Professional Registration with the American Horticultural Therapy Association

The American Horticultural Therapy Association awards professional credentials for horticultural therapists and horticulture practitioners. The AHTA voluntary professional registration program ensures the public that professional competencies have been achieved based on standardized academic requirements and professional training.


The Horticultural Therapist-Registered, the HTR, recognizes professionals who have an education in both plant science and human science, and horticultural therapy with additional training acquired through an intensive internship experience in horticultural therapy. 


The Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner, the THP, recognizes professionals with an education in horticultural therapy and work experience providing therapeutic horticulture services. Individuals at this registration level may advance to Horticultural Therapist-Registered upon completion of additional requirements.


Application Process


Applications are evaluated by the AHTA's Professional Registration Review Board. Applications for professional registration are accepted for review when all requirements for registration have been completed and upon receipt of a complete application packet.


Once a complete application is submitted, an applicant can expect results in 6 weeks. There are three applications for professional registration with the AHTA:


  1. Horticultural Therapist-Registered
  2. Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner
  3. Reclassification from THP to HTR


All applicants are required to complete an online AHTA professional registration application and provide official transcripts for verification of applicable coursework. Applications will not be reviewed until all transcripts are received. 


All application materials are required to be submitted online. Acceptable documents include a clean copy scanned in JPEG format or PDF document. It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete the process and verify that all materials have been received.


Please note: If you are submitting courses from an educational institution that uses a quarter system as opposed to a semester system, a conversion table is available for your use. All AHTA professional registration course requirements are semester credits NOT quarter credits.

Application Information


Ready to submit your application for Professional Registration? The form does not save information, please ensure you have all required documentation for submission. Only Associate Level One and Associate Level II – year 3 members are eligible to apply.


Horticultural Therapist-Registered

Please complete the online application, upload the required documentation, and pay the $150 application fee.

Required documents include either:

  1. Internship - a completed, signed internship performance report for verification of the internship along with a copy of either the long-term project or internship case study.
  2. Internship work experience option: a completed, signed Verification of Work Experience-HTR form documenting dates and 1,500 hours of employment

.For more information, review the HTR Application process.


Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner

Please complete the online application, upload supporting documentation, and pay the $100 application fee.


Required documents include a completed, signed Verification of Work Experience-THP form documenting dates and 500 hours of work experience and if applicable, proof of services rendered. 


For more information, review the  THP Policies and Procedures.




Payment

There are two ways to pay your application fee:

  1. You may pay your application fee online at time of application.
  2. Mail a check to the AHTA office address listed below.
    AHTA Office
    8635 W Sahara Ave #711
    Las Vegas, NV 89117 

Maintaining Professional Registration


Once an applicant has been approved for professional registration, AHTA membership must be renewed annually at the Professional level to maintain either HTR or THP status. Membership fees include both membership dues and a credentialing fee. After three months of lapsed membership, a registrant must pay a reinstatement fee in addition to their annual membership dues to be reinstated. After two years of a lapsed membership, a registrant will be required to reapply for registration status. Reinstatement fees are: 

$75 – Horticultural Therapist-Registered

$50 – Therapeutic Horticulture Practitioner

After two years of a lapsed membership, a registrant will be required to reapply for registration status.