Chicago Botanic Garden

Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden

Certificate Programs

Horticultural Therapy — Certificate of Merit Program
Our Faculty and Staff

The experts at the Garden are trained in the practice of Horticultural Therapy (HT) program design, backed up by extensive horticultural knowledge. They have developed and provided horticultural therapy programs for numerous organizations as an outsource service and have trained agency staff to maintain those programs. Because of their extensive practical experience in applying horticultural therapy in diverse real-world settings, the Chicago Botanic Garden faculty and staff are uniquely prepared to present this certificate program.

 

Eugene Rothert, B.S., H.T.R.

As manager of the Buehler Enabling Garden and Horticultural Therapy Services, Mr. Rothert is responsible for developing and implementing the Chicago Botanic Garden's Horticultural Therapy Program. He has been active in the field of horticultural therapy for more than 25 years and has written several books and articles on the subject. He is regularly consulted and asked to teach about the benefits and techniques of horticultural therapy and accessible garden design. Mr. Rothert is a past president of the American Horticultural Therapy Association and currently serves on the Registration Review Board. He will be a course instructor.

kelley Coakley, B.S., H.T.R.

As a horticultural therapist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Ms. Coakley is responsible for providing direct horticultural therapy services in the Chicago area to older adults, people with disabilities, and those recovering from illness. In addition to direct therapy, she provides educational opportunities for professionals in healthcare and horticulture fields. Ms. Coakley is a recent graduate of Kansas State University's horticultural therapy program and completed her internship at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She is a member of and professionally registered by the American Horticultural Therapy Association and is coauthor of Health Through Horticulture: An Indoor Gardening Guide for Therapeutic Outcomes.