pause would be prompted to think about courage as they looked at the lion stepping stone created by former clients. They might also engage other senses by smelling native plants or touching the sand mandala. Visitors to the Metamorphosis Garden can reflect on cultivating willingness by observing a variety of pollinators near colorful, native plants at the sixth Place of Pause. At the eleventh Place of Pause, clients can practice mindfulness skills by listening to soothing water sounds and enjoying a cool breeze while relaxing in the shade garden.
In addition to the on-campus therapeutic work, Schultz shared that Skyland Trail is actively engaged in community partnerships, including a recent collaboration with Cobb County School District’s Play Cohort. Schultz and Clark provided nature-based therapeutic tools to school counselors, helping to address mental health challenges among students. “We spent a day with the counselors, offering ideas for activities they could use with students or present to families. This kind of collaboration is crucial,” Schultz emphasizes.
The Play Cohort initiative, funded through grants, allowed Skyland Trail to provide these services at no cost to the schools. “It’s important that we educate people on how to finance these essential programs, especially when they may not be prioritized in a budget,” Schultz adds. “It’s all about offering budget-friendly, sustainable practices that anyone can replicate,” says Schultz.
Clark’s presentation, “Creating Opportunities for Adolescents to Grow Through Horticultural Therapy,” focused on adolescent development and processing and the unique ways that horticultural therapy enables authenticity and mindfulness.
Clark described a variety of engaging activities designed to support adolescent development and mental health. Encouraging participants to care for plants, outdoors or indoors, helps teach responsibility and patience and builds a sense of accomplishment. Mindfulness exercises connected to nature, such as tea meditation, labyrinth walks, and floral arrangement, promote focus and relaxation, equipping adolescents with tools to manage stress and anxiety. Garden-to-table projects, including making dips and smoothies, allow participants to express creativity and practice teamwork, while also helping them understand having autonomy over their food choices. Craft projects, like creating fairy homes, dried flower art, and making sculpting dough, nurture creativity, problem-solving, and self-expression, giving adolescents confidence in their abilities.
Skyland Trail also partners with organizations like Birds Georgia to offer bird-watching sessions, where clients enhance their mindfulness, observation skills, and appreciation for wildlife. Each of these activities is designed to help adolescents develop practical life skills, improve emotional regulation, and foster a deeper connection to themselves and their environment.