Horticulture and therapy

[horticultural_hobbit]

Evening folks, I have asked a similar question before on the chat thread, but am still a bit clueless.

At the moment I am studying for a level 2 certificate in counselling skills. If I make it through that, I quite fancy staring the level 3 counselling course. At level 2, you learn to be a listener. Only at level 3 do you become a counsellor in training and use relevant theory and skills.

What I would like to consider how counselling/listening/helping might marry up with allotmenteering and counselling/listening/helping.

I'm deliberately using those latter terms as listening/helping is a lower qualified level of intervention and you have to stipulate that! My key concern is whilst I'm focusing at the moment on the listening and counselling; what do I need to consider for the horticultural element to make it horticultural therapy. It's a very new, very niche developing area and I want to look into it.

So all help and advice great fully received!


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[AllInContainers]

Counselling skills or the Rogerian approach is key for underpinning all therapy In my opinion, though I am more of a fan of the pshychodynamic approach (I studied a very eclectic approach for a couple of years, before deciding it wasn't the right time for me to pursue it vocationally).

Using horticulture metaphorically could be a good way of helping a client overcome feelings of inadequacy be becoming a theme to bolstering self confidence, or by giving them a conduit to socialising more (allotments), or get a control freak to accept failure and relax their overly high standards, but could also form a "bubble" for the client within which they escape or withdraw from their problems instead of facing them. Exercise is a good way of releasing endorphins and gets the client outdoors and planning ahead, hopefully breaking and cycles and stagnancy they may be trapped in, but I would be wary of making it too strong a crutch or metaphor in case any crop failure, or inability to engage in the activity (weather, finances, injury) leaves the client without their support mechanisms. In the right hands I think it could work, but as part of a broader framework rather than a "sole" therapy

Just my initial thoughts ... good luck on the course

[horticultural_hobbit]

Thank you just so happens it's a person centred/Carl Rogers course.


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[AllInContainers]

Person centred is a fantastic starting point, and can bring positive change for a lot of people, but for many clients is not enough. Dependent on the client and the rest of the equation (nature/nurture/experience and circumstance) not everyone can be self actuating in my opinion/experience, and some need kickstarting I personally am too much of a self opinionated control freak for example, and if entering a therapeutic setting would have already self actuated as far as possible. I would therefore need "challenging" rather than supporting in order to progress. Personally I respond well to Gestalt (Fritz Perls)

Please do not think I am down playing the PC approach, just be wary of those teaching you that it is "the best" approach. Sometimes that is the case, but a carpenter needs more tools in the toolbox than just a hammer, and the best therapists have more than one trick up their sleeves too The broader the spectrum of disciplines you are trained in, the greater the number of clients will respond (once you can calibrate them to the right approach) and the more progress each will achieve. All just my rather biased opinion of course

[horticultural_hobbit]

I can understand your views, all appreciated, I assure you. As you say, diversity of approach is useful.


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[Dorothy rouse]

Sounds an interesting idea HH, and if it's something you feel you'd like to do I'd say, give it a go. I did a PC Counsellng Diploma, back in 94/95, followed by many additional short courses, including a Supervisors course, and worked in a number of different settings, sexual abuse, alcohol, family breakdown, that kind of thing, difficult emotional stuff. But I also found the skills I had really helpful in the last 10 years or so when working with young people in a young setting, having listening skills and allowing your client to 'talk', and find their own solutions to problems, extremely motivating. Would think the additional problems with 'allotmenters' wud be the thing they have no control over, I.e the weather, and nature itself etc.

Think I'm rambling a bit now.

DottyR

[horticultural_hobbit]

Thanks, Dorothy. Yes, I can understand that the weather would be a constraint. That would mean using an internal environment. Poly tunnel, shed, designated room etc. nice to hear of everyone's experiences


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http://twitter.com/#!/HorticulturalH
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Horti...085870?sk=info

[Dorothy rouse]

You could be our 'online support ' and when our crops get eaten, we could come to you for help and support

[snohare]

That would mean using an internal environment. Poly tunnel, shed, designated room etc.

I can vouch for the fact that a plastic sheet or pop-up greenhouse is not usually very therapeutic. (Unless it's snowing perhaps... )

I can see Primal Scream Therapy with a pair of scissors and some slugs working very well.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Dilly dallying over this again. The MSc doesn't appear to be as therapeutic as I would like, but is level 5? The professional dip in social and therapeutic hort is level 3. Would still take me three years from this September to get to level 4. Hoping up start level 3 counselling theory course this September. Oh what to do!


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http://twitter.com/#!/HorticulturalH
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[snohare]

.....and BREATHE ......
Hope this does not arrive too late to a blue complexioned hobbit, but I only just saw the notification...
I would give you advice on how to relax and destress from all the decisionmaking angst, but I think you need some kind of qualification in counselling to do that...and I usually just hit things with a mattock, meself !