One unexpected ‘side-effect’ of the Food and Drug Administration'S (FDA) totalitarian attempts at suppressing herbal products is the re--focusing of attention of herbalism.
This is an excellent move and the FDA is to be thanked!
The incredible upsurge of interest in herbal medicine is a world wide phenomenon. A renaissance that is driven by many factors, including:
peoples experience that the therapy has medical value and complements (rather than replacing) the strengths of ‘allopathic’ medicine,
growing concerns about drug side-effects,
a reaction to the experience of modern health-care practices as being impersonal and demeaning,
an embrace of a ‘Green’ life-style that affirms our place within Gaia.
Herbalism
Herbalism is in the paradoxical position of experiencing this flowering of interest, yet having few educational avenues to explore. This is one of the very few countries where Medical Herbalism is not legally recognized, making professional training a challenge!
A move to change this anachronistic state of affairs has started with the launching of the American Herbalists Guild. A professional body dedicated to the promotion of excellence in Herbalism, it is committed to the development of high educational and ethical standards in the practice and integration of herbalism into community health care. The guild provides a list of practitioners and herbal education around the country.
For more information contact: The American Herbalist Guild ~ P.O. Box 1683, Soquel, CA 95073
Herbalism is an inclusive field of human endeavor, embracing all of humanities relationship with the plant kingdom (or perhaps we should say Queendom!). It comprises such a diverse range of topics the student needs to clarify which areas draw them. Some people are drawn to working with the plants directly as growers, wild-crafters or medicine makers; whilst others are drawn to working with people using the herbs therapeutically. Of course some people can embrace the whole field, but when it comes to choosing educational programs such differentiation’s can be very helpful.
Herbalist Education
A range of educational options are needed that address the needs of the various groups of herbalists.
One urgent need is the development of programs to train therapeutically competent medical herbalists. Additional programs must be developed for other health care professionals who want to add phyto-therapy as an adjunct to their existing skills, such as M.D.’s, D.O.’s, D.C.’s, N.D.’s, Nurse Practitioners and so on. Programs with a different orientation are needed for people working within the herb industry, both manufacturing and retail. The general public has yet different needs, and the ‘establishment’ has needs it isn’t even aware of yet!
As there is no governmental licensing body, no degree giving schools of Phytotherapy currently exist in North America. The best herbal education is offered by schools that are educationally unorthodox. Such places have developed where herbalists live, rather than where the demand is. They are small scale and on the whole excellent. As they are expressions of the vision, skills and wisdom of the herbalists involved, they have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Some offer full time training, others are based on workshop formats or correspondence courses.
For a comprehensive listing of such schools contact: The American Herb Association ~ Box 353, Rescue, California 96672
Herbalists have an exciting role to play in the transformation our culture is experiencing. Herbalism is the Green movement in practice, healing people with plants, acting as a conscious part of Gaia’s circulatory systems.
We need but empower ourselves with the knowledge, both ancient and modern.
Little do the FDA know!
