A Phenomenological Study on Self-growth through the Experience of Horticultural Therapy by Welfare Horticultural Therapists

A Phenomenological Study on Self-growth through the Experience of Horticultural Therapy by Welfare Horticultural Therapists

Background and objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether welfare horticultural therapists (hereinafterreferred to as “welfare HTs”) have achieved self-growth through horticultural therapy experiences. Methods: The subjects of this study are 8 welfare HTs who have actively worked for more than 3 years after receiving awelfare HT license from the Korea Horticultural Therapy Welfare Association. As a research method, Colaizzi's phenomenologicalmethod was used. Through the study, a total of 123 semantic components, 34 themes, and 14 theme clusters werecollected under 5 categories. Results: The five categories are 'feeling dissatisfied with life', 'encountering horticultural therapy', 'being mesmerized byhorticultural therapy', 'difficulties in horticultural therapy', and 'experiencing self-growth through horticultural therapy'. Thefindings of this study are as follows. Welfare HTs have developed themselves through horticultural therapy experiences. They have had a desire to develop themself into a better existence since learning about horticultural therapy, and workingin the treatment field, using plants, through the recovery of clients and various difficult experiences, has consoled themand improved their emotional control and self-esteem. Conclusion: This study has the following significance. First, it focused on the specific context of working as a welfare HT. Second, it attempts an empirical study on self-growth through the experiences of welfare HTs, an important element inthe field of horticultural therapy, research of which has thus far been focused only on therapy programs . Third, it soughtto determine how welfare HTs achieve self-growth, so it seems that welfare HTs will be able to use these findings to learnabout and develop the abilities required to prepare themselves as mature experts.