So you may be wondering, what exactly is an herbal consultation with a clinical herbalist? This article will help to explain what you may expect when you meet with an herbalist at Mugworts’ clinic.

Herbalism is not a licensed field in the United States. Fortunately, this means we do not need to go through bureaucratic regulation that would inform how we practice. Unfortunately, being unlicensed also means that anyone can claim the title of ‘herbalist’. At the Mugworts' Herbal Clinic, all of our herbalists are proud graduates of ArborVitae School of Traditional Herbalism, where each herbalist has over 700 hours of study and a year of clinical work carefully overseen by teacher mentors. Mugworts’ clinical herbalists are well versed in a range of healing modalities including but not limited to Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Vitalism. In addition, our herbalists have thorough training in human body systems as well as botany and plant chemistry. With this extensive foundation of knowledge, our herbalists ultimately act as matchmakers between you and the plants who can help support your health goals in this current moment. We also understand that we are always changing (because we are alive!), and the people that we are seeing are an ever changing reflection of the world they are part of.
You may be seeking support in a range of symptoms or diseases, both physical and emotional, and looking to alternative forms of care that are not provided in mainstream health care. All participants of the Mugworts’ clinic are asked to fill out an intake form to collect information regarding a range of topics such as symptoms (past and present), how diet, sleep, and lifestyle are impacting your health, any current medications and supplements, and more. Prior to your consultation, your clinical herbalist will review your intake form to get an idea of areas to discuss; the intake form will act as a jumping off point, which both you and your herbalist can reference during the consultation. Your herbalist will guide the conversation with their questions; however, this is ultimately a collaboration between you and your herbalist. As you may sense, these conversations can become personal and vulnerable, and our herbalists take the utmost care in honoring your privacy and boundaries. All information shared with your herbalist is held in confidentiality and with respect.
The consultation can take place in person or virtually via Zoom. You will sit with your herbalist for 60 to 90 minutes to speak through your health concerns and goals. This conversation will provide your herbalist the opportunity to better understand the patterns you present. The wonderful thing about practicing herbal medicine is that we do not treat each symptom individually; we understand that symptoms fall into larger patterns and addressing one piece of the puzzle will support the other pieces to fall into place as well.
Once your initial consultation is complete, your herbalist will participate in a round table discussion with other Mugworts’ herbalists. This is an opportunity for your herbalist to share case details, without any of your identifying information, and receive feedback from peers. Your herbalist will digest the information from the consultation and reflect on herbs they feel would resonate with you. A week from your consultation, your herbalist will provide written recommendations complete with nutritional, lifestyle, and herbal recommendations to support your health goals. After receiving your protocol, you will have the opportunity to hop on the phone with your herbalist to speak through the protocol, discuss the feasibility of the recommendations, and answer any remaining questions you may have.
After following the recommendations for 4-6 weeks, you will have the opportunity to schedule a follow-up consultation, where you can discuss how the recommendations felt, if they are supporting your goals, or if they need to be adjusted. Follow-ups are often where you can begin to notice real strides of improvement. Herbs work best over time and with consistency, though that does not mean you cannot feel immediate impacts as you implement your protocol.
As illustrated above, the relationship between you and your herbalist is a lot more intensive then one you may have with your doctor. The biggest reason for this being the time we are able to spend together. Working with a clinical herbalist is a great way to really be seen with undivided attention and individualized support along your healing journey. To some this duration of attention may feel intimidating, but time and time again people walk away from their initial consultations expressing their gratitude for the profound experience of healing that occurs from simply being heard. It is our goal to empower you in your knowing, provide a safe space for you in your healing journey, and share with you the knowledge we have learned about our plant allies. The ultimate goal is to support you in a way where one day you won’t need to see an herbalist anymore as you will be living a life full of ease and no longer dis-ease.
While there are many hours of work that happen behind the scenes, it is a service the Mugworts are happy to offer to people who seek holistic, plant-based healing modalities. We believe this care should be accessible to all, and do not want anyone turned away from help due to financial reasons. Mugworts’ herbal clinic is a donation based clinic, and, if you are able, your financial support allows us to continue offering these resources. You can additionally support the Mugworts’ clinic by telling your friends and family about us. We greatly appreciate your support.
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