Work with me 1 on 1: Personalized guidance virtually online, or in person (Mahone Bay, NS)
Your health issues have been getting the better of you, and it’s impacting your quality of life. You’re getting worn down by the discomfort, chronic pain, fatigue, or mental health challenges that accompany your condition as you try to keep up with the day to day. Maybe you’ve already taken a stab at some lifestyle or diet changes, seen your doctor, or worked with another allied care provider like a naturopath or acupuncturist. Despite your best efforts though, you’re not yet getting enough of a result.
The truth is healing a chronic health issue is rarely straightforward. As opposed to focusing on the illness itself which is common in the medical system, you need to evaluate what is the right approach for you as a person. This varies greatly from person to person and can also change over time. It requires comprehensive evaluation of your constitution, nutritional status, health history, and contributing lifestyle factors. You also have to allow for a bit of trial and error in fine tuning a protocol that works for you.
Working together, we will develop a relationship where we are able to investigate these things in depth. We’ll look for patterns, and I’ll consider diagnostic criteria from traditional and modern healing systems in determining what herbs, supplements, diet, and lifestyle measures could help improve your health. As you begin to see results with the program, we’ll be able to make adjustments over time to keep things moving in the right direction.
Working with me you can expect to:
Uncover hidden root causes of your illness that are blocking your recovery
Learn how your constitution (a combination of your body type and psychological type) determines how you are likely to get sick, but also points the way to healing
Learn what it means when strategies you are trying don’t work
Work together to create a program that is both effective and doable for you, moving as quickly or slowly as you require.
Find short term symptom relief as well as build a foundation for deeper healing that lasts long term
Experience general feelings of increased vitality and wellbeing
Gain a greater understanding of the elements required to build long term health and prevent future relapses
You may be wondering if this will really work for you, and if you are, I’d like to share this. Herbal medicine has been around for at least a few thousand years and likely longer, practiced by every culture on earth in some form. It would not have stuck around that long if it wasn’t effective. Of course, depending on your particular illness, and your overall state of health, the results you can expect will vary, and I will be clear with you what I think is possible. I will say that most people I work with experience significant improvement in their symptoms and quality of life, and some people experience complete remission of their chronic disease symptoms.
So how long will it take to see results? While some people see results within days, generally a reasonable amount of time to try out a herbal program is 6-8 weeks. You should see some change by that point, which should give you enough confidence to keep going with the program. After that initial trial, as a general rule it takes about 1 additional month continuing on your program for every year you have had your problem to get the maximum result in resolving your health issue. This may seem like a long time compared to the immediate results we are often used to getting with medical treatment, but the added benefit is you will actually be building your health and vitality for the long term, without the risk of causing harm.
You may also be wondering if herbs and natural therapies are safe or have side effects. For the most part, all the herbs I recommend have a long track record of safe use, often going back 1000 years or longer, and have none of the side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs. This is because unlike with drugs, our bodies have evolved over thousands of years to know how to process these natural substances. That said, anyone can have an allergic reaction to something, and some people will experience mild side effects like nausea, gas, or diarrhea. This is usually an indication that the dose is too high or we need to choose different herbs for you. If you are on medications, we also have to mindful of possible herb/drug interactions. As a clinical herbalist I am trained to choose herbs that will not interact harmfully with your medications.
When it comes to acquiring the recommended herbs and supplements, I have a herbal dispensary and often make custom herbal formulations for my clients, but you are never under any obligation to buy herbs from me. I can also just make recommendations for you to acquire elsewhere. In terms of how much your program will cost, this really varies, and part of our work together will be to create a program that fits in your budget. In general though, you can expect to pay between $30-90 per month for your program not including consultation fees.
What’s involved: details and logistics
Where do we meet? Consultations are available in person and virtually by phone or online. In person consultations are held at Lotus and Thistle, 440 Main St. Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Even if virtual consultations work better for you, if you live close enough, I recommend meeting at least once in person if possible.
How often do we meet? In terms of frequency of consultations, I recommend at the minimum having an initial consