When chronic pain began to dominate Kaitlyn Whalen's life seven years ago, she found solace and healing in an unexpected place: her garden. Today, the 31-year-old Mt. Airy resident has transformed that personal coping mechanism into Well Rooted Horticultural Therapy (HT), LLC, a company helping others experience the therapeutic benefits of working with plants and nature.

"Gardening allows you to stand, squat, twist and lean," explained Whalen. "Prolonged periods in one posture or doing one exercise can aggravate the pain, so gardening provides a healthy way to engage with nature."

In a typical session, like those held regularly at the Center on the Hill in the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, participants experience music at frequencies proven to reduce stress, enjoy essential oil aromatherapy, receive hand massages and practice gentle movements, and work with natural horticultural materials to engage their senses.

A personal journey to healing

Whalen's journey began with what doctors believe was a combination of factors: a twisted knee on the tennis court led to gradual bulged discs in her spine. "The compressions are too slight to operate on (the risk is too high) but significant enough to affect my nerves and muscle movements daily," Whalen said. "They guess that it has been exacerbated by a sedentary desk job and years of lengthy commutes. Without a clear solution, they diagnosed it as fibromyalgia."

A Mt. Airy resident for the last eight years, Whalen tried numerous treatments: Reflexology, physical therapy, spinal steroid shots, muscle relaxers and myofascial release. She consulted two orthopedic doctors and a pain management doctor, all with similar suggestions: light exercise, self-care and stress reduction. Though prescribed antidepressants, Whalen found they "just masked the pain rather than heal it, which simply wasn't an option for me and set me on my current life path."

The most effective treatment came through neuromuscular massage therapy at Chestnut Hill's Paragon Pain Solutions office. "It has greatly improved my functionality and mind space where traditional medicine has failed me," she said.

Discovering Horticultural Therapy

Before finding physical relief, Whalen discovered horticultural therapy as a coping mechanism from an unexpected source: a British TV show called "Gardener's World." 

"If you're a gardener," Whalen said, "you instinctively understand and feel the benefits of being outdoors, but I hadn't realized there was research supporting it, let alone a potential career path. Then, COVID provided real-life examples of horticultural therapy helping people struggling with isolation, depression and anxiety as they turned to houseplant care and gardening to cope."

Although horticultural therapy has been practiced in the U.S. since post-WWII as a treatment for war veterans, Whalen had never heard of it before. She joined the American Horticulture Therapy Association, which advocates for the practice nationally, and in 2023 completed the Horticultural Therapy certificate program through Temple University with supplemental horticulture-related classes.

Bringing therapy to the community

Well Rooted designs programs based on the principles of horticultural therapy, with a special focus on geriatric care. They have served clients with multiple sclerosis, dementia and memory care needs, Parkinson's disease, hospice residents and organized activities for social groups.

Cheryl Massaro, a long-time Chestnut Hill resident, has attended two of Whalen's recent sessions at Center on the Hill, which are free. "Kaitlyn is absolutely precious," said Massaro. "She makes everyone feel comfortable. It is a very relaxing, stress-free hour and a half. We planted bulbs of crocuses, bluebells and a third one I never heard of before. As mulch, we used shredded coconut. You take them home and keep them cold, and in four to six weeks they come up. Kaitlyn also showed us exercises for proper breathing and to relieve stress. It was wonderful. It would be great for a bridal shower."

Whalen grew up in Red Hill (Montgomery County) and attended Upper Perkiomen High School. She graduated from West Chester University in 2015 with a degree in Biology. Her first job after college was as a lab scientist, and she quickly worked her way up to become the senior project manager leading antibody development projects at a laboratory in Limerick, PA. She worked there for eight years until 2023, when she left to start Well Rooted HT. She still works in life sciences at a local nonprofit called Life Science Cares, whose mission is to unite the life science community to disrupt the local cycle of poverty.

"I couldn't have started Well Rooted HT without the unwavering support of my husband, Jared, who has encouraged me every step of the way," Whalen said, "My mother and dear friends also believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself, and their support has truly changed my life."

For more information, visit wellrootedht.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.