Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Skills

Why Take This Course

Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Skills is designed for learners who are ready to move beyond the fundamentals and develop the confidence to plan, facilitate, and support therapeutic horticulture programs with greater skill. The course strengthens your ability to create meaningful plant and nature-based experiences that support participant wellbeing across community, healthcare, and residential settings.

Through advanced training in facilitation, horticultural application, adaptive approaches, and program delivery, you’ll gain practical tools to design engaging sessions, respond to diverse participant needs, and support well-organized, sustainable TH programs.

This fully online, cohort-based course blends self-paced learning with live, interactive sessions.

Course Description

The Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Skills course is designed to help practitioners strengthen the practical skills needed to plan, facilitate, and manage TH programs with confidence.

You’ll learn how to assess participant and site needs, design goal-driven sessions, match horticultural activities with desired outcomes, document progress, and facilitate groups using responsive, person-centred strategies. The course also explores how to adapt tools, tasks, environments, and techniques for people with varied physical, cognitive, emotional, and sensory abilities.

You’ll expand your horticultural confidence through topics such as indoor plant care, seed starting, propagation, plant safety, sensory plants, therapeutic garden considerations, adaptive tool use, watering techniques, integrated pest management, and practical growing methods that support both indoor and outdoor programming.

In addition, learners explore key elements of successful program development and delivery, including activity and program budgeting, service agreements, funding sources, partnerships, marketing and outreach, professional identity, ethical practice, social media and photography considerations, and reflective practice.

Blending facilitation training, applied horticultural skills, and professional practice, this course helps practitioners deliver thoughtful, engaging, and well-organized TH programs with greater confidence.

Course Fee & What's Included

Course Fee: CAD ^$645
Course Manual (optional): CAD ^$30

Registration fee includes:

Video-based lessons with resources
Guest speaker videos
Upon successful completion, an Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate and digital badge
Lifetime access
Eligibility for CE credits
Bonus: In order to access the class forum, non-members receive a free three-month membership* to the GrowTH Network, our professional support platform for TH practitioners.

*This offer is available to non-members only.

Time Commitment

Total time: Approximately 31–35 hours over eight weeks

Pacing & Flexibility

Video lessons can be completed at your own pace throughout the 8-week course period.
A suggested weekly pacing guide is provided to support engagement and help you build momentum.

Course Date & Format

Course dates: September 19 – November 14, 2026
Registration Deadline: September 15, 2026
Live sessions: September 23 & November 11 at 6:30 pm EDT

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 OR Therapeutic Horticulture Foundations & Facilitation

Where to find your course: Sign in to your account and go to Courses → My Courses to access the course and manual (if purchased)
Access: Lifetime access to all course content and materials

Continuing Education Credits

This continuing education session content is pre-approved by NCTRC for 2.0 CEUs
Approved by the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association (CHTA) for 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, simply 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, so you can move through the lessons at your own pace and revisit them anytime.

Course Manual Details

The course manual is a comprehensive 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 You'll Gain

Skills to design and lead intentional TH sessions indoors and outdoors
Confidence adapting tools, tasks, and environments for diverse participants
Practical strategies for TH-specific safety and risk management
Stronger skills in assessment, budgeting, sourcing, and documentation
Greater ability to build consistent, sustainable TH programs
An Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate and digital badge

Course Structure

What Our Learners Are Saying

"I thoroughly enjoyed participating in this course. I liked that I could work at my own pace and complete sections without feeling like I was going to forget what I learned. The quizzes at the end of each lesson were helpful. One of my favourite things about this course was being able to go through actual session plans as well as having the additional resources/readings available. I found all of the course material easy to understand and very beneficial. I will be recommending this course to colleagues!"

“This is one of the most engaging and informative online courses I have ever done. Even if I was not previously interested in the subject, I would have still very much enjoyed every aspect. The format and organization of the material flows incredibly well, and the material is clear, concise, and not lost in unnecessary filler. I highly recommend it.”

"This course has been exceptional and provides a wide array of information related to the practice of HT. It provides a unique opportunity to learn about and engage with the HT modalities. The information is laid out clearly and provides opportunity for reflection and application of what you are learning."

"Clear, concise, with the ability to complete at your own pace, three of my favourite things in an online course! A great intro to TH/HT guided by experienced and knowledgeable instructors. Thank you for this course, I look forward to more of your offerings!"

FAQs

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

Yes. Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture OR Therapeutic Horticulture Foundations & Facilitation course is a prerequisite for Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Skills. 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 (8-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 3–5 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 Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate, reflecting advanced, applied training in therapeutic horticulture facilitation. This recognition can be shared on professional profiles, resumes, or websites as part of your ongoing professional development.

Professional Recognition & Growth

Advanced TH Skills

This course builds practical skills to establish participant goals, design, and deliver TH programs within the context of intentional session plans in both indoor and outdoor settings. The focus is on aligning and adapting activities to participant needs, abilities, goals, and desired outcomes.

Professional Practice Development

Training in advanced TH facilitation supports professional growth by strengthening applied skills related to session planning, materials sourcing, documentation, and ethical facilitation. Where applicable, this course may also support continuing education (CE) requirements.

Expanded Facilitation Capacity

Through this course, practitioners can expand how they facilitate TH, adapting environments, tools, techniques, and tasks to support diverse participants while confidently managing TH-specific safety considerations across community and clinical settings.

Digital Badge & Certificate

Upon completion, you’ll receive a digital badge and an Advanced Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate recognizing advanced, applied training in TH practice. These can be shared on resumes, professional profiles, or websites to reflect your continued professional development.

Best Ottawa Business (BOBS) 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.

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