Therapeutic Horticulture Facilitation, Design and Practice

Earn your therapeutic horticulture certificate

You understand the foundations of therapeutic horticulture (TH), and now you may be ready to build the practical skills needed to plan, adapt, facilitate and support TH programs with greater confidence.

Therapeutic Horticulture Facilitation, Design & Practice is a fully online, cohort-based certificate course for learners who want to move from foundational knowledge into more applied practice. Through self-paced lessons, live interactive sessions, assignments, and peer discussion, you’ll strengthen your ability to design meaningful plant and nature-based sessions, respond to diverse participant needs, and support well-organized TH programs.

This course is designed for learners who have completed the Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture course.

Course description

Therapeutic Horticulture Facilitation, Design and Practice helps you strengthen the applied skills needed to design, facilitate, document, and support TH programs with confidence.

You’ll explore participant and site assessment, goal-driven session planning, activity adaptation, facilitation strategies, documentation, risk management, and program development.

The course also builds practical horticultural confidence through topics such as indoor plant care, seed starting, propagation, plant safety, sensory plants, adaptive tools, therapeutic garden considerations, and indoor and outdoor growing methods.

With a blend of facilitation training, applied horticultural skills, professional practice, and cohort-based learning, this course supports you in delivering thoughtful, engaging, and well-organized TH programs.

This 10-week cohort-based course runs three times per year, with start dates in January, March, and September.

Course fee & what's included

Course fee: CAD ^$695
Course manual (optional): CAD ^$30

What You’ll Receive:

Video-based lessons and course resources
Guest speaker videos
Two live, interactive Zoom sessions
Assignments designed to support applied learning
Eligibility for continuing education credits
Lifetime access to course content
A Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate and digital badge upon successful completion
Bonus: Three months of free access to the GrowTH Network for non-members, our professional support platform with an activity database, resources, peer connection and ongoing learning opportunities.

Course dates & format

This course runs three times per year, with cohorts beginning in January, March, and September.

Next cohort: September 19 – November 28, 2026
Registration deadline: September 15, 2026
Live sessions: September 23 and November 25 at 6:30 pm ET

Format: Fully online, peer cohort-based learning
Structure: Self-paced lessons combined with two scheduled live Zoom sessions and group forum interactions
Prerequisite: Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture

Time commitment

Total time: Approximately 32–35 hours over ten weeks

Estimated breakdown:

Self-paced video lessons & quizzes: 20 hours
Live class sessions: 4-5 hours
Assignments: 8–10 hours

Pacing & Flexibility

Video lessons can be completed at your own pace throughout the 10-week course period.
A suggested weekly pacing guide is provided to support engagement and help you build momentum.

Continuing education credits

This continuing education session content is pre-approved by NCTRC for 2.0 CEUs
Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA) offers 0.3 points per 40 contact hours of instruction
Accepted by many Master Gardener programs, as the course meets common criteria for continuing education in U.S. and Canadian programs

How it works

After you purchase, sign in to your account at the top right corner of the website and you’ll find the course and manual (if purchased) under Courses → My Courses.

You’ll have lifetime access and can revisit the lessons at anytime.

Course manual details

The course manual is a comprehensive 179-page PDF that captures all the main points from the course in one place. It’s designed to:

Consolidate the key concepts so you can focus on learning instead of taking extensive notes
Serve as a lasting reference, like a textbook you can return to anytime
Support open-book quiz completion

While not required, many students find the manual to be a helpful resource they continue using well beyond the course.

Learn from experienced instructors

Emilee Weaver

With over 25 years in professional horticulture and 15 years dedicated to developing therapeutic horticulture and horticultural therapy programs, Emilee Weaver is a respected leader, educator, and practitioner in the field. She co-authored The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy (2019), one of the first comprehensive textbooks in the discipline, and served as lead instructor and content developer for university-based therapeutic horticulture certificate programs in the U.S. Emilee’s work has spanned clinical, community, and educational settings, with a focus on the intersection of horticulture and mental health. Most recently, she has helped expand therapeutic horticulture internationally, partnering with Ukrainian and Armenian botanical gardens and clinicians supporting communities affected by war. Her lifelong love of plants began in the fern-filled forests of New Hampshire and was nurtured by her grandmother’s influence. When she’s not teaching or consulting, Emilee can be found tending her garden, chatting with her tortoises, keeping her cats out of mischief, and spending time with family and friends who continue to inspire her journey.

Katie McGillivray, HTR

Katie McGillivray is a Registered Horticultural Therapist (HTR) and member of the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association. Since 2014, she has supported therapeutic horticulture projects and programs for a wide range of populations, guided by an asset-based, client-centered, and strengths-focused approach. Katie holds a certificate in horticultural therapy from Ann Kent and completed academic studies in counselling, horticulture, agriculture, psychology, and research. Her work often connects therapeutic horticulture with community food security and food justice, areas where she continues to inspire meaningful, hands-on engagement with nature. Beyond her professional practice, Katie is an enthusiastic home cook and avid paddleboarder who finds joy in cultivating both gardens and community.

