Professional Practice

Adult: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a mental health condition that¡¯s triggered by a traumatic event, such as assault, rape or combat exposure. Nearly of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan treated by the Department of Veteran's Affairs are treated for PTSD, and this is just the number of veterans who seek help.

How Nature Helps

Nature calms us. Nature restores us. For some of the most traumatized among us, including veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, nature can be a critical component in their healing process. Gardening in hospitals, working the land at a farm, or spending time camping and fishing are all ways that veterans use nature to help ease their transition back to civilian life.

Research

Explore More Resources:

¡°,¡± Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 2011

"," Glasgow University, 2009

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Brain Injury, 2005

, Marcus and Barnes, 1999

Resources

 - Veterans Affairs



Organizations







 

Role of the Landscape Architect
 

Landscape architects, like , design therapeutic landscapes with the power to heal. She is on the board of the Therapeutic Landscape Network and works with veterans returning from the war in Afghanistan. She says, ¡°The earth does neutralize a lot of human anxiety.¡± 

The Walter Reed Green Road has been designed with intimate spaces for commemoration and storytelling, all within a natural wooded environment.
 
Case Studies



, Bethesda, Maryland Alt Architecture + Research Associates

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