How to Choose an Herbal Practitioner

Although it is becoming more common to find doctors, physicians and nurses with knowledge of herbal medicine, not all of them will be familiar with natural healing techniques. In this case, you may wish to find an herbal practitioner. This may prove a bit difficult because there is no government approved certification for herbalists. There are, however, certain professional designations for an herbal practitioner that indicate levels and types of training.

N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor)

A naturopathic doctor is one type of herbal practitioner. An herbal practitioner of this degree will have trained for at least four years at an accredited naturopathic medical school. Not all states recognize N.D. degrees so you might want to ask this type of herbal practitioner where they have studied and make sure it is an accredited school.

M.N.I.M.H or F.N.I.M.H

This type of herbal practitioner has studied at the National Institute for Medical Herbalism in England. This is where clinical herbalists are nationally registered. The "M" in the title stands for "member" and the "F" stands for "fellow". There are some few herbal practitioners in the United States who have completed this course of study.

A.H.G.

The American Herbalists Guild gives this designation to an herbal practitioner. Each applicant is reviewed by a panel of peers. If the prospective herbal practitioner has not completed a three-four year herbal medicine training program, then they must have the equivalent in experience and have a letter of recommendation from at least three other professional herbalists or health professionals.

You may also find an herbal practitioner that does not have any of the above tittles. This doesn't mean they won't be able to help you. There are many a knowledgeable self-taught herbal practitioner out there. This occurs simply because the training is not widely available. For instance, I consider myself an adept herbalist because my mother taught me the use of healing herbs from the time I was old enough to walk and talk. I have no formal training but I do not doubt that I could heal almost any condition.

The most important thing to do when you are trying to find a qualified herbal practitioner is to ask them questions. Don't be afraid to test their knowledge before you put your health in their hands. If they don't seem knowledgeable or confident, don't use them.

Some questions you will want to ask your prospective herbal practitioner include how long they have been practicing herbal medicine. How were they trained? How long have they been treating others? Do they have any special areas of expertise? How much will they charge for particular treatments?

If the answers to any of these questions are not suitable, feel free to look elsewhere. You must find an herbal practitioner that you are comfortable with, whether or not they have a title or license. Just because one herbal practitioner has an N.D. degree, doesn't mean that you won't be more comfortable with the wise woman of the woods treating you. Choosing an herbal practitioner that you are comfortable with is as important as choosing an allopathic doctor. You want someone who will listen to your concern and use their knowledge to help you as best they can. Good luck!