In Anticipation of Spring

After too long an absence, my encountering the poem below nudged a return to the ol blog. Diving back in to the research and literature on HT has been on my mind for some time now. There has certainly been great progress in the field of HT, and the world of sustainable gardening in the past couple of years. And overwhelming amounts of new programming and research to delve into...

So here's to not knowing where to start. And waking from a long Winter.

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart.
It was fiery because I felt
warmth as from a hearth,
and sun because it gave light
and brought tears to my eyes.

Last night as I slept,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.

-Antonio Machado
Translated by: an unknown and hopefully accurate individual.

March Madness....makes for resilient flowers!!!

Well, March Madness is here! Yes, the basketball frenzy is in full swing, but given the fluctuating temperatures and recent snowfall, the weather accounts for the madness as well. Noticing the growing buds, leaves, and fully blooming flowers on a walk today I wondered about their resilience to the extreme weather. Thinking about which ones will make it and have a full season, and why. It made me think about a few special resilient people in my life, and the many challenges we all face due to our external environment.

Considering my complete absorption with school, and the focus of multiple assignments on Horticultural Therapy it's no wonder I find myself constantly associating everything with plants and nature. Critical Thinking? Maybe, but also a result of my beginning to develop an HT curriculum as the end product of my independent study. I met with the wonderfully hip and intelligent Associate Dean of the School of Social Work today to continue my research on the use of HT as a social work intervention. His practice expertise is broad, but he has a breadth of clinical experience in working with survivors of CSA. CSA in this context meaning childhood sexual abuse, not to be confused with community supported agriculture...(survivors of a bad growing season?)

The four overarching themes and patterns commonly seen in survivors of CSA include: stigma, powerlessness, betrayal, and challenges with normal psycho-sexual development. Stigma, the idea of feeling disapproval from others, damaged, or to blame. Powerlessness; whether a violent crime or not, an abuse of power is what CSA is really all about. Betrayal; a violation of intimacy and and the victim's loss of trust--also feelings of betrayal in the parent (self-blame for "failure" to protect). Psycho-sexual difficulties; meaning that any type of intimacy becomes sexualized, and the ability for appropriate boundaries are weakened. Certainly some heavy stuff here, but a social issue requiring continued research in to therapies that can facilitate the healing process.

The use of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) is known to be an effective intervention in correcting distorted beliefs and cognitive processes that have been negatively shaped by the perpetrator. Group therapy settings are also known to be highly effective (dependent on the stage of treatment); allowing for validation and de-stigmatization for survivors. The use of a garden as the focus of a group for survivors could serve as a tool, or means to achieving treatment goals. Or in the context of a support group, the use of HT could be a way of providing treatment in a more implicit manner. In addressing issues of powerlessness, giving an individual control of a garden plot which they would design, care for, and oversee may increase their sense of control and self-esteem. If plants don't succeed, lessons on acceptance and coping may provide therapeutic progress. Establishing boundaries could occur both literally and figuratively in a garden; consider the use of fencing and a correlating discussion on personal boundaries and self-protection. Lessons on the life cycle of plants hold strong implications for encouraging positive psycho-sexual development. Restructuring distorted beliefs about sexuality and intimacy may require a discussion regarding the purpose of reproductive organs and sexual acts; and then, tangibly exemplified by the examination of the reproductive parts of plants.

And now on the other end of the spectrum; working with sexual offenders. Research and public opinion vary in regard of the ability of a sex offender to recover. Even in the field of social work, filled with "agents of social change", there are mixed views on whether sex offenders can every be rehabilitated. The treatment focus tends to emphasize risk management, and controlling the desire to offend--rather than recovery. Williams, et al (2005) discusses the benefits of treatment modalities that are outlined to build self-confidence and a pro-social attitude. Versus the more commonly used, negatively outlined treatment plan: elimination of negative attitudes, avoidance of certain places or "risk situations", extinction of deviant instincts. While these are in fact, a desired outcome of treatment if they are presented in a way that is less punitive, offenders may be more receptive to the treatment. Treatment should not be punishment.

