What is a Herbal Medicine?

Herbal Medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world and is still used by over 80% of the world as the primary form of safe, effective, well-tolerated natural medicine.

Plants are the original medicines and the chemical compounds within them have many medicinal and health-enhancing actions.

The botanical extracts used by modern herbalists are safe, pure and work with your body to both relieve and prevent symptoms and restore full health.

The majority of prescriptions will be dispensed in “tincture” form. This is a liquid extract of whole plants which is combined and formulated to make a bespoke medicine for each patient. Each prescription is as unique as you, the patient.

What happens during a consultation?

The first consultation may take up to an hour and half, during with time the herbal practitioner will take an extensive and frank case history. By taking such an in-depth case history, the full extent of any conditions and concerns will become clearer and a prescription can more appropriately be formulated.

A medical herbalist will look at nutrition, lifestyle, emotional and psychological issues as well as taking into account family history and potential hereditary conditions. Such a holistic approach recognises the importance of all aspects of a person, in order to understand their health, not simply the actual physiological (physical) processes that can cause disease.

After carefully considering all the information, a diagnosis will be discussed with the patient. The herbalist and patient will then discuss a treatment plan and potential duration of treatment. This will vary from case to case.

Second and subsequent consultations will be much shorter, to review the patient’s progress and adjust the medicine to reflect changes in the patient’s physiology. It is usual to take a pulse and blood pressure during a consultation and also to look at the tongue. A medical herbalist is comprehensively trained in physical diagnostics and may ask to perform a pertinent examination.

The patient’s privacy and confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Typical complaints and conditions which are eased dramatically with the use of Herbal Medicines

• Arthritis
• Joint Pains
• Menopausal complaints
• Hormonal imbalance
• Prostate issues
• Mood
• Energy depletion
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Skin conditions
• Digestive complaints
• Liver support
• Behavioural conditions such as ADHD
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• And many more

Our Fees

Adult:

Training for Medical Herbalists

Karin Mallion gained a Bachelor of Science Honours degree from Lincoln University from which she graduated with a first class for her dissertation which was a comparative review of Bacopa monnieri and Centella asiatica, two important herbs dealing with emotional issues and cognitive function. During the degree she undertook 500 hours of supervised clinical training and is able to assess a patient medically as well as holistically. She is trained in anatomy & physiology, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and objective structured clinical examination skills as well as health psychology, plant identification, biochemistry, phytochemistry and therapeutics. The course teaches materia medica (the uses of herbs) and pharmacy as well as contraindications and herb-drug interactions.

Regulating Body

Karin is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) which is the United Kingdom’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners. The institute carries out a range of activities that help ensure NIMH members offer the highest standards of herbal medicine practice.