Herbalist

File:Herbalist on York Street.jpg

The shop of "Mrs. Hickman, Herbalist" in 1910 in Toronto

An herbalist is:

1. A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.
2. One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants (see wildcrafter).
3. Traditional Chinese herbalist: one who is trained or skilled in the dispensing of herbal prescriptions; traditional Chinese herb doctor. Similarly, Traditional Ayurvedic herbalist: one who is trained or skilled in the dispensing of herbal prescriptions in the Ayurvedic tradition.
4. One trained or skilled in the therapeutic use of medicinal plants.

An herbalist is a professional trained in herbalism, the use of herbs (also called botanical or crude medicine) to treat others. Professional herbal designations include

• American Herbalists Guild Registered Herbalist (AHG)
• the NCCAOM Diplomate in Oriental Medicine from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
• the MNHAA signifying Full Member of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA)
• the FNHAA signifying Fellow of the NHAA, awarded only to Full Members with a minimum of 10 years Full Membership and clinical practice as a herbalist, plus meritorious service to the profession and/or Association.
• the MNIMH of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists or the MIIMH of The Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Education of herbalists varies considerably in different areas of the world. Lay herbalists and traditional indigenous medicine people generally rely upon apprenticeship and recognition from their communities in lieu of formal schooling. In some countries formalised training and minimum education standards exist, although these are not necessarily uniform within or between countries. For example, in Australia the currently self-regulated status of the profession (as of April 2008) results in different associations setting different educational standards, and subsequently recognising an educational institution or course of training. Qualifications levels vary from Diploma to Masters degree, with Advanced Diploma level being regulated to some degree by the national Health Training Packages issued by the Australian National Training Authority. The Course Accreditation System Version 2 of the National Herbalists Association of Australia http://www.nhaa.org.au/ is generally recognised as the most rigorous and professional standard within Australia.

Herbalists may engage in wildcrafting or cultivation of herbs, as well as diagnosis and treatment of conditions or dispensing herbal medication. Most herbal traditions depend upon constitutional analysis of the client, treating the patient instead of the disease.

See also

• Ayurveda
• Chinese herbology
• Ethnobotany
• Herbal (book on herbs and their uses)

External links

• National Herbalists Association of Australia
• National Institute of Medical Herbalists (United Kingdom)
• The College of Phytotherapy Practitioners (United Kingdom)
• American Herbalists Guild
• National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine