Horticultural therapists use horticultural activities as a tool for helping disadvantaged people. The therapy may be focused on either:

• improving or maintaining muscle function, and other aspects of physical wellbeing
• psychological wellbeing (eg. helping elderly people stay active in their declining years, helping disabled people to have a sense of worth, providing an opportunity for social interaction, etc)
• providing people with impaired capabilities with an opportunity for employment (eg. In a sheltered workshop
• providing a pathway to rehabilitation; or perhaps providing an alternative lifestyle.
• developing practical skills
• developing social skills
• rehabilitation of physically or psychologically damaged individuals

Sometimes programs are developed with a group focus, and at other times they are tailored for the needs of an individual.  The therapist may work with a small group, or they may work one on one with individuals. They often work closely with health care professionals or other service providers  (eg. A physiotherapist may better understand the physical needs and limitations of an accident victim. A horticultural therapist working with a physiotherapist can develop a program of horticultural activities for an individual, that is tailored to their needs and leads to effective rehabilitation. The benefit of this “joint” approach may be that the patient can be prescribed a pathway to recovery that does not seem like exercise, and which the patient is more motivated to adhere to).

A horticultural therapist needs to be part horticulturist, part health care worker, part counsellor, and sometimes other things beyond these.

They can work in medical or health care institutions (eg. Hospitals, Homes for Elderly), community centres, special schools (eg. for people with disabilities), Sheltered Workshop, Prisons, or any other relevant situation.

Horticultural therapy is used for people with a wide range of cognitive, physical and social skills, including those people: 

• Suffering from stroke
• Suffering from heart disease
• With sight impairment (the blind and the partially sighted)
• With dementia
• With learning disabilities
• With physical disabilities (including amputees)
• With underdeveloped social skills
• Chronically unemployed
• Disengaged teenagers
• In substance abuse recovery
• Recovering from illness
• Coming to terms with grief
• Adjusting after personal difficulties in their lives
• With terminal illness
• Rehabilitating after a period in hospital
• With physical restrictions  - such as the elderly
• Children – in general.

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Scope and Nature of Horticultural Therapy
2. Understanding Disabilities and Communicating with people with disabilities
   1. Communication, Teaching and Counseling Skills
3. Risk Management -Hygiene for vulnerable people, What extra risks are to be considered in a therapy situation.... chemical, physical
4. Accessibility and Activities for people with Mobility issues (eg. wheelchairs, on crutches)
5. Enabling the Disabled -with restricted motor skills
6. Producing Things –Vegetables, Propagation, Fruit, Herbs
7. Growing in Containers -Vertical gardens, pots, Hydroponics
8. Creating a Therapeutic Garden
9. Generating Income

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.