The use of HT interventions are in and of themselves, positive--and may hold implications for use with the offender population. The four themes commonly seen in CSA survivors are also the pattern for offenders; which isn't surprising as research suggests that many perpetrators are also CSA victims. The most foundational idea, that work in a garden has potential to be engaging and consuming, may serve as a method of both building skills and distracting deviant behavior. Perhaps a developed interest in a personally meaningful activity has the capacity to add a positive outlet in which potentially negative behaviors could be "worked out", and risk situations avoided. A developed reverence and respect for living things, learned through nurturing plants may increase the development of empathy; which a lack of, is a primary indicator for anti-social behaviors. The pattern for offenders to "groom" victims preceding the abuse is a distorted and harmful interaction. Replacing it with a positive interaction with plants may be a tool and reinforcement for cognitive and behavioral change.

I am coming to see more and more how HT interventions can be applied to many populations. What are your thoughts on this as a use for work with these populations? Any other themes or "lessons" that may be useful?
Despite your position on some of theses issues (I still don't know mine), it's pretty cool to have everyday reminders from nature about human experiences--and to look forward to the full development of all those tiny buds growing!


Marshall, W., Ward, T., Mann, R., Moulden, H., Fernandez, Y., Serran, G., & Marshall, L. (2005). Working positively with sexual offenders: maximizing the effectiveness of treatment. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(9), 1096-1114

Jailhouse Greenhouse

One of the greatest benefits of the social work profession is the opportunity to practice in such a broad range of settings, those of which include jails and prisons. I have always felt a great level of compassion for those incarcerated. After acknowledging the wrongdoings and crimes committed, it is important to look further and see individuals who made a mistake, or mistakes--often times with factors such as deep-rooted societal oppression and disadvantage at play. Forgiveness means different things for everyone, and it's not even about forgiving or exempting offenders for their crimes, but rehabilitating to prevent future mistakes. There is a long standing (moral and philosophical) debate in our country between punitive and rehabilitative treatment in the penal system. As a social worker and firm believer in individuals capacity for change, I fall on the side that favors rehabilitative approaches. This is encouraged by the enormous financial burden that the overpopulated jails and prisons place on our society. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of the year 2009 there were 2,297,400 offenders in U.S. jails and prisons. In 2006, The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported 93,000 juvenile offenders in corrections facilities. The increasing prevalence of private for-profit adult and juvenile corrections facilities is a key consideration in the debate of punitive vs. rehabilitative approaches. Apparently, there is money to be made in keeping people behind bars and suppressing opportunities for change!!

And what does Horticultural Therapy have to do with this? Jails and prisons are among the many institutions such as sanatoriums, hospitals, and orphanages that implemented "work-farms" to sustain residents. Dating back to the 1800's, it was a common practice for jails and prisons to maintain gardens and farms that fed and occupied inmates. The produce grown was used not only in the institutes kitchen's but sold to generate revenue. This practice dwindled in the mid-1900's at residential treatment facilities for multiple reasons; including ethical concerns, time investment, the influx of pharmaceuticals as treatment, and a widespread shift in societal values and beliefs. Industry continued to replace agriculture and a mentality of competition vs. cooperation prevailed.

Recent literature demonstrates revitalized interest in the use of horticulture in corrections facilities. Rice and Remy (2008) discuss a program in a San Francisco jail in which inmates engage in regular maintenance of a large organic garden. The goals of The Garden Project (established in 1984) are to provide restorative experiences through the use of plants; with the belief that restorative experiences encourage reflection, the ability to direct attention, and the desire for new experiences. Consider the importance of these skills with an inmate population....Reflection of previous behaviors, mindfulness to present actions, and the ability to change negative patterns by creating new experiences.

