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•	What is Herbal Medicine
•	Where Did it Originate
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•	Frequency & Cost
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•	*Herbs & Medicinal Trees*
•	Commonly Used Terms
•	Potentially Dangerous Herbs
•	Choosing a Practitioner
•	What Are the Benefits
•	Herbal Medicine as a Career
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•	Herbal Medicine Practitioners

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Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine as a Career

In looking at a career in Herbalism, there are several traditions that an herbalist can follow, including western herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurvedic Medicine. There are many well-established professional educational programs for all three branches.

As a practicing herbalist, you can choose to:

-	Recommend herbal remedies which are prepared by retail manufacturers to your clients
-	Purchase herbs from retail manufacturers and provide them directly to their clients
-	Cultivate and prepare the herbal remedies yourself for their clients
-	Trade or distribute herbs commercially
-	Teach courses in Herbalism at Alternative Medicine colleges

With a solid understanding of herbalism, work can also be found in a variety of related fields, including Naturopathy, Homeopathy, and Pharmacology.

An effective way to find work in herbal medicine is by attending professional groups, joining associations, or by getting to know herbalists in your area.

Herbalism Certification & Licensing

Within the U. S, and other western countries there is presently no national or state certification or licensing requirements for herbalists. There are professional associations who have stringent qualifications for membership, including the completion of a certain number of hours and clinical experience as an herbalist. Some associations require ongoing education to keep up-to-date with new research and the study of herbs and plants.

United States
To become a professional member of the The American Herbalist Guild (AHG), members must meet the AHG minimum professional requirements of at least four years of training and clinical experience, provide three letters of reference from practitioners in the field of botanical medicine, and three comprehensive case histories. Upon acceptance, professional members may use the designation Registered Herbalist, RH (AHG).

United Kingdom:
In order to qualify as a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), the professional body for medical herbalists within the U. K., practitioners must successfully complete an accredited course of study and then undertake 500 hours of clinical training. The NIMH runs a number of training clinics throughout the U. K. for this purpose. At the clinics, students practice herbalism in actual clinical situations under professional supervision. Further details are available through the NIMH website. After fulfilment of these conditions, application may be made for NIMH membership.

Australia:
Full Membership of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA) is open to individuals who have completed training in herbal medicine sufficient to meet the NHAA's minimum standards. This ncludes completing a rigorous course of study at an educational institution which has been accredited with the NHAA (Clause 1 Full Membership). Herbalists who have not trained through an NHAA accredited course may still be eligible for Clause 2 Full Membership. In this case an applicant must supply evidence showing the training and experience they have, and this is assessed on an individual basis by the examiners of the NHAA.

Formal education can be received through various independent certification programs or educational institutions accredited by herbalism associations.  These can be via short courses (6-8 months), long-distance learning courses, or multi-year professional degrees in clinical herbal medicine.  The disadvantage of long-distance learning courses is the lack of exposure to trained practitioners and one-on-one clinical training.

While herbalists are not always expected to earn advanced degrees, some type of formal training is usually required in order for the herbalist to understand how different herbs affect patients and which ones can be dangerous.


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