The Practitioner’s Map: Understanding the 9 Stages of Therapeutic Horticulture Program Growth

Join our Director of Learning & Community Engagement, Emilee Weaver for a guided walkthrough of the nine foundational stages of TH program growth. From Curiosity and Conceptualization to Disillusionment and, ultimately, Equilibrium, Emilee draws on over 15 years of hands-on experience in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, botanical gardens, and community settings to illuminate key themes at every stage of program development-whether you're gaining initial buy-in, piloting a new effort, or working toward long-term sustainability.

This session will offer a strategic framework to empower you to plan your next steps with clarity and confidence—while also addressing the emotional highs and lows that often come with TH program development.

While this session focuses on the nine-stage framework itself, attendees will also get a preview of a future offering where Emilee will share in-depth, real-world case examples and behind-the-scenes stories from her own program development journey at an inpatient psychiatric hospital.

This professional development event is ideal for practitioners, students, and professionals who are looking for actionable advice about avoiding common pitfalls, proactively managing the expectations of clients, and achieving the sustainable TH program you envision. Expect practical insights, thoughtful reflection, and a compassionate approach to program development that meets you where you are.

About the Speaker: Emilee Weaver

Emilee credits the lush, fern and moss filled New Hampshire forests and her grandmother for inspiring her adoration of nature and the ability/language to develop meaningful relationships with plants. This passion led to over 25 years in professional horticulture, a degree in social work, and a horticultural therapy certificate from the Horticultural Therapy Institute.

Her deep passion for accompanying people on their healing and learning journeys led Emilee to spend the past 15+ years building TH and HT programs and educational programs that span diverse clinical and community settings and students. She was the lead content creator and instructor for the online and hybrid TH certificate programs co-created by two prominent universities and is proud to have co-authored one of the first comprehensive HT textbooks in the field, The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy, published in 2019.

Emilee has worked with a wide range of populations and has centered her work primarily around the intersections of TH/HT and mental health. She has developed therapeutic and vocational programs in a range of inpatient psychiatric settings, botanical gardens, farms, elder care communities, and most recently pioneered a partnership with Ukrainian and Armenian botanical gardens and clinicians seeking TH training to assist citizens experiencing the trauma of war.

In her free time, you’ll find her tending and chatting with her gardens, chasing after her tortoises, preventing her cats from taking over the world, and spending time with friends and family whose support has inspired, guided, and supported her journey.