Rice and Remy discuss the issue of "arrested development" among many inmate populations due to being raised in impoverished and violent environments. There is an identified need for rehabilitation that includes respect, understanding, and support; while fostering the development of social skills and optimism for the future. The Garden Project entailed 30 hours per week of inmate participation in the development and maintenance of the garden. Daily group discussions were facilitated to link garden activities to personal growth, health, as well as interpersonal, family, and community relationships. The produce and flowers grown at the jail were donated to shelters and a meal program for home-bound individuals with AIDS. (What an example of community service, and opportunity for self-forgiveness, and societal acceptance!!)

Research conducted on The Garden Project revealed a decrease in participants' levels of depression, hostility, risk-taking behavior, and increased their desire and ability to ask for help with various challenges. Results varied by personal history, gender, and race but were significant in comparison to the control (non-participant) group. The decrease in substance use was most significant in the study, and was further supported by Carl Jung's evolutionary theory of psychology. He believed that the human psyche had an innate and ancestral need for contact and immersion with the natural environment; and that American's disconnection from the natural world accounted for an inclination towards drug use and abuse. From the philosophy of Jung, "If I don't have what my psyche needs I become dangerous". It makes sense when you consider the disconnect from nature in urban, inner-city settings and the co-existing high rates of (drug-related) crime in those same areas.

Richards (1999) conducted a similar study, implementing an organic gardening program and lecture series in a jail setting. The program included a strong cultural component, focusing on Afro-centric principles such as sharing versus ownership. The use of organic gardening practices served as a tangible analogy for abstinence from drug use, "In the way that fertilizers and pesticides destroy the earth, so do drugs destroy the human body". The idea that, "just like a good landscape, human lives need balance, symmetry, and proportionality" was a big theme in the lecture and discussion piece of the program. The program required commitment from inmates, encouraging them to learn accountability and ownership. The results of the program demonstrated a decrease in participant's vulnerability to addiction, and an increase in their resistance to addiction.  

In summary, I believe that horticulture related activities offer a tangible (and nutritional) opportunity for offenders rehabilitation. Through their experiences caring for plants a sense of self-concept is established, social and life skills improve, and there are countless opportunities for growth.

Rice and Remy explain that 19% of state prisons in the U.S. utilize some type of formal or informal horticulture program. Does anyone know what correctional facilities in Virgina are doing? Please share!!

Horticulture Therapy: “Is there a there there?”

Introducing social working-gardener-extraordinaire, Dr. Judy Thomas for this weeks guest blog....

I am very excited about Eileen’s horticulture therapy project. As a near-lifelong gardener, I know that working with plants, outdoors in a garden setting, is one of the most blissful experiences I have had.  Being in the garden is a Zen experience for me- I experience a clear and intense focus (what Mihaly Csíkszentmihály, the cognitive psychologist, calls “flow”) along with a sense of meaning and purpose, as all my cares fade away.  Gardening has other benefits for me, I believe, including health benefits from stretching, hauling, digging and lifting, not to mention eating home grown organic produce at the peak of perfection.  But a key word in that previous sentence was “believe.”  As a gardener, I believe these things to be true from my own experience (which is, however, only anecdotal).  As a University instructor, I need to find evidence for a practice that goes beyond the state of anecdote or belief.  I need evidence that fits at least some of the rigorous requirements of science, though perhaps true empiric and experimental evidence would be hard to find for this multi-faceted practice, i.e. the one we call horticulture therapy.

I have not been able to do an extensive review of the literature on this subject: that is Eileen’s job (sorry Eileen!).  The literature I have looked at comes more from what I described to Eileen as “the heart” versus “the head.”  The heart is an important component of social work and all social services: without the heart, we cannot have productive relationships with others.  But our hearts need some guidance from our heads.  We all see and filter phenomena through special lenses and we need science to make sure the lenses are the clearest and most objective possible. 

