All appointments are offered on a sliding scale depending on your financial circumstances. Herbs are offered at fixed prices. See our pricing page for details.

All the herbal medicine I dispense has either been grown or wildcrafted sustainably, by me or by a trusted, reputable supplier, with a high level of care for the environment and for people in their supply chain. They are of excellent quality and are what I take myself and give to loved ones.

I forage, grow organically, and make as much medicine as I can myself. When buying in herbs, I prefer herbs that are grown locally and organically, but not always certified organic. Organic certification costs are unaffordable for most small-scale growers, so when there’s a choice between either certified organic herbs grown at an industrial scale in monocultures many miles away, or organically-grown herbs cultivated closer to home and using organic methods, I choose the latter.

Within the spectrum of sustainable suppliers, cost is also a factor. I can only provide medicine if it’s affordable both for you and for me.

Medical herbalists are trained to recognise ‘red flags’ (symptoms that may point to something more concerning) and to refer on for further investigation where appropriate, as well as to prescribe safely alongside any conventional medication (for example taking into account any known herb-drug interactions). The risks of taking herbs prescribed by a qualified medical herbalist are usually lower overall than the risks of taking pharmaceutical medicines. Allergic responses and sensitivity reactions are possible however, as with any medication, and before any herbs are prescribed we will ask you about known allergies and intolerances.

See my ‘About me’ page, here.

A medical herbalist supports individuals with their health, applying clinical experience, scientific training, and cultural and embodied knowledge of plants. It’s a craft with a complex lineage that, like any lineage, is problematic in some ways and life-affirming in others – more on this coming soon in the blog.

Medical herbalists are trained to degree-level in anatomy, physiology, differential diagnosis and clinical examination, and to follow academic journals to stay up to date as medical knowledge changes. We’re also trained in traditional western herbal knowledge and craft.

We aim to work holistically. This means we try to work in a way that honours the interconnectedness of all dimensons of your existence, including your cells, tissues and bodily systems, your lived experience, your social and physical environment, your culture, and your relationship to land/spirit if that feels relevant to you.

Some of us also try to work with the impact on health of global systems of oppression, which harm all bodies at physical, emotional, psychospiritual and relational levels, whether we are privileged and/or multiply oppressed.

To get an idea of how I work in practice, scroll up to “Our journey together”.

Medical herbalists offer:

• An integrative approach – meaning we’re trained to work safely with and alongside any mainstream medical treatment you may be receiving or planned surgery
• A systems approach – this means we consider how all systems in your body interconnect and function. We have time to look beyond the surface-level triggers for your symptom, and try to get to the root cause where possible
• Referral to the GP if further investigation (e.g. blood tests, scans, or referral to a specialist) would be in your best interests
• Similar diagnostic techniques to an old-fashioned GP – taking a history, physically examining if needed, perhaps testing your urine
• Treatment for most of the same ailments, but using herbs, food, lifestyle tweaks and sometimes supplements
• Interpretation of blood test results
• 60-90 minutes per appointment for an in-depth chat, to explore what you’re bringing in the context of your daily life, habits, past and desires for your future.

It doesn’t have to be either/or! Sometimes we may do best taking both. Or your conventional medication may be working just fine as it is. In other cases, herbal medicine may be just what’s needed.

Herbs tend to be easily recognised and assimilated by the body. They contain compounds that are very similar to the ones already in our bodies, so our bodies know how to handle them. This means they tend to be less dominating. In some circumstances the heavier-handed approach of conventional medicine can be life-saving. Often, however, a gentler approach that addresses the cause can be at least as effective.

Herbal medicines tend to have few, if any, side effects. When you choose a medication only with the offending symptom in mind, all the remaining effects of that drug are unwanted (the word for this is ‘side effects’). By contrast we choose herbs not just for their effect on one symptom, but for their effects on your whole body, to encourage the body’s functioning back into balance. When all the effects are desirable, you don’t have to make trade-offs. Drugs treat symptoms; herbs treat people.

Herbal medicines can be taken as teas, tinctures, syrups, vinegars, balms, baths and foods, as well as in forms familiar in conventional medicine such as capsules, tablets, creams and pessaries.

Herbal medicines are relatively environmentally friendly. They involve one or few ingredients and are usually made by hand (or otherwise on a very small scale), avoiding the harmful ecological footprint of a pharmaceutical company.

Herbal medicines don’t make pharmaceutical companies richer, or their shareholders. We source the herbs directly ourselves (by foraging or growing them) or from growers we know, or from trusted, ethical, sustainable suppliers with short, intimate supply chains.

It’s not a binary! Both have their place, and the choice is entirely yours. If you’re unsure whether or not herbal medicine may be able to help you, feel free to get in touch for a free, 15-minute chat about your particular situation.