About Elizabeth...

A clinical herbal therapist or medical herbalist is a graduate of a 4-year program in herbal medicine that includes extensive hands-on training in a clinic setting. I am a graduate of the 4-year program in clinical herbal therapy offered by Dominion Herbal College in Burnaby, BC. Dominion Herbal College was established in 1926 and continues to offer one of the best and most rigorous clinical herbal training programs in North America. Over four years, I received comprehensive training in Western medicine, clinical evaluation, nutrition, pharmacy, and herbal therapeutics, and had numerous opportunities to work individually with clients. I became an herbalist to find alternative ways of keeping my family healthy and I am excited to offer this service to others in the community.

Philosophy of Practice

My philosophy of practice stems from the notion that our bodies have a natural tendency to heal themselves if provided the right external and internal environments. Having evolved alongside plants and relied on them for our basic nutrition, it is no wonder that plant medicine is the oldest form of medicinal healing known to us and is still used by over 80% of the world's population.  As an herbalist, I prefer to use remedies extracted from the whole plant with its thousands of biochemical constituents, rather than isolated constituents.  I believe that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and that the synergy of the whole plant extract will support the body in its quest for health in a gentle and non-invasive manner.  Tailoring the treatment protocol to meet my individual client's needs is fundamental to my practice.  Holistic medicine views health as a mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and social state of well-being, not just the absence of disease.  This is why I allow plenty of time in my initial consultations to explore all health-related areas including diet, social history, emotional state, lifestyle choices, past medical history, family history and so on.  My goal is to provide guidance, recommendations, and the necessary support to allow my clients to take charge of their own healing process.

What to Expect

Before the appointment, I ask my clients to fill out a comprehensive intake form, which allows me to review the pertinent issues of their case beforehand. I also ask my clients to keep a food diary for a few days prior to the appointment and to bring that and any medical test results with them. The initial consultation lasts 75-90 minutes. We will discuss current health concerns, past medical history, medication history, family history, diet, exercise and other issues related to health and well-being. I will record a pulse and blood pressure and may perform other physical exams, as necessary. From this information, I will create a customized treatment protocol, which will include diet and lifestyle recommendations, herbal formulas, and supplements. Full written protocols and herbal remedies will be available to the client no later than 48 hours after the appointment.

Follow-up visits are 30-45 minutes and are held every 3-4 weeks, as necessary. In these sessions, we will evaluate your progress, discuss any concerns that may have arisen, and review the treatment protocols.

Reimbursement

Herbal medicine is not yet covered by MSP. If you have an extended health plan, it is worth keeping your receipts and trying to claim them – some do receive reimbursements. Consult your accountant about your eligibility for tax write-offs.