Psychological healing in relation to gardening and farming

Research shows that people who live in greener areas are healthier, subjectively and psychologically. What kind of green environment doesn’t seem to matter that much- it could be agricultural, a park or real nature. Nobody would argue with this. Nature encourages us to exercise, explore, and to discover ourselves. It has a soothing and healing influence on us. The presence of well-kept green spaces in a city makes living in a crowded area more manageable. That too is a well-known fact.

The room of the patient can benefit from some colour.

All too often hospital rooms are cold, almost bland and sterile spaces where there’s only room for the necessary. Adding a little plant, or even a picture of nature can be a breath of fresh air for the patient. After all, their room is where they spend the majority of their time. Wouldn’t it be nice to be in contact with the world around you, with living things, even if it’s through a window? Or to create a soothing homely feeling that will benefit the healing process?
Even better would be the possibility for the patient to recharge their energy in a garden. That he or she can escape the rhythm that has been forced upon them, have a break from unfamiliar influences and can keep their body fit with gentle exercise. A little walk can even be a daily goal for some, a goal patients can set for themselves, and should also be encouraged by the nursing staff.

Watching the birds, the running water in the fountain, the babbling water in the creeks or flowers that have just started to bloom…it can have a healing effect. All of this reminds the patient that they’re still part of a bigger picture. In the garden, the patient can have a smoke or socialise with others who are having a stroll. These contacts reinforce social cohesion and that in return has positive effects, the wellbeing and sense of security of the patient.

In contact with the four elements

In the Netherlands extensive research was done into this subject. De Vries, Verheij & Groenewegen reported on this in 2003. They discovered that exposure to nature is very important, and deserves special attention from nursing staff. This exposure increases wellbeing, by breathing in fresh air, or feeling a drop of water on your head. Even observing nature, or the dancing of flames in a fire, can provide people with the peace and quiet in their head that is much needed to recover from stress and mental fatigue. It re-energises and can help develop more positive behaviour. People are more attracted to a natural environment than to a built-up area. These green areas provide a place to work on social contacts. Feeling connected to the cosmos can mitigate the chaos in one’s head, they say. That sounds wise but hollow, but more and more people meditate in nature. In the hippy culture of the sixties, this activity slowly gained popularity. In the public parks of San Francisco, the birthplace of hippy culture, it was a daily occurrence. Today, influenced by the ‘new-age movement’, this way of relaxation is becoming more and more accepted worldwide. Also tai chi, yoga or qigong can be practised actively in most cities. There are even people who hug trees, to feel their energy or experience a natural sense of safety. It can be taken pretty far, but nearly all over the world a tree is a symbol of wisdom, power and support. The tree is literally rooted into the earth, it stands tall. It can serve as an example to the patient who feels like they snapped, or are broken, and provide courage and stability. When someone’s health is already affected, the influence of being in a green area is even greater. It’s easy to imagine that the subjective opinion of people with unbalanced psychological health about their surroundings is even more loaded, particularly when they ‘have to ‘ undergo this for a certain period of time when they’re staying in the institution. While undergoing therapy might be a free choice, your surroundings in the place you get this treatment, aren’t yours to choose. If you’re lucky, the place might feel inviting, but maybe not. What we perceive as a friendly green environment can have a very threatening feel to a patient. Since we, as authors, are both quite sensitive to the beauty and atmosphere of a material environment like a house, a place in the city, a park, a garden…we asked ourselves what impressions we’d get if we were to visit the site of Sint-Kamillus in Bierbeek, to get a closer look. We did just that in a psychiatric clinic in Belgium.

