Western Medical Herbalism
We aren’t used to this any more, the space for a wellness & health journey filled with slow, and patient, gentleness.
Modern healthcare has in some parts has became the language of a war with the body – magic bullets, fighting illness and blocking of pain or, a glossy shiny vision of impossibly-perfect promises, loaded with simple fit-all commercial cures.
I don’t work like that. My work is liminal. My work is personalised for your needs. My work is pragmatic, spacious and holistic.
Hireth Herbal Medicine supports where you are at, now, today, in this messy human context, and doesn’t push or shock you into change. We accept the complex and the unknown. We take time to listen, to understand, to hear, to seek connections. We work with change.We understand wellbeing is a complex dance of yes and no. We honour what feels ready, and hold with patience the possibility for more opportunity, better experiences, transformation from the now to the next.
Some might find this all far too cloudy and ethereal.
That’s ok.
What we do is grounded in Evidence-Based Medicine. We can find collaboration with the modern science, latest research, pharmacological approaches, and the valuable Herbal Medicine traditions that helps steer the healing work to suit your unique context.
My work is different from what you might have encountered before, I won’t tell you of ‘shoulds’ on your personal journey, but instead connect with you to explore the ‘coulds’ and what stands in the way of the path you pursue.
Together, we will work to unpick the whispered hints of the bespoke medicines that you seek.
We find the way home. Even when we haven’t the certainty of where it might be.
Because this is Hireth.
This is the medicine of helping you find your way back home.
Pondering some Herbal Medicine questions?
If you have a question about Herbal Medicine, you may find the answer here. If you don’t, pop me a message and I’ll do my best to help you.
A few of these subjects are explored further over on my Blog, so do check that out too.
Who is Herbal Medicine suitable for?
I liken this question a little bit to ‘who is food suitable for?’ as, essentially, the answer is: everyone. I work with a diverse range of clients from young children to elders, those experiencing chronic and complex conditions, to those wishing to optimise their wellbeing, without a particular health challenge. Reflecting on our own wellbeing can be neglected in our busy world, so my work is to support that review process in the time you make available for our consultations.
Does using Herbal Medicine mean I have to stop taking my other medications?
Absolutely not! I strongly advise all my clients to maintain their GP prescribed medications, and liaise with their prescribing practioner to create an integrated and holistic approach to their medication and wellbeing needs. I recognise and honour the limitations of both allopathic and western medicine, and encourage the use of both in an appropriate and evidence-informed manner. In some cases, it is appropriate for a GP or allopathic practioner to liaise directly with me. In instances where this might be helpful, your written consent and involvement will be required.
I don’t use alcohol, can I still use herbal medicine?
Absolutely! Herbal medicines have a wide range of methods of delivery, and tinctures (alcohol-based plant extracts and preparations) are suitable for some cases and not others. Many cases are better suited to other herbal medicine preparations such as teas, capsules, powders, creams, tablets & syrups. As with all aspects of Hireth medicine, your formulas will be entirely bespoke and personal to you and your needs.
How long does a herbal appointment take?
Appointments for a Herbal Medicine Consultation, ‘Hireth Herbal Wellness Review’ generally take longer than a standard visit to your GP might! An initial intake session can take up to 90 minutes to ensure a full understanding of your health, your lifestyle, your current context and any health challenges that you may be encountering. Intake appointments are slow and spacious to allow for discussion of your wellness, you past medical history, family medical history where known, and any current specialists or practices that you are using to support your health. Aspects of your diet, stress, lifestyle and personal circumstances may be included to gain as full a picture as possible of your context.
Once complete, you will receive a full Bespoke Herbal Medicine prescription formulation, an extensive health & wellbeing personal written report, and an invitation to book a follow-up appointment to review how changes from your herbal prescription have integrated.
Follow-up appointments, called ‘Hireth Seeking’, will vary in length due to your personal needs and the complexity of the case, but generally last around 30 minutes.
Is Herbal Medicine right for me?
I can’t tell you - I honour your decision to know. I care deeply about safety, security and comfort. Our sessions are held in the strictest confidence, with no reference to them being made outside the consultation context, and referrals are always available to other modalities and therapies to suit your needs. I am here to help you untangle the complex, conflicting world of herbal medicine, spirituality and wellness, to find the tools most suitable for you personally. I make personal recommendations to you alone, to find the best possible resources to suit your current needs. Herbal medicine has been around for far longer than many pharmaceutical medicines that we may be prescribed by western allopathic medicine. Both allopathic and herbal medicine have their strengths and weaknesses, like everything in life, so its important for you to trust what you feel is right for you and your body. I’m happy to discuss this with you further in A Quick Cuppa session if you feel this would be useful.
