About Me

My name is Cindy Berlovitz. I am a certified recreation therapist and registered horticultural therapist. For the past 38 years I have had the joy of providing nature-based therapeutic programming and horticulture therapy for a variety of populations with physical and mental disabilities. Most of my work has touched people in crisis undergoing inpatient mental health treatment at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and in various community settings through contracts with the MN Landscape Arboretum. 

There is something magical that happens when our intentions for personal growth are intertwined with the act of care giving to plants & animals.  I have seen patients in the darkest stages of depression reawakened to self care needs & coping skill practices as they care for a plant. I have seen individuals with persistent disturbing thought alteration find moments of peace & grounding while digging their hands in the dirt or connecting to sensory soothers in the garden. Residents receiving memory care reconnect with rote skills & memories while sharing stories of the past. My experiences, as well as the mountains of scientific research supporting the benefits of nature based therapeutic programming are a testament to the importance of integrating nature-based therapies into health care interventions. 

For the past three years,  I have focused my work on researching and visiting social care farms in Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Wisconsin. In many of these places, nature based therapies are already highly recognized as more effective treatments than inpatient mental health care. Care farming, horticultural therapy and animal assisted therapy have been thoroughly integrated into  European countries' health care systems for decades. Through my research and practices I've learned overseas, I have created a unique program to offer these fundamental interventions to my own community. 

About Horticulture Therapy

Horticulture Therapy is defined as the use of plants and plant-based activity for the purpose of human healing and rehabilitation.

Evidence Based Health Benefits

About Social Care Farming

Care farming connects the healing power of a farm environment with vulnerable people who can benefit from intentional and purposeful time with plants and animals.Care-farming is utilized as an intervention for multiple populations, including autism (Ferwerda-van Zonneveld et al., 2012), acquired brain injury (Hassink et al., 2007), dementia (Bruin et al., 2009; de Boer et al., 2015), substance addiction (Hine et al., 2008; Leck et al., 2015), emotional and mental unwellness (Elings and Hassink, 2008; Iancu et al., 2014), and within the criminal justice system (Elsey et al., 2018; Murray et al., 2016). There is a growing body of evidence relating to the potential health benefits that can emerge from participation within a care-farming program, such as reduced depressive symptoms (Pedersen et al., 2012), impacts on recidivism (Pretty et al., 2013), changing levels of independence (Kaley et al., 2018),  increasing social interaction (Iancu et al., 2014), improving confidence, and decreasing stress (Leck et al., 2015)