I came to herbal medicine via a few detours in life. I was born and raised in Germany, but at age seventeen, I won a scholarship to attend the United World College of southern Africa in Swaziland for the last two years of my secondary education. It was a fantastic school, and with students coming from over 80 different countries, there were incredible opportunities for learning both in and out of the classroom.

 

My most powerful memories are all of being out in nature though: Landscapes vaster than any I’d ever seen before, with no interference from towns, roads or electricity lines; camping nights falling asleep to the sound of cicadas; baobab trees that looked like ancient sentinels, shrugging off all that came and went through the centuries. Whenever I was out in the bush, I felt both content and highly energised - fully immersed in my environment, filled with a deep awe and not wishing to be anywhere else. I thought I had found my calling - and I had, in a way - but I mistakenly attributed  that deep sense of belonging and wholeness to the fact that I was somewhere exotic, i.e. the thrill of travelling.

 

Hence followed almost twenty years of working in just about any role in the adventure travel industry, with a specialisation in conservation travel and volunteer holidays. I obtained a Ba(Hons) in Adventure Tourism Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Management, and  my work took me to many more beautiful places but it never felt like a calling. 

 

In my early forties, and after a period of ill health, I knew I needed to refocus on work that would feel more nourishing. While struggling with burnout, trail runs in Bristol’s beautiful local woodlands were instrumental in my healing, so I thought to explore work options that would include more time in nature. I signed up for a yearlong programme in Practical Sustainability, with a particular eye on the modules on woodland management and off-grid living. But it was the Herbal Medicine module that had me hooked within minutes, and at the end of day 2 of the workshop, I felt a complete certainty that this was the profession I wanted to pursue. So following the conclusion of the Practical Sustainability course, I researched the best options for obtaining the necessary training and qualifications for becoming a medical herbalist and embarked on the my most fulfilling learning experience to date. 

 

 

Throughout the years of studying and training, I worked as a health advisor in women’s reproductive health. While speaking to hundreds of women in this capacity, I was struck again and again by the fact that everybody has a unique health history, and how important it is for people to have a sense of control of their bodies and lives. One of the most rewarding aspects of herbal medicine for me is that it honours that individuality and autonomy of each patient. There is no “one size fits all” treatment, nor an approach of top down prescriptions. Creating a treatment plan is a collaborative effort that requires the patient’s input as well as the herbalists expertise, and each patient decides how extensive they want their treatment to be.