Horticultural therapy education in Awaji Landscape Planning & Horticulture Academy (ALPHA)

Horticultural therapy Program

   Awaji Landscape Planning & Horticulture Academy is a very unique academy established by Hyogo Prefecture in 1999. It has a Graduate School of Landscape Planning, and two programs: Horticultural Therapy Program and Continuing Education Program. Horticultural Therapy Program is the only one program in Japan to train horticultural therapists authorized by a local government, which was established in 2002 after the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. The graduates of the program are authorized as horticultural therapists by Hyogo prefectural governor. Our prefecture got much boost from all over Japan and the world in 1995. So the mission of this program is to train the experts who can heal people in need of support by means of plants, greenery environment and gardening activities and eventually to reciprocate people’s favors and assistance from all over Japan and the world.

Outline of the Horticultural Therapy Program  
・The Horticultural Therapy program has a dormitory course (1 year) and a commuting course (2 years). The contents of the classes, and the hours for the classes and Horticultural Therapy Internship are the same for both courses.

・In the dormitory course, you enter the dormitory for 1 year.
Students who get credits for all the subjects will be certified as a Horticultural Therapist certified by the Hyogo Prefectural Governor.
Classes are held at the Awaji Landscape Planning and Horticulture Academy.
There are classes held on weekdays for boarding students alone, and classes held on weekends (holidays) jointly with commuting course students.
Horticultural Therapy Internship I, II, and III will be conducted in collaboration with medical, welfare facilities, and educational institutions requested by the academy.

・The commuting course is a 2-year program. 
Classes are held at the Awaji Landscape Planning and Horticulture Academy.
In the first year, there are classes on basic subjects twice a month on weekends (generally on Saturdays).  When commuting to the school, shuttle buses are available from Iwaya Port and Awaji IC.
For Horticultural Therapy Internship I, each student is required to make a plan for implementation of the specified content. After implementation, students will submit a report and receive guidance. For volunteer activities included in the content, students will consult with faculty members to find a facility where they can do volunteer activities.
Students who get credits for all the subjects in the first year will be certified as an Assistant Horticultural Therapist certified by the Hyogo Prefectural Governor.

The second year subjects are for Assistant Horticultural Therapists.  Classes on applied subjects are held about once a month on weekends (generally on Sundays).

Horticultural Therapy Internship II and III are conducted once a week for a total of 18 times at the facility where the student works.  If Horticultural Therapy Internship II/III is not available at the facility where the student works, the student will consult with the faculty to find a facility that can provide an internship.
Students who get credits for all the subjects in the second year will be certified as a Horticultural Therapist certified by the Hyogo Prefectural Governor.


Curriculum of horticultural therapy program in Awaji Landscape Planning & Horticulture Academy

Fields Subjects
Horticultural therapy Basic Theory of Horticultural Therapy
Application of Healing Elements of Plants and Gardening to Various Target Population
Horticultural therapy research method *
Horticultural Therapy Practice*
Marketing and management *
Horticulture Environment for Gardening and Horticultural Therapy
Gardening
Utilization of Plants in Horticultural therapy
Medical care and welfare Medical Care and Medicine for Horticultural Therapy
Horticultural Therapy Internship Horticultural Therapy Internship I
Horticultural Therapy Internship II*
Horticultural Therapy Internship III *

None*: Basic subjects (students take the first semester course)
With*: Applied subjects (students take the second semester course)

 

 

Horticultural therapy in Japan -History, Education, Character, Assessment(June2012)

 

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