Herbologist

By definition “an Herbologist is an individual knowledgeable or trained in the botany of non-woody (herbaceous) or sometimes medicinal plants.” Outside the U.S. the term is rarely encountered among natural and alternative practitioners and is reserved for a specialized Botanist. Within the U.S. a number of alternative practitioners may use the term Herbologist to describe themselves or their practice…

•  For legal reasons due to state laws governing the practice of medicine and “Herbalism” as is often the case with practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture . In some states where TCM is permitted but “Herbalism” is considered the unlicensed practice of medicine by non physicians TCM herbal practitioners who are Traditional Herbalists can only legally use the term Herbologist when advertising their services or interacting with clients to avoid “practicing medicine without a licence”. (see also TCM & Acupuncture)

•  Because the practitioner's training in the application of herbs is an addendum to their primary training. There are many non-TCM practitioners who may be primarily trained in another alternative modality but have taken a certain amount of coursework to familiarize themselves with some aspects of herbal medicine and use the term Herbologist because they do not have the full knowledge and training of an Herbalist.

•  Because the individual's training was only in the properties or uses of herbs and did not include training in physiological systems of the body they risk legal liability by using the term herbalist, which carries the implication that they have an understanding of the interaction of the herbs with body systems.

It is important that prospective clients inquire closely into the background and training of persons who are not TCM practitioners and who represent themselves as “herbologists”, in order to determine the nature of their training and experience in the use of herbs and the effects of herbal treatments on the body.
 

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