“A Cornish heart learning to be liminal on the Canadian coast.”
Elizabeth (she/her) is from a village on the north coast of Cornwall, and accidentally extended a life-reboot holiday in Victoria, BC, Canada to taking on a course of intensive study for several years after a successful career in education & attainment. As a holistic coach, with over a decade of international experience in leading Coaching and Personal Development groups, this new path provided her with an opportunity for deep reflection on the meaning of home. Through the experience of being a temporary resident and immigrant to an English speaking, but culturally different place in the Pacific North West, the importance of Hireth became a poignantly clear healing need.
Despite her historic lack of plant skills, she accidentally became a Western Medical Herbalist, completing 3 years of intensive training in Western Canada at the prestigious Pacific Rim College. As her herbal and therapy business expands, the focus on ‘Hireth Medicine’ allows her to bring her unique problem-solving and gentle, supportive approach to all her clients’ needs. Hireth provides specialist help to clients to them to develop a new perspective and gain fresh insights. Along with physical health wellbeing goals, Elizabeth specialises in working in Mental Health, helping those undergoing complex phases of transition in their lives, such as relocation.
Currently based in the South West of the UK, Elizabeth is also a Person-Centred Therapist & Counsellor, University Lecturer, writer, speaker, event organiser, and, infamously, is always in possession of a cup of proper British tea!
When not working with her fabulous clients, Elizabeth enjoys spending time walking on the beach, collecting beautiful notebooks, taking too many photos of the sea, reading Scandinavian fiction and dressing up as a Tudor Re-enactor.
Professional Background
Western Medical Herbalism (Phytotherapy)
Elizabeth holds a Diploma of Phytotherapy from Pacific Rim College in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This qualification includes more than 540 hours of supervised Clinical Practice, as well as an extensive foundation in all aspects of Western Medical Herbalism / Phytotherapy such as: Western Diagnostic Techniques, Pharmacology, Anatomy & Physiology, Pathophysiology, The Materia Medica of over 300 herbs, Herbal Identification, Botany, Horticulture, First Aid, Physical Examinations, Herbal Case Studies, Biochemistry and Phytochemistry.
This intensive course of study at Pacific Rim College in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada was completed in Summer 2021, under instruction by well-know Master Herbalists such as David Caudwell, Peter Conway, Alexis Hennig & Lindsay Hounslow. This training draws on understandings from both the European and the First Nations Medical Herbalism traditions.
As well as training in the traditional core Phytotherapy subjects, some additional areas were studied to shape a more holistic approach to herbal medicine application. These included: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Aromatic Medicine, Patient Communications, Foundations of Social Equity in Holistic Healthcare, The Evolution of Cultural Diets, Herbal Energetics, Introduction to Tai Chi Chuan, Medical Astrology & Mental Health Therapeutics.
Person-Centred Counselling & Psychotherapy
Elizabeth has undertaken extensive professional training as a Person-Centred Therapist & Counsellor and engages in significant Reflective Practice, monthly Peer and formal Professional Supervision as part of this program of work. She coordinates an Alumni Continuous Professional Development group from this program and is intending to undertake additional training as a supervisor for this work. She is a member of The British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and Association of Counselling & Therapy Online and works within the BACP Ethical Framework. She teaches Counselling Skills at Higher Education level. Her training is Gold Standard Accreditation awarded by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). During training, she obtained 128 hours of counselling work with clients (in addition to counselling practice with peers) in diverse settings of School / Academy Trust, Private Practice, & Low Cost Community Counselling Service. She holds additional training certificates obtained in working OPT (Online & Phone Therapy), working with Children & Young People, Understanding Mental health, & Understanding Autism.
Registrations & Continuous Professional Development
Elizabeth is qualified and insured to practice Herbal Medicine (Dip. Phyt.), Counselling & Psychotherapy (L5 Dip.), Intuitive Coaching and Clinical Hypnotherapy (RC Hyp., Dip. Hyp).
Hireth Medicine operates in person and online to provide an inclusive and global platform, offering legal Herbal Medicine dispensing in both the UK and in the Pacific Northwest. Limited in-person appointments are available by request, and are subject to the relevant Covid-19 Regulations of that region.
To maintain best practice and stay fully up-to-date on the changing legislative and research base for Phytotherapy practice, Elizabeth is a member of The College of Phytotherapy (CPP), The United Herbal Register of Practioners (UHRP), The Herbal Alliance and The British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA). In recognition of these registrations, Hireth Medicine is an authorised EHTPA ‘Herb Mark’ holder.
Elizabeth is also a member of The UK Herb Society, an active peer network for Western Medical Herbalists (WHMQ), and coordinates an international, monthly network meeting, and collaborates in the running of herbal skills events for Western Medical Herbalists.
She undertakes weekly formal and peer supervision, and pursues on-going Continual Professional Development training opportunities, in excess of the requirements for membership of all these organisations.
References and testimonials for all Hireth Medicine work, transcripts or certificates of qualifications to practice & Enhanced DBS certificate / RCMP National Criminal Records Repository Check Certificate, are also available upon request.