I have been approached by many people wanting to know how I became interested in herbalism which is the study of using plants as medicine. My answer is simply because of my love of plants. There was also a time in my life where I needed another way of healing that modern medicine could not help me with. Sometimes, we just need to let our body heal itself rather than pay thousands of dollars for an invasive procedure, or hundreds of dollars for drugs to just cover up the symptoms. I believe in the healing capabilities of herbs, and I have multiple experiences with them proving their worth.
I am often asked what is an herbalist? An herbalist uses plants as medicine, makes herbal products using different parts of the plant, grows herbs, teaches about the use of herbs, and cares about the survival of medicinal plants. They usually use the whole plant when preparing the medicine, and have different ways to incorporate the healing herb using salves, teas, tinctures, syrups, capsules, etc. I am considered a Clinical Herbalist because I went through additional training to help individuals with their unique health needs using diet, supplements, lifestyle changes, herbs, flower essences, and other recommended alternative resources.
You might have an interest for wanting to become an herbalist (or the very least a desire to learn more about herbs). Or, you might have your own healing journey in need of some natural help. Whether you are interested in helping your family, helping out the community, starting your own herbal manufacturing business, or starting a new career; the information is readily available like never before. When I started my training almost fourteen years ago, there was only one school available as a correspondence or online certification. If I wanted to learn about herbalism, I had no other choice but to either attend there, or study on my own. I didn’t have the benefit of previous generations teaching me, or an experienced herbalist in the area that could mentor me. Even after my certification, I realized how much I didn’t know. It was then that I proactively searched for the information and training that I needed to fulfill my chosen path as a Clinical Herbalist.
There are many avenues you could take to learn herbalism. You could buy a multitude of books available now in growing, harvesting, herbal preparations, practicing herbalism, herbal remedies, science-based herbalism, folklore herbalism, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), TAM (Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine), indigenous healing, etc. In other words, you could start with self-study. To make self-studying easier, I am writing a three-book series to help guide students in beginning, advanced, and clinical herbalism. Join my mailing list to stay up to date on news and more information about it. Another avenue could be certification or earning a diploma from many of the fine schools available. I would start by visiting the American Herbalist Guild for a list of those schools. Take advantage of the AHG’s membership benefits, or their webinars to learn about many topics. The AHG is also a good resource to find a Registered Herbalist in your area if you are in need of a personal consultation yourself, or to find someone that is willing to teach you. There are also a number of herbal conferences held each year all over the United States that you could attend. The Great Lakes Herb Faire is the closest in this area and is held in Chelsea, Michigan every year the first weekend in September. Information can be obtained on the internet. An individual could also use every one of these avenues of training to achieve more knowledge if they are able to. Some of the training can get costly, and if that is an issue, libraries are an option. It is also possible to volunteer at many of the herbal conferences for a reduced/free registration fee. I don’t want you to forego the barter system either. I have offered training and consultations to individuals that cannot afford them for a skill I am in need of, or materials needed at that time. I can always use help in the garden!
Be assured that the information and knowledge you are seeking is available to you online, in person, or in books. You just have to know where to go to find it. Keep an eye out for my upcoming book series and future training site at simpletrainingherbalist.com, or join my mailing list for upcoming news and events and to know when they are available