Research
In the last few years, significant research has been done by Dr. Cacciatore and the research team in the area of carefarming and how it relates to caring for those suffering from traumatic grief. Visit this section to learn more about the effects of carefarming for the traumatically bereaved, as well as how carefarming and green care are becoming a therapeutic model for individuals affected by traumatic grief, and the potential of carefarming to positively influence health behaviors.
The presentation outlines Selah Carefarm’s compassionate, community-based approach to supporting people in traumatic grief, emphasizing that grief is sacred and cannot be rushed or fixed. It highlights the importance of safety, consent, presence, and context while cautioning against platitudes, toxic positivity, or intrusive behavior. The slides offer practical guidance on what truly helps—steady presence, validation, shared memories, choices, practical support, and connection with nature, animals, and community—as well as phrases that comfort without minimizing pain. It also explains how support evolves over time, from meeting basic needs in the early days to long-term remembrance and gentle check-ins, and provides direction for professionals on consent-paced, culturally attuned, compassion-first care. The presentation closes by honoring the profound role of simply walking alongside those who grieve.
Research shows that animals provide unique emotional support for people experiencing grief, particularly through animal-assisted therapy and carefarm settings. The study found four main ways animals help: by simply being present, by giving people a sense of daily purpose, by creating meaningful two-way connections, and by responding in supportive ways. Unlike humans, animals offer comfort without judgment, which grieving people find especially valuable. The physical connection with animals, such as touch and closeness, proved particularly helpful. Sometimes, animals even helped people feel closer to their lost loved ones. This type of animal support complements human support in special ways, becoming especially valuable when people feel isolated or don’t have strong support networks.
Research examined how bereaved adults benefited from a specialized carefarm designed specifically for grief support. The study analyzed responses from 115 participants, focusing on how natural environments and animal-assisted interventions affected their healing process. Results showed that the combination of therapeutic landscapes and animal interactions at the carefarm created a unique environment for working through grief. The natural setting and presence of farm animals helped participants process their emotions and feel supported in their grief journey. Additionally, some people experienced positive changes in how they understood their grief and saw improvements in their relationships with others. This research supports the effectiveness of carefarming approaches for grief support.
Research explored how carefarming could help people experiencing traumatic grief, which involves complex emotional, psychological, and social challenges. While Western medicine often treats grief as a medical condition, carefarming offers a different approach by using agricultural settings and nature-based therapy to support healing. Through systematic review, researchers found that while carefarming’s specific impact on traumatic grief needs more study, its proven success with other groups experiencing psychological distress shows promising potential. The evidence suggests that therapeutic farming environments, combined with animal-assisted interventions, could provide valuable support for people working through traumatic grief. This research supports expanding carefarming as an alternative or complementary approach to traditional grief support.
Research investigated how bereaved parents experienced a mindfulness-based grief retreat that incorporated therapeutic farming practices. The study analyzed interviews with 19 participants to understand the retreat’s impact on their healing journey. Four main benefits emerged from the carefarm environment: learning about grief (psychoeducation), practicing mindfulness techniques, receiving support from others with similar experiences, and improving relationships. The combination of mindfulness practices with nature-based therapy proved helpful for parents coping with the loss of a child. This evidence supports the effectiveness of integrating mindfulness approaches within therapeutic landscapes and animal-assisted interventions for grief support.
Research tested how effective a mindfulness-based grief retreat at a carefarm was for bereaved parents, measuring both psychological distress (trauma, anxiety, depression) and well-being (mindfulness, self-compassion). The study compared two groups: those who attended the retreat and those who didn’t. Results showed that immediately after the retreat, participants experienced significant decreases in distress and improvements in their ability to describe feelings and act mindfully. They also showed more self-compassion. While most improvements weren’t maintained long-term, participants did maintain a notable increase in their ability to be non-judgmental. This evidence suggests that combining mindfulness practices with therapeutic farming environments can help reduce distress in bereaved parents.
Care-farms are increasingly utilized as a means of providing care, support, and therapy for a wide range of different populations, enabling people to cultivate social, physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This study explores the impacts of a care-farm intervention for traumatically bereaved individuals, a population at high-risk of poor physical and psychological outcomes. The study examines how a care-farming model can enable and encourage participants to cultivate healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Following their participation in a care-farming intervention, bereaved parents, siblings, and spouses described significant pivots toward healthier eating, improved sleep outcomes, and increased physical activity. Our results indicate that care-farming may have potential to influence positive changes to health and health behaviors that last beyond the intervention period.
The interrelationships between nature, health, and wellbeing are increasingly recognized and incorporated into therapeutic interventions. Care farming, the concept of utilizing agricultural places and practices for providing care, therapy, and rehabilitation, is a paradigmatic example of this shift. This mixed method study empirically evaluates the efficacy of care farming as an intervention for individuals affected by traumatic grief, a complex experiential condition. Both quantitative and qualitative results suggest this care farm intervention was beneficial, yielding significant reductions in subjective distress to grief intensity. The study’s findings add to the growing body of evidence on care farming and support green care as a therapeutic potential for individuals affected by traumatic grief.
Traumatic grief is a complex biopsychosocial experience, frequently (and contentiously) medicalized in the Western world. Care farming is an increasingly popular place-based intervention utilizing agricultural settings to care for vulnerable groups. We sought to establish the extent of care farming in relation to traumatic grief and query the potential of care farming as an intervention for this specific population. A systematic review highlights that whilst understudied, the success of care farming as an intervention for other populations experiencing psychological distress demonstrates the huge potential for care farming as a means to therapeutically engage with individuals experiencing traumatic grief.
Research investigated how relationships between humans and animals at carefarming settings affect people with trauma histories. The study focused on grieving individuals at a carefarm that provides support through animal-assisted therapy. A key finding was that 91% of participants found working with rescued animals meaningful to their healing process. Three main benefits emerged: participants connected with animals’ similar trauma experiences, found hope in witnessing animals’ recovery, and gained healing through providing care to the animals. While this suggests unique benefits of working with rescued animals in therapeutic settings, researchers emphasize the importance of protecting both vulnerable humans and animals in these interactions, recognizing that therapy animals have their own life experiences and histories.