How do I, as a clinical herbalist, choose herbs to help my clients?   Here are a few thoughts:

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~  I make sure I have up to date herbal material on hand.  That means rotating stock, creating remedies before the appointment, ordering what I might need. ​

~  I do not use at risk herbs- it is really not necessary, as there are many potential substitutions for herbs such as Slippery Elm, or goldenseal.  I do use goldenseal in judicious small amounts but not for everything - thyme is a good substitution.  ​

~ I offer a brief consult, meaning, a person has a specific and perhaps acute or focused  condition they wish to address.   I will choose one or two - at the most- single herbs or a formulation- to give the client a Lived Experience on a simple level , so that they have support, strength, and relief of an issue - such as sleep quality, cramps, dry eye, some PMS symptoms, and some aspects of Digestive system conditions.  I plan a FOLLOW UP  in the mix, to check on the client and to take treatment to another level. ​

~ I recognize and believe that our systems and emotions are always balancing "energetics" and that A) we are not locked into one profile and    B)  energetic conditions ( ex hot or cold warm or dry) often do exist in different parts of the body and not wholly systemic. 

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COMPLEX HEALTH CONDITIONS-  let us face it, many people have an interrelated constellation of symptoms, which are related to diet history, stress, medical history, lifestyle .  An example of that is THYROID IMBALANCES.  A complex health condition requires a  more in depth  consult, to come up with an EVALUTION AND TREATMENT PLAN .