Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re considering booking a consultation with me or want to understand more about herbal medicine, this FAQ answers the most common questions to help you feel informed, reassured, and confident about whether herbal medicine is right for you.
What is a Medical Herbalist?
A medical herbalist (also known as a clinical herbalist or herbal medicine practitioner) is a trained healthcare practitioner that uses plants in various ways to support health, prevent illness, and address underlying causes of imbalance, with protocols individually tailored to each person.
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Medical herbalists in the UK undertake formal training that includes anatomy and physiology, pathology, clinical skills including a minimum of 500 clinical hours, nutrition and phytochemistry, allowing them to work safely and responsibly with a wide range of health concerns.
What is Herbal Medicine?
Herbal medicine is one of the world’s oldest systems of healthcare that uses whole plants or plant extracts to support the body’s natural healing processes. Remedies may be made from roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, or bark and are prescribed in forms such as liquid tinctures, teas, capsules, powders, or topical preparations.
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Herbal medicine works holistically, supporting multiple body systems rather than focusing on isolated symptoms alone.
How Does a Consultation with a Medical Herbalist Work?
Once your consultation is booked in with Bloem Clinic, we send you a detailed questionnaire to complete.
A first consultation with me is usually around 90 minutes and we will go through the form as well as other aspects of your health including:
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Your main health concerns and symptoms
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Medical history and current diagnoses
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Medications and supplements
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Digestion, sleep, energy, stress, and mood
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Diet, lifestyle, and emotional wellbeing
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I will also ask to have a look at your tongue, request you have your blood pressure checked or conduct a physical examination.
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This thorough approach allows us to identify underlying patterns and create a bespoke herbal protocol for you.
What Happens After the Consultation?
Following your consultation, we will prepare a bespoke herbal medicine prescription designed specifically for you. This may include a combination of herbs chosen to support different aspects of your health.
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Follow-up appointments are used to monitor progress, adjust remedies if needed, and support long-term improvements in health.
What Conditions Can a Medical Herbalist Help With?
Medical herbalists commonly support people with:
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Digestive health concerns such as IBS, bloating, or reflux
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Stress, anxiety, and sleep problems
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Hormonal health including PCOS and endometriosis, menstrual concerns, and menopause support
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Skin conditions including eczema and acne
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Immune support and recurrent infections
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Fatigue, burnout, and low energy​
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If you would like to find out if herbal medicine could help support you on your health journey, please get in touch with the clinic.
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Can I Use Herbal Medicine Alongside Conventional Medicine?
Medical herbalists are trained to work safely with prescribed medications and will take this into account when creating your treatment plan. We would need to have a full list of any medications you are on to check for interactions and then prescribe accordingly. This may reduce the herbs we are able to prescribe, and there are some instances when we would not recommend herbs at all but we will be able to advise on this depending on your unique circumstances.
How Long Does Herbal Medicine Take to Work?
This varies from person to person and depends on the nature of the health concern. Some people notice improvements within a few weeks, while longer standing or complex conditions may require ongoing support.
How Can I Book a Herbal Medicine Consultation?
If you’re interested in working with a medical herbalist, booking a herbal discovery call is the first step.
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