At Josiah White’s, we are regularly seeking new ways to meet the needs of our students. This is one of the reasons we recently began implementing horticulture therapy with some of our residential students.
Each week, students spend an hour engaging in a plant-based activity to promote healing and wellness such as planting seeds, caring for plants, drying/pressing flowers, and enjoying the fruits of their harvest (to name a few). A few weeks ago, the students filled a paper with the negative things in their lives (their fears, anger issues, etc.). They then ripped up the paper and made paper mache pots to hold soil and ultimately become a biodegradable pot to grow a flower, thereby turning something negative into something beautiful.
Horticulture therapy is known to boost self-esteem, increase willingness to participate in other therapies, and improve general well-being. It has been proven to be effective as an adjunctive therapy alongside other treatments (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to promote lifelong healing and well-being.
These horticulture therapy sessions are led by Kenny Harvey, Director of Experiential Learning, who is currently studying to be the second registered horticulture therapist in the state. We are so excited for this new opportunity for our residential students!
