Garden Therapy at the Grace Village Women’s Restoration Center

Every Tuesday morning, the women at the Grace Village Women’s Restoration Center take part in a garden therapy class that should aid in their rehabilitation while they live and participate in the restoration program.

There are several garden boxes on the property that hold different plants like vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

The live-in resident manager, Patrice Colbert, also does some extensive gardening on the property.

“The act of using your hands and plating something, watching it grow, anything creative really, that is very therapeutic,” she says.

According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA), “In the 19th century, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and recognized as the "Father of American Psychiatry," was first to document the positive effect working in the garden had on individuals with mental illness.”

The AHTA also has a paper with some great information on garden therapy and the many benefits, including; cognitive, psychological, social, and physical realms.

Garden therapy can have a very positive impact on a lot of different people, including the homeless, ex-convicts on probation, and hospital patients.

At the Grace Village Women’s Restoration Center, these women take on building and beautifying their own little community for themselves and others to enjoy.

They share in the fruits of their labor so they can recognize on a consistent basis what hard work and dedication can lead to.

Creating something and watching it grow and expand into something else can have a profound effect on people. And just like any other creative project or collaboration, the end result shows them how much impact they can have on the world.