Herbal medicine – tested on humans for 60,000 years.

Herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, uses the therapeutic properties of plants to support the body’s natural healing processes, help protect against illness and to enhance general wellbeing. The earliest evidence of people using herbal remedies dates back 60,000 years making it the oldest form of medicine. Many ancient civilizations developed treatment systems based on herbs and Western herbal medicine can be traced back to traditional Egyptian, Greek (including Hippocrates), Roman and North American practices. Most of the world’s population still rely on plants as their main source of medicine and scientific research is increasingly supporting their safety and effectiveness.

In common with other complementary therapies, medical herbalists use a holistic approach aiming to treat not only the symptoms but also the underlying causes of illness and restore optimum health and wellbeing. Herbs are usually prescribed in combination with dietary and lifestyle changes in the form of a personalised treatment plan.

Medical herbalists study for 3-4 years to obtain a BSc Honours degree and are trained in the same diagnostic skills as GP’s. They learn the medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathology), pharmacology, nutrition as well as traditional herbal therapeutics and conduct a research dissertation project in their final year. Over the course students complete at least 500 hours of apprenticeship training through a combination of observing experienced practitioners and hands-on experience in a student clinic. This rigorous training guarantees a high standard of competency but also the ability to recognise when conditions are best referred.

Western Herbal Medicine – COMPLEMENTARY not alternative.




Hypericum perforatum – St John’s Wort
Antidepressant, Nervine Tonic, Antiviral, Anti-inflammatory, Vulnerary