What is Western Herbalism?

When you hear the word “herbalist”, what comes to mind?  When most people hear this word, they think of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with its complicated and strong-tasting herbal formulas with super long names, or they think of Ayuerveda with its richly colored and flavored spices and herbs.  But as anyone who has used one of these long-standing, traditional forms of healing knows, it is about way more than the herbs – an herbalist in one of these practices assesses a person’s constitution (the physical and mental make up of this person) and assigns particular constitutional types based upon what the herbalist sees: examples are a Metal or Wood constitutional type in TCM, or Vata, Pitta, or Kapha in Ayurveda. These types, along with signs and symptoms of health, then help to determine which herbs are best suited for the individual that will bring healing, good health, and vitality to the person. It is a holistic approach to health. These traditional forms of herbalism have been around for thousands of years and are still are the preferred health care systems for many of the peoples of Asia.
 
So what about us in the Western world – do we have an ancient tradition of healing? You bet we do!  We may not have thousands of years of “documented” use of herbs for health, but the history is there.  Western Herbalism is a healing modality of Europe and the Americas that emphasizes the study and use of native herbs and plants for health and wellness.  Thousands of years ago, Indigenous peoples of these continents used herbs for various medicinal needs, such as to treat illness, to assist a mother in childbirth, to ease pain, and to improve libido and vitality.  And these plants weren’t only used for these types of purposes – they also had nutritional and spiritual uses as well. This plant knowledge was handed down orally from one generation to another, and ultimately became the foundational element in Western medicine and the development of pharmaceuticals. Some plants ended up being transplanted from one continent to another when exploration and settlement occurred, and have become somewhat “native” to their growing regions now. Did you know that the dandelion is not a true native plant of North America? It was likely brought over by European settlers. But we see them everywhere now!
 
What is great about Western Herbalism is that we can often use the herbs or weeds that are right outside our backdoor – we have many, many wonderful medicinal herbs and plants that grow in our gardens, along roadways and rivers, in meadows, and on hills and mountains. We don’t have to go very far to harvest health! Also, because our constitutional practices align with Western medicine, the language and healing methods we use with our clients are familiar to them and their physicians – there is no need to translate another tradition’s lingo and practice into the western equivalent.
 
In my herbal training, I was taught to assess a person’s constitution using Michael Moore’s principles of constitutional physiology. This method aligns more closely with Western medicine in that it assesses the functioning of actual body systems to determine health. It differs from most Western medical practices in that we identify excesses or deficiencies of the whole body (a holistic view) not just the health of targeted body system (like cardiologists who predominantly focus on the cardiovascular system). We then identify ways to reduce or eliminate those excesses or deficiencies and balance the body (and mind) through herbs, diet, and lifestyle techniques. This balance brings health and vitality to the person. Like TCM and Ayuveda, we too have constitutional types that help us identify the best wellness strategies for our clients. Some Western Herbalists use the tools of the other healing traditions in working with clients. I often use TCM’s tongue and pulse assessment practices as they offer windows into the general health of the client. And while Western Herbalism traditionally focused on the herbs and plants native to our continents, we often employ the use of herbs from other parts of the world that are excellent remedies and so readily available to us now (Turmeric from India and Ginseng from China are two examples).  With this integration of herbal knowledge from other traditions, perhaps Western Herbalists are on their way to being World Herbalists!!
 
So if you are looking for a way to improve your health, increase vitality, decrease stress, or support your body and mind while under medical/physician care, consider seeing a Western Herbalist. You will be happy that you did!

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