Beekeeping as a therapeutic modality offers an interconnected web of benefits for participants. Below are a few ways that our clients benefit from their time spent in communion with bees:

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Connecting with peers and nature​

At the apiary, participants have the chance to experience connection with both each other and the natural world. Like honey bees themselves, whose wellbeing is interconnected with that of every other bee in the hive, we are all part of a social and natural network, and integration and connection with the outside world is a vital experience for people struggling with addiction, trauma and anxiety.

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Mindfulness through immersive activity

Bees ask us to participate fully in the present moment: with a frame of living bees in your hands, you aren't dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, but instead fully experiencing the world before you. Apiary therapy harnesses the power of bees to ask participants to slow down, to experience the world before them without judgment, and to practice awareness of sensations and feelings deliberately and with compassion.

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Practicing distress tolerance 

While some participants will find the experience of being in a beehive immediately calming and immersive, for others, beekeeping therapy provides a needed challenge. Apiary therapy allows participants to practice distress tolerance in a safe setting, in conjunction with mindfulness techniques designed help manage stress and intense emotions.

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Awe and Joy

A beehive is a profoundly complex super organism whose intelligence and organization provides an incredible window into life outside of the human. For thousands of years, humans have lived in deep connection with bees, relying on them for pollination, for honey and wax, and making them a religious and artistic symbol. From the ancient Egyptians, who portrayed the soul itself as a honey bee, to Philadelphia's own Lorenzo Langstroth, who wrote movingly about turning to his hives in times of deep depression, honey bees have the power to inspire awe and rekindle a sense of connection with the world--helping beekeepers to take a step on the path towards healing.