Medical Herbalist
Job Description:Medical herbalists use plants and herbal remedies to help improve their clients' health and wellbeing.
Job Category:What you will do:
As part of your day-to-day duties, you may:
- take a detailed history of the client’s symptoms and lifestyle
- carry out a physical assessment and appropriate tests
- prescribe a relevant herbal remedy
- grow and prepare herbs in various forms, including capsules, extracts, ointments or infusions
- keep client notes
- see clients for follow-up appointments
- refer clients to their GP where necessary
Skills:
You’ll need:
- knowledge of biology, human physiology, and anatomy
- knowledge of psychology
- acupunture methods
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
As well as:
- sensitivity and understanding
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail (organisational skills)
- thinking and reasoning skills
- excellent verbal communication skills (leadership skills)
- the ability to understand people’s reactions
- emotional intelligence & ethical behaviour
Entry Requirements:
To become a medical herbalist, you’ll typically need to pursue higher education and specialized training in herbal medicine. While there are no specific subject requirements for this field, it’s important to have a strong foundation in science and related subjects to prepare for further education in herbal medicine. Here’s a general list of subjects that can be beneficial:
- Biology (Recommended): Biology provides a fundamental understanding of living organisms and natural processes, which is relevant to herbal medicine and healthcare in general.
- Chemistry (Recommended): Chemistry can be useful for understanding the chemical properties of plants and their active compounds, which play a role in herbal medicine.
- Physics (Optional): While not directly related to herbal medicine, physics can enhance your scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills.
- Mathematics (Required): Mathematics is typically required for most higher education programs, including those in herbal medicine. It’s important for data analysis and scientific calculations.
- English Language (Communication Skills): Strong communication skills, including English language proficiency, are important for patient interactions, documentation, and research in herbal medicine.
Post School
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
University
To prepare for work as a medical herbalist, you should complete a degree in herbal medicine.
Courses last 3 years full time or 5 to 6 years part-time and include at least 500 hours of supervised clinical practice with patients.
If you’re a trained medical practitioner like a doctor or nurse, you could take a postgraduate degree in herbal medicine.
Volunteering
You’ll find it useful to arrange some work shadowing with a practising medical herbalist before you begin your studies.
Working Hours and Environment:
A typical week consists of 37-39 hours of work. You could be required to work freelance/be self-employed managing your own hours.
You could work in a therapy clinic or at a client’s home.
Career Path & Progression:
With experience you could move into teaching or research.