Herbal Medicine

Herbs are powerful allies for supporting our bodies and spirits to be in balance.

As an acupuncturist and herbalist with history of working in gardens and garden education, I love how herbal medicine can also be a doorway for connecting us with the plants around us and with the garden. My training is primarily in Traditional Chinese Medicine, although I do also integrate many Western and locally-grown herbs as well. Our herbal pharmacopoeia includes hundreds of herbs that have been found, over centuries of careful study, to help the body regain its natural state of balance, including plant species from all over the world, as well as mineral and occasionally animal materials. Many of the herbs we use are herbs that are commonly used for cooking and eating, again reminding us that food is medicine and vice versa.

Chinese herbal medicine usually combines herbs together in a formula, so that the herbs work synergistically to strengthen and support the body in its healing process. Using herbs in formula together helps to keep the approach balanced, and is also often more effective than taking the herbs separately. These formulas address both symptoms and underlying root causes of various medical conditions, whether acute or chronic. Because we use whole plants, rather than an extraction or chemical simulation, the medicine is safer and side effects are unlikely. Herbal formulas may be prescribed as raw herbs that are cooked in a decoction, a tea infusion, liquid extracts, pills, or powders. All of the herbs are carefully screened for heavy metals, and many are organic and sustainably grown, from local companies. I also invite you to take time to connect with the plant friends in our Community Herb Garden, if you so desire.

Nutritional Consultation

There is a saying that food is medicine. 

Food is something we add to our bodies multiple times daily. The foods we eat are a big part of our whole health, and can either assist or hinder our healing process. Foods that are appropriate for our constitutions are nourishing for our bodies, while some foods may actually deplete our bodies, or cause congestion and inflammation. I may offer nutritional suggestions and guidance as a vital piece of the therapeutic approach, from the perspective of Chinese Medicine, and other traditional wisdoms.