There are some indications that horticulture therapy is a useful adjunct to other treatments and is useful in itself, but the field appears to be in its infancy.  Even developing a definition of HT is difficult.  What is HT?  What are its methods?  Actual gardening, lessons on foods and nutrition, school-garden-to-cafeteria-table initiatives?  Using the plant metaphorically as a symbol of growth and change?  Simply using the garden as a neutral environment to discuss emotionally-charges or difficult problems? What are its goals?  Reduction of psychological distress? Meditation to reduce stress? To improve physical health? Vocational training? Improvement of social skills and socialization? What populations do we use it with? Children, the elderly, prisoners, and those in residential care facilities.  Anyone or everyone else?

The last question is how do we study it?  There seems to be qualitative and exploratory work in the literature, but few reports of specific HT interventions compared to non-HT interventions and controls.  Until we have this kind of evidence, we do not know if it works…and isn’t this the bottom line?  You want your physician to objectively know what works and to use those methods, right? And so it goes with social work. So, to refer back to the title of this blog entry, my clumsy paraphrase of Gertrude Stein when speaking of Cleveland (I actually love Cleveland) “is there a there there?”  Is there really something to the positive, therapeutic effects of horticulture, or is it just a nice thing to do?

Judy M. Thomas

www.cvog.blogspot.com

Change, change, change

True to social work fashion, I often think about change. The word is frequently "tossed around" in our society, daily conversations, and political efforts. But the true depth and breadth of the concept of change, is often overlooked. Social change is I believe, the pinnacle of social work values and purpose. The goal to improve the conditions and functioning of all members of our society is a driving force in the field of social work. Promoting and facilitating change related to the individual, relationships, and behaviors are the core of how social workers help their clients. Change is hard. It can be positive or negative, empowering or destructive, improvement or regression. But above all, it is inevitable. Change in our stages of life, families, personal beliefs and interests, relationships, and our immediate environment is certainly a part of life. Where there is life, there is change. And where there is death there is change.

Social workers frequently interact with individuals who have suffered trauma, grief, or loss. For example, children with a history of abuse, victims of domestic violence or substance abuse, veterans of war, individuals in the hospice setting, and caretakers of ill family members. Everyone directly or indirectly involved in these situations face the challenges of change. Helping professionals have established the "Stages of Change" and "Stages of Grief", which are helpful for many in their efforts to promote, cope, accept, and maintain change. But what do plants do? What can we learn from looking outside?

Advocates of Horticultural Therapy view gardens as a giant metaphor for multiple learning opportunities-- change included. The growth, transformation, and death that occur in plants are also experienced and sometimes understood by people. Planting, touching, nurturing, and watching plants grow is a tangible learning experience where a connection can be made between what is happening internally and externally. Consider the benefits of bringing a group of youth together who have suffered a loss of some kind in a garden setting. The shared experience of group members would provide the support and normalization of their experience, and an opportunity to process and learn from one another. Plant-related activities could be used to enhance their understanding of such difficult concepts related to change. Support groups for those in many types of "change processes" such as bereavement and addiction certainly exist, but none to my knowledge that incorporate the calming, restorative, and enhancing nature of plants. Being surrounded by life can counter the effects of death.

I came across a daily meditation by Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr. He writes for the Center for Action and Contemplation (www.cacradicalgrace.org). There are certainly spiritual implications, but more so those for understanding change within humans and the natural environment.

"Pain, as dramatically presented in the message of the cross, tells us about the high price of change.  Real change never comes easily.  It always feels like dying.  All we can really do is get out of the way by not being so defensive, so overprotective of our opinions, our nation, our religion, our gender.  These are just labels, and they are all passing away.

All we can really do is to stop stopping the natural process of growth, and trust a larger purpose.

In all of the natural world, everything is dying to become something else.  Why would we be any exception?  Just watch the solids, liquids, and vapors.  Just watch the animals giving their lives for another species.  Just watch the trees and plants creating soil itself by losing their leaves and dying for another season.  Just watch the sun that is in the process of dying so all things here can live.  It is the pattern of the universe, and we alone try to sit it out."

