Jul 8, 2021
Podcast guest: Derrick Stowell, Ph.D., CTRS, HTR, Education and Horticultural Therapy Program Administrator at UT Gardens/Department of Plant Sciences. He is also the president-elect for the American Horticultural Therapy Association.
Derrick Stowell has a background in therapeutic recreation and horticultural therapy & experience working in mental health. His internship for therapeutic recreation was at an in-patient behavioral health program serving people with behavioral health and substance abuse issues. He received his Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential in 2007 and became a registered horticultural therapist (HTR) in 2015 & has worked with behavioral health programs, including consulting on program development for groups that provides a variety of mental and behavioral health services for people in the region. Prior to the pandemic, we worked with one group on a monthly basis. The goals of that program were to provide horticulture as a way to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. In 2017, Derrick created a program to help veterans with trauma related issues. This program showed improvement in depression, anxiety, and stress for the veterans that took part. He is currently working on a research project that will focus on issues around pandemic related stress. A PhD student is working with me to measure how horticultural therapy and nature based expressive art can help people who have stress, anxiety, depression related to the COVID-19 pandemic. -------------------------------------------------- Please like & subscribe Follow us on social media @frisellanursery www.FrisellaNursery.com