Students often reach out to ask how many points they currently have in relation to the CHTA Education Guidelines.
Before contacting us, we encourage you to review the Guidelines carefully and do your best to calculate your points based on the following tips:
- HT “contact hours”: Any live-taught (virtual or in-person) HT/TH course counts as contact hours under the Guidelines.
- Courses that have not been formally reviewed through the CHTA ‘points confirmation process’ may still count toward HT-specific education. In many cases, they simply haven’t been submitted for review, or they may be offered outside of Canada. You are welcome to include these in your self-assessment when reviewing your pathway forward.
- Pre-recorded learning: Courses or sessions that are pre-recorded (even if HT/TH-specific) do not count as contact hours. Instead, they fall under category C-2.
- Related education: Other coursework that supports your passions and vision for your HT practice can count toward your points! This is well-worth pursuing in your journey. These will typically fall in the category of “Related and Supportive Adult Education Courses.”
One of the strengths of our field is the diverse personal, educational, and professional backgrounds that people bring to horticultural therapy. You may feel inclined toward a certain population, setting, or therapeutic domain. If so, seek additional learning in that realm! This will absolutely enrich your practice and add to your unique, well-rounded perspective as an HTR.
