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

Abstract

Background and objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether welfare horticultural therapists (hereinafter referred 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 a welfare HT license from the Korea Horticultural Therapy Welfare Association. As a research method, Colaizzi's phenomenological method was used. Through the study, a total of 123 semantic components, 34 themes, and 14 theme clusters were collected under 5 categories.Results: The five categories are 'feeling dissatisfied with life', 'encountering horticultural therapy', 'being mesmerized by horticultural therapy', 'difficulties in horticultural therapy', and 'experiencing self-growth through horticultural therapy'. The findings 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 working in the treatment field, using plants, through the recovery of clients and various difficult experiences, has consoled them and 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 in the field of horticultural therapy, research of which has thus far been focused only on therapy programs . Third, it sought to determine how welfare HTs achieve self-growth, so it seems that welfare HTs will be able to use these findings to learn about and develop the abilities required to prepare themselves as mature experts.