Awaken Herbal Wisdom

• Practise safely - Apply herbal knowledge responsibly within a clearly defined Community Herbalist scope of practice.
• Apply professional judgement - Use a structured professional decision-making process when supporting every client.
• Work ethically - Operate within a published Code of Ethics whilst recognising the limits of professional competence.
• Maintain professional systems - Implement consultation, dispensing, documentation and confidentiality systems appropriate to professional practice.
• Apply safe practice principles - Research safety, contraindications and herb-drug interactions using recognised professional resources.
• Refer appropriately - Recognise situations that require referral and communicate those referrals professionally.
• Reflect critically - Evaluate personal practice and continually improve through reflective learning.
• Build sustainable practice - Operate safely, professionally and responsibly within an appropriate business framework.

A graduate of the Professional Community Herbalist Certification may:

• Conduct structured herbal wellness consultations.
• Take comprehensive health histories.
• Support clients experiencing minor, self-limiting conditions and general wellbeing concerns.
• Create personalised herbal formulations appropriate to their scope.
• Dispense herbal remedies safely.
• Educate clients on herbal use and lifestyle measures.
• Monitor progress through follow-up consultations.
• Maintain professional client records.
• Research herb safety, contraindications and potential interactions.
• Recognise red flags and refer appropriately.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries when supporting friends, family and community members.
• Work within a published Code of Ethics.

Graduates may not:

• Diagnose disease or medical conditions.
• Interpret blood tests, pathology or diagnostic investigations unless additional specialist training, certification and insurance has been acquired independently.
• Replace or contradict medical advice.
• Advise clients to discontinue prescribed medication.
• Manage serious, acute or complex medical conditions independently.
• Represent themselves as Clinical or Medical Herbalists.

There are many ways to practice herbalism. For those who feel called to supporting members of the public through their practice, there are multiple avenues available. Not every herbal practitioner wants to interpret lab results or delve into the complexities of highly progressed or complex dis-ease and not every individual feels comfortable seeking support in a more formal clinical setting, even if it is holistic. And yet there is a vast landscape of imbalance, supportive action and wellbeing that can be explored and provided long before such destinations are reached.

This is the terrain of the Community Herbalist.

This is who we train - safe, skilled, confident practitioners of herbal medicine who understand just how much they can positively impact someone's life and who are also able to refer to a clinical practitioner or medical professional when needed.

Clinical or medical herbalist training typically includes the completion of 500 clinic hours, alongside other forms of assessment and has a broader scope of instruction that includes conducting physical examinations, requesting and interpreting blood and other lab tests, diagnosis and supporting individuals with complex, highly progressed or life-limiting conditions. Depending on the course structure, it can span multiple years and be a full-time or near full-time endeavour.

Training as a Community Herbalist with Heritage School of Herbal Medicine offers a middle ground - balancing thoroughness of training within a clearly defined scope of practice, achievable within one year without requiring you to step away from the rest of your life and enabling you to safely, effectively and responsibly support members of the public.

Yes, our Professional Community Herbalist Certification course, as well as our prerequisite three-year living herbal apprenticeship, Awaken Herbal Wisdom, are both accredited by The Complementary Medical Association. Heritage School of Herbal Medicine is also one of their registered schools.

Yes. Our successful graduates are eligible to apply for professional insurance directly with Balens, who provide specialist insurance for complementary and alternative therapists, as well as through The Complementary Medical Association's affinity scheme if you choose to join their organisation.

Whilst on our certification course, you will also need to acquire student insurance through Balens to support you as you work on your case studies.

If you currently hold professional insurance for other practices, we advise you to consult directly with your provider to confirm if they will be happy to extend your coverage to include herbal practice upon graduation of our course. Some providers, such as Balens, offer packages that cover multiple holistic practices within the same policy; however, you should always research and confirm the details for your individual circumstances.

Full details can be found by downloading our syllabus. If you have any further questions after reviewing our syllabus, please do feel free to contact us and ask.

Due to international variations in legislation, as well as the differing requirements of insurance providers, we currently only accept students to our certification year who are permanently based in the UK.

Have additional questions? Contact us.