I take my inspiration from the work of past herbalists, current herbalists and of course the plants themselves! I began my studies at the University of Westminster and transferred to the University of East London after 1 year, as its structure was more accessible to my growing family. Whilst at UoW I was privileged to know the late herbalist, Christopher Hedley, as one of my mentors. His inspiration carried me through 10 years of herbal studies with unwavering commitment and motivation.
I began at UoW signed up for a Complementary Therapies degree and soon on transferred to Nutritional Therapy. This was possible within the complementary therapy department which included degree courses in Western Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Bodywork and Osteopathy. The first module was dedicated to an understanding of alternative and complementary medicine, (CAM). Within this we were given the opportunity to observe a variety of clinics from other disciplines. My turning point came when I entered the university herbal dispensary. I still remember the moment so vividly! I was absolutely taken aback by the scent of room and eager to explore the contents of every container and to my delight I was free to do so!
I wonder now about that moment that directed my life’s path so. I am a country(ish) girl. I have always lived in North Somerset very close to Bristol, except for 8 months during my first year at university in London and my worldly travels of over 2 years. My childhood play was surrounded by greenery, all my holidays were spent in rivers, particularly in Dartmoor, and my teenage years involved long walks through fields and woods to reach idyllic country pubs serving local cider! That first experience of city living in London, although containing beautiful parks, must have lacked the earthy depth I was used to. The stimulation offered to my senses in the dispensary gave me the opportunity to settle into myself and to feel at home. I really did feel like I had arrived after years of wondering what to do with my life. And to think I chose A’level Human Biology because I thought I wasn’t interested in plants!
Out of this grew my passion for botany specifically for herbal medicine. Wherever I walked my eyes searched for who I would meet next, both regular characters and new specimens. I delighted in each new discovery! Even now one of my favourite experiences on course was creating my botanical portfolio of 15 pressed medicinal herbs and one single in-depth study. We were told to ‘fall in love’ with the herb and let it come across in our work. This is exactly what happened and I am almost embarrassed to say that I had collected well over 100 specimens from my own personal herb walks in both city and countryside. It became quite an obsession! At this time our visit to Kew Gardens herbarium was awe inspiring and we were taught by an Ethnobotanist how to collect and press quality specimens. At Chelsea Physic Garden we saw beds organised beautifully according to systems of the body. I was never happier than when out on a herb walk, sharing the passion with others, and nothing has changed there!
It is true to say that my herbal medicine degree was very scientifically orientated and as such the majority of our studies seemed detached from the plants themselves. Thankfully I have always had a passion for the workings of the human body and so I was able to lap up each module. Our training was very clinical and in-line with conventional medical training such as that of GPs. This has enabled us to understand in depth the current medical paradigm of the West and so we are able to liaise confidently with other medical professionals who work together to offer the best healthcare accessible. As medical herbalists we have been trained to diagnose after consultation and examination are legally allowed to do so, as are, doctors, osteopaths and chiropractors. My course was passionate about professionalism and up to date quality research such as that of randomized controlled clinical trials.
As Western medical herbalists we get the benefit of two perspectives, both traditional knowledge gained from a rich history of use handed down after centuries of trial and error, plus more recent medical developments and evidence based research. As herbalists we are finding that more and more quality research is supporting what we already know from traditional usage. With a degree of education and training so highly focused on the quality of the profession in terms of medical understanding and safety, I am reassured by my growing connection with the actual plants themselves within my local area of North Somerset. It is rare that a week passes without my nose in a herbal book or bush!
Taking 10 years to complete my degree on a part time basis allowed me to incorporate medicinal plants into my everyday family life. My personal experience of plants as medicines have been in support of home-birthing and breastfeeding my three children and initially based on gentler preparations of teas of dried and foraged herbs. I still have a great passion for the raw usage of fresh foraged herbs and have also grown to appreciate the convenience and versatility of herbs preserved as tinctures. I have a 15 year old, 12 year old and 10 year old whose medicinal needs have always been met by natural means. All three have a great knowledge of medicinal plants, particularly out in the wild and also awareness of different herbal preparations. A wonderful moment I shared with my daughter of 3 years was when I opened a new bottle of tincture; I placed it under her nose without saying a word, to which she exclaimed, ‘umm thyme!’. Quite a proud moment!
As a home-educating family being almost always together, my time available to pursue personal passions independently has been limited. Juggling my degree and my family commitments was hard and a struggle at times. When I finished my degree in September 2015 I had high hopes of starting my own herbal business right away as was encouraged by my tutors. However, the universe had other ideas! I broke a ligament in my thumb and was unable to drive or write among other activities for quite some months. I completely slowed down and realised my nervous system needed restoring as did my body as a whole.
One of my very strong health beliefs is in the practice of convalescence. Rest, light exercise, fresh air, simple nourishing warm food and natural gentle medicines. I realised that it was too much to ask of myself at that time, to give focus to a new business, as well as my commitment to my children’s home-education. I decided to throw myself into a new and emerging home-education project dedicated to providing community learning experiences within an outdoor setting. This project continued successfully for a period of 3 years and came to and end due to lack of sufficient funds as well as parental burnout from giving beyond personal capacity. As part of this project I enjoyed offering herb walks and workshops, creating deeper connections with both people and plants!
At last the time has come for me to begin my herbal practice. Unbelievably, it has been 6 years since qualifying as a herbalist and in that time I have completed a certificate in Community Organising and I am soon complete a Health Coaching diploma. As well as natural living with herbs, I also try to live compassionately according to NVC principles and have carried out two, one year NVC courses as well as co-organising an annual NVC camp plus an annual camp for home-educators. Right now I am standing on the brink of my new career, which will be quite a transition and I eagerly await the emergence of my new business this year!
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