Featured guest speakers

Marie Součková

Founder & Psychologist, InnerGarden.ai

Kristin Topping

Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner & Founder, SweetLife Flora

Judi Vinni

Coordinator & Co-Founder, Willow Springs Creative Centre

What our learners are saying

"This course was exactly what I needed to elevate my practice as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). While I came in with a solid foundation in diagnostic groups and facilitation techniques, this course meaningfully strengthened my confidence in designing and leading therapeutic horticulture sessions. It bridged the gap between my existing clinical knowledge and the specialized skills required to facilitate horticulture-based interventions effectively. I would highly recommend this course to any CTRS or allied health professional looking to deepen their expertise and bring a greater sense of confidence and competence to their horticulture programming."

"This course was an incredibly enriching and inspiring experience, one that exceeded all of my expectations. As someone passionate about integrating nature into therapeutic practices, I found this course to be both comprehensive and practical, with the added benefit of an outstanding instructor, Katie McGillvray. Katie’s approach to teaching was exceptional. She consistently built upon ideas and concepts throughout the course, allowing us to explore both the foundational and advanced aspects of therapeutic horticulture in depth. Her ability to engage and encourage participants was truly remarkable—she created an open, supportive learning environment where ideas were freely shared and enhanced."

"The Advancing Skills in Therapeutic Horticulture was an exceptional course filled with valuable information that supported my learning and provided me with greater knowledge of therapeutic horticulture practice, skills, activity planning, session organization and an enhanced sense of confidence in providing therapeutic horticulture activities. This course is well organized and the materials are presented in an engaging way. Katie was also very supportive in answering questions and connecting me to resources throughout the duration of the course!"

"This course has enabled me to offer more than just gardening to my residents. It has taught me how to deliver best practices in therapeutic horticulture. The knowledge that I have gained will place me in a position to promote the beautifully vibrant field of therapeutic horticulture in dementia care that is practiced in an assisted living and memory care setting."

"I am excited to be completing my training offered by Root in Nature! Katie is a great instructor and the course is really well organized. I am grateful not only for the guidance of their clear code of ethics, but also that in order to stay certified & to grow into this field successfully, we need to continue the connections and the learning opportunities available within the supportive GrowTH Network."

What you'll learn

What You'll Gain

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

Design intentional therapeutic horticulture sessions for indoor and outdoor settings
Adapt tools, tasks, activities, and environments to support diverse participant needs
Apply TH-specific safety and risk management considerations with greater confidence
Strengthen assessment, session planning, documentation, budgeting, and sourcing practices
Match horticultural activities with participant goals and desired outcomes
Support more consistent, well-organized, and sustainable TH programs

FAQs

Is the Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture course required before taking this course?

Yes. Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture is a prerequisite for the Therapeutic Horticulture Facilitation, Design and Practice course. It ensures all learners are equipped with a shared understanding of therapeutic horticulture principles, ethics, populations, and foundational concepts before moving into advanced practice.

Who is this course designed for?

This course is designed for professionals or anyone hoping to enter or volunteer within the TH field who are ready to strengthen their skills using plants and nature in therapeutic, health, or community-based contexts. It is well suited for allied health professionals, educators, community practitioners, horticulturists, and therapeutic horticulture or horticultural therapy facilitators who already work with people and want to deepen their ability to design and deliver intentional, goal-aligned TH programs.

What does cohort-based learning mean in this course?

Cohort-based learning means you’ll move through the course alongside a group of peers during a set timeframe (10-week period). While much of the content is self-paced, the course also includes two scheduled live, interactive sessions that support discussion, reflection, and applied learning as well as weekly peer/instructor interactions within a cohort-specific online forum

This structure creates opportunities to learn from other practitioners, ask questions in and interact in the GrowTH Network class group, and deepen understanding through shared experiences, while still offering flexibility for independent study.

How much time should I expect to commit each week?

Learners can expect to spend approximately 2-4 hours per week, depending on familiarity with the material and level of engagement with optional readings or discussions. This includes time for watching lesson content, completing assignments, and participating in live sessions and the online class group forum where applicable.

The course is designed to be manageable alongside professional and personal commitments. All course content is available to students 24/7.

What certificate or recognition do I receive upon completion?

Upon successful completion, you’ll receive a digital badge and an Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate, reflecting comprehensive applied training in therapeutic horticulture facilitation. This recognition can be shared on professional profiles, resumes, or websites as part of your ongoing professional development.

Best Ottawa Business Award Winner

Root in Nature was recognized for Best Performance in Social Entrepreneurship by the Ottawa Board of Trade and the Ottawa Business Journal.

Coralus Venture

Root in Nature is grateful to be selected as one of the Ventures working on the World’s To-Do List by Coralus Activators. We receive interest-free funding, connections and relationships to grow our impact.