In Defense of HT

So this week in class, we had a debate-- related to health care (right v. privilege). Clearly, in a room full of social workers the consensus was largely to the left, but some lessons were learned from the process of debate itself. It became evident the importance of knowing the topic history, definition, and related "variables". You may be in support of something, but can you defend it? Define it? Critically analyze it? Always a challenge, but worth some thought.

In review of some literature on Horticultural Therapy (HT), the historical perspective of plants is prevalent. An article by Jules Janick ( Horticulture and Human Culture, 1990), discussed the history of human beings as hunter-gatherers for 99% of the two million years that our species has existed. Agricultural societies have existed for only 10,000 years!! Think back to elementary school, when we learned about what hunter-gatherers do. This type of existence was entirely immersed in, and dependent on the environment, completely in sync with the Earth's seasons and rhythms. Their survival was based on their knowledge of plant species, growth patterns, and use of plants materials. And they survived (a shorter life span, but still!) Some say that archaeological evidence and cave drawings support that there was more leisure time during pre-agricultural societies. I wonder if they were a happier and more productive society?.... My point is, this immersion and dependence on the natural environment is embedded in our ancestry, our DNA. Are disorders or behaviors such as ADD/ADHD or depression just symptomatic of our need for more interaction with the natural environment? (I think yes, but more on that later).

Then came agricultural societies, then industrialized. Slowly, plants have become devalued, but remained a commodity. What an irony that something we need so badly for survival so easily loses respect and prevalence in our society. Janick (1990) explored the idea that we need plants, they don't need us. We could die off as a species and vines would take over, grass would continue to grow. The disappearance of plants? That would mean no food for us, or the animals that we eat, no materials for the clothes that we wear, or the homes that we inhabit. The flavors, dyes, medicines, synthetic materials that we use multiple times a day, every day come (partially) from plants. What about trees? The prevention of erosion, areas for exercise or playtime, shade, and oxygen. This may seem redundant but I think it slips from our consciousness as a society, the utter dependence that we have on plants. 

So, what does this have to do with HT? And what is HT? The best definition that I can articulate is the use of the natural environment as a way of enhancing, educating, and preserving human life and human relationships. The practice of HT creates an interaction or bond among humans and plants. It encourages humans to have respect, reverence, and knowledge of plants. Which then translates to other human beings. It can encourage skills that increase the improvement of self, families, and communities. It's going back to our roots, and using what has always been within our reach.

Horticultural Therapy and Social Work???

This blog is being created as part of an Independent Study project in my graduate course work in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. The topic of Horticultural Therapy (HT) is certainly not a new philosophy or therapeutic approach, but one with age-old roots that is being revived. Its' increase in prevalence and popularity may be in part to societal trends and efforts of living "green", the local and slow food movements, or maybe because it just makes sense. For me, it's the latter. I find that immersing oneself in elements of our natural environment can enhance and heal multiple aspects of self.

One may wonder, what does HT have to DO with Social Work? In my preliminary research I have come to see their innate connection. An examination of core values of both social work and horticulture makes their combination just seem intuitive. The core values of social work? 1. Service 2. Social Justice 3. Dignity and worth of the person 4. Importance of human relationships 5. Integrity 6.Competence
Values often associated with horticulture, farming, or work with plants include good stewardship and responsibility to the land, hard work, nurturing, patience, perseverance, and acceptance. I believe that the use of horticulture therapy while upholding social work values can have the capacity to improve multiple challenges and enhance the physical, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of any individual. Social workers strive to gain a holistic perspective of their client, and assess their bio-psycho-social-spiritual well being. We are obligated to remain innovative and resourceful in creating and applying intervention techniques. This may mean using a vegetable garden as a metaphor to teach life skills, or spending time in fragrant herb or flower gardens to decrease anxiety. Both of these suggestions cost very little, and may be a new approach that truly "reaches" a certain client.

There are multiple definitions for Horticultural Therapy, this week I will consider this further to develop a definition that has strong implications for a social work perspective. I encourage anyone else interested to please share their thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and resources on the subject!

Peas and love!