Garden architecture psychiatric clinic Bierbeek

The community Sint-Kamullus was build on the fertile grounds of the Krijkelberg in Bierbeek. The farmers didn’t give up their land without a fight. In the end, some land had to be repossessed to realise this dream. It was the non-profit organization called ‘Broeders van Liefde’ (Friars of love) that wanted to do something to help men with psychological problems in need. It was a kind of rescue plan that they wanted to set up to ‘save’ 870 souls. The word ‘souls’ can be taken literally, because it was a perfect fit within the plan and ambitions of the protagonists of the Church. Of course this was also strongly present in the Roman Catholic ideology drenched science. The science that covered each and every domain in the knowledge of humankind, physically as well as psychologically speaking. They didn’t just have their mind set on the psychological wellbeing and saving the souls of the patient, but also of the staff and caretakers. They wanted to avoid psychologically ill people ending up in the hands of anti-clerical institutions connected to secular universities and scientific research facilities. Sint-Kamillus was viewed as a sort of practice ground for the medical faculty of the Catholic University of Leuven. Cardinal Mercier may have passed away in 1926, but his ideology concerning this was still alive and well. The symmetrical and even hierarchical-organic structured building represented a religious, social and therapeutic project. It was the architect Alphonse De Vyvere who was commissioned with the creation of this prestigious design. In the jubilee book, the blue print is described as follows: a symmetrical whole, with a central arc that goes through the main entry, the Mariapavilion, the central bathing area, the chapel and the kitchen quarters. Left and right of this line, there are more pavilions. Outside this symmetrical whole, one can find the house of the chaplain and the lazaretto. Across from the train station and a bit further away, you can find the two mansions of the physicians. The symmetry of the design, the numerous pavilions with their function and well thought-out locations, even the height of the buildings and the space they occupy, the design of the park and garden, all represent the ideology behind them. They reflect a certain vision of what this care should entail, a vision connected to the former ideas of what psychological nursing should be like. The fervour resounding from Monseigniour Ladeuze’s heartfelt letters, one can also find in the blueprints of the architecture.

The modular use starts with a modular planting concept. We’re not only talking about different styles of gardens, but also combinations of plants.

Working in the garden was seen as a kind of therapy back then. I assume this connection with nature sadly got lost when (suppressing) medication took over and the chemical industry concerning the use of medication settled into the psychological care sector.

To maintain the park and the garden they now rely on the hired help of professional gardeners, while the patients feel useless. They have an empty look in their eyes.

Other than the ornamental gardens with a recreational function, there are also vegetable gardens and orchards. Dr. Joseph Guislain is known as one of the greatest reformers of psychiatric care in Belgium. Back when the project in Bierbeek was being developed, he was one of their main inspirations for the design, and more. His philosophy was that every patient should have his own space. Working in the garden, as well as farm work, were an important part of his therapy. ‘Arbeid adelt’ (work is ennobling), you remember? Ploughing through mud with bare hands helps a patient to feel grounded again. On top of that, seeing the fruits of your labour, literally, is a very satisfying experience. You feel useful, you feel connected with the world. It provides a sense of pride, you feel the beauty in things and can feel a whole other kind of ‘love’. It strengthens the bond we have with nature. The patient feels useful again and can feel the positive effects of breathing in fresh air, but then we’re talking about what it used to be like.

The first mental clinic in Belgium was built in 1853-1857 and was named after Joseph Guislain. The ‘Hospice Guislain’ was also run by the ‘Broeders van Liefde’ (Friars of Love), and was built in the same sort of structured system of pavilions in the midst of green parks. German hospitals have been built according to this principle since 1860, but in Belgium it’s rare to find parks surrounding hospitals. They have more in common with large warehouses and industrial sites, and the rooms of patients look like server rooms where it’s a challenge to find the patient himself in the midst of all these machines and screens. If one wants to find out how the patient is doing, a glimpse on the graphs (with their little lights and bleeps) is enough. Eye and body contact, care and warmth are kept to a minimum this way. Even the time spent with a patient is measured. Nobody wants to end up in a hospital as a patient these days, especially when you’re a medic yourself. Technologically speaking we’re very advanced, but are we really doing so well if the energetic aspect of care is so strongly neglected? 

 Catherine Wheels

17-09-2015, 10:05 geschreven door catherine wheels