“We might think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.”
– Jenny Uglow
Horticultural Therapy
is activities or programs using gardening, houseplants, and other plant material for the purpose of a therapeutic outcome.
Engaging with plants and nature has been used for centuries as a way to improve wellness and people’s lives. Cultures all over the world have practices and traditions that focus on people’s connection to nature to help build community, improve mental health, process emotions, and stay active throughout the lifespan. Modern horticultural therapy is the formal practice used for these wellness benefits provided by a trained horticultural therapist.
Benefits of Horticultural Therapy
There is tons of evidence that horticultural therapy helps improve many aspects of participant’s lives. Connecting with plants and nature is proven to:
reduce stress
improve mood
provide physical and mental stimulation
promote curiousity
spark creativity
reduce perfectionism
help create feelings of awe and wonder.
Green Circle Collective provides horticultural therapy programs that focus on mental and emotional wellbeing from a trained mental health expert and experienced horticultural therapist, Tina Kocol.
Meet your facilitator
Hi, I’m Tina!
I’m a trauma therapist, facilitator, and workshop designer but have always had a passion for plants and gardening. Shortly after I graduated and became a mental health counselor I discovered the field of horticultural therapy. I am passionate about holding space for people who are searching for their own answers about how to life a fulfilling life. I know from my experience as a licensed therapist and my personal experiences that the most amazing breakthroughs and healing moments rarely happen in a therapist’s office.
Healing happens as we are living our lives and building connections to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Counseling and mental health therapy provide us tools to help and a place to practice with a trained expert, but the benefits of therapy are mostly gained from when we are integrating the tools and insight into our lived experiences outside the office.
While I wholeheartedly believe in the benefits of mental health therapy, and work as a trauma therapist in my own private practice, I don’t believe that everyone needs to be in therapy all the time. Over the years of I’ve learned that there are many ways to heal and the most effective pathways to healing are ones that feel authentic to you - no matter what they are.
Connecting to nature through caring for plants, having a garden, planting seeds, getting my hands in soil, seeing things grow, adjusting my life to the rhythm of seasons… those have been healing to me. Becoming a horticultural therapist and providing horticultural therapy programs is how I combine my expertise as a counselor, healing experiences from plants, and
My aim is to provide opportunities for you to go deeper into your healing and take care of yourself in new, innovative, and fun ways.
Meet your facilitator
Hi, I’m Tina!
I’m trained as a therapist, but first and foremost I’m a person who’s been on (and continues to be on) their own healing journey. I’ve worked as a facilitator and workshop designed for almost two decades and I am passionate about holding space for people who are searching for their own answers about how to life a fulfilling life.
While I work as a therapist in my private practice, I don’t believe that everyone needs to be in therapy all the time. Over the years of working on my own healing and helping others with theirs, I’ve learned that there are many ways to heal and the most effective pathways to healing are ones that feel authentic to you - no matter what they are.
My aim is to provide opportunities for you to go deeper into your healing and take care of yourself in new, innovative, and fun ways.