Can you prescribe me ‘psychedelic drugs’ or ‘magic mushrooms’, or ‘illegal drugs’?
No. The scope of my practice is to work within the current legal framework and in my area of expertise. Whilst for some these plants may have a powerful medicinal impact, entheogenic plants are not an area that I work in. I am not able to supply, recommend, or help you source these products.
I work in a Complementary and Alternative Medicine or wellness business too. Can we connect?
As a key part of my work involves referrals to other services and therapies, I am always very keen to network with practioners in the wellness industries who have work that is aligned to my areas of practice. If you work in CAM’s or wellness and have recognised expertise, qualifications and insurance for your work, I’d love to connect with you to learn more about your practice and collaborate.
Please do get in touch with me to arrange a meeting or book into A Quick Cuppa session.
I don’t think that I’m looking for Herbal Medicine, but I'd like to work with you, what else do you offer?
You may find a ‘Hireth Homecoming’ session appropriate for you. This is a 60 minute session in which we may use a range of intuitive tools to support your needs and provide you with support, fresh insights and a new perspective.
Are you taking on new clients?
I do have availability to take on new clients at the moment. Many of my clients are based in the UK or Canada where I am able to dispense herbs to them. For clients based in other countries, we can explore shipping and referrals to appropriate herbal dispensaries in your local area. Many of my prescriptions can be formulated to suit the locally available herbs and resources in your area. All herbal medicines will be formulated to be compliant with the herbal laws and restrictions of both the country that you are residing in, and the country that I am working from.
Do I have to spend a lot on Herbal Medicine?
Consultations with Hireth Medicine do come at a cost as they reflect the value of an appointment and the amount of supplementary support that goes into our collaboration. Herbal formulations are made with awareness of your financial context and to suit your needs, but where finance is an obstacle, sliding scale options can be explored.
I am concerned that you might not support my real life if I talk to you about it?
I seek always to work without judgement of my clients and their lives, and to connect with my clients from a place of ‘unconditional positive regard’. I seek to avoid setting expectations of ‘perfection’ for either of us: we are humans doing our best. The nature of our work requires the fostering of a trusting, honest and supportive dynamic, and where this is not in place, the medicine of our connection will be lacking. My work seeks to be as inclusive and judgement-free and trauma-informed as possible. I have experience working with clients of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles and with those who are members of the LGBTQIA2S communities. I have lived experience of being a member of the queer and neurodiverse communities. Many of my clients are either formally diagnosed or aware of some neurodiverse traits in themselves - working with understanding of how this might shape their experience can be of benefit to some clients and offer significant reassurance in initially connecting.
Should you have a specific query regarding my practice inclusion, or wish to explore ways that we can adapt sessions to better meet your needs, please do feel free to connect with me directly. Should you identify an area in which you wish to alert me that it might be helpful for me to better educate myself to support my clients or a specific community, I am grateful for this being brought to my attention and will receive this with open-heartedness. It is of great importance to me that my practice is a place of safety and offers new ways of being, and I seek always to explore where I can better ensure this value is made tangible for my clients.
Can I really help you?
I work with real humans leading messy, imperfect, complex lives.
Humans just trying their best.
And I can work with you, your life and your unique circumstances.
I work with your reality, your experience, and I work at your pace, with your needs, to find tools suitable for your context.
Which aren’t the same for everyone. Which aren’t evangelical. Which aren’t promises of miracle cures for complex lives.
Hireth Medicine is not another thing on the to-do list, nagging you to do more, be more, buy more. I have time, space and I’m ready to listen to your needs without judgement, pressure or up-sell.
I’m the break that you take from that everyday loop, and I offer you a range of tools, fresh perspectives and a guaranteed follow-ups, to make achievable the shifts that suit your individual needs.
I bring you the medicine of helping you find your way back home to yourself as you walk your unique path.
I’m Elizabeth of Hireth Medicine, and I’m taking bookings for consultations now. I’ve done my work to be ready to support your journey, I am fully trained with over 540 clinical hours, working with specialist professors at a world-renowned college. I am fully insured, a member of multiple professional registry organisations, and have years of experience working with wellness journeys from a western medical herbalism perspective, combined with intuitive insights.
You don’t have to be ready, you don’t have to be brave, but you can book A Quick Cuppa here.