A Word About Therapeutic Gardens
In recent years we have seen a significant upswing of interest in therapeutic gardens. These gardens are specifically designed to address a variety of applications within healthcare, rehabilitative and other therapeutic settings. In fact, the American Society of Landscape Architects maintains a professional practice network of consultants who specialize in designing therapeutic gardens.
A therapeutic garden is a plant-dominated environment purposefully designed to facilitate interaction with the healing elements of nature. Interactions can be passive or active depending on the garden design and users’ needs. There are many sub-types of therapeutic gardens including healing gardens, enabling gardens, rehabilitation gardens, and restorative gardens.
Her counsellor looked at not just the issues at hand but also worked to help Sara understand constructs of patriarchy, gender-based violence and its global epidemic. She began to heal once she understood it was not her fault.
We also know that trauma resides not just in the mind but in the body.There’s often an assumption that the two are separate entities, but their connection and the understanding of it is essential to healing. We offer body therapies such as trauma informed yoga and TRE ‘tension release exercises’ that look to release emotion through mindfulness and physical movement combined.
It has long been our approach that healing must be holistic and that it is an ongoing journey. It is not appropriate or realistic to look at therapies as a Band-Aid ‘you’re fixed now’ course of treatment, because they are built to equip a person with tools for long-term healing and self-care. This may not be the quantifiable, results oriented approach that so often attracts funding but perhaps we need to re-evaluate how therapies are prioritised as a service given their high demand both within the NHS and in services such as our own. It will certainly save lives, but it will also improve lives, and isn’t that what we should be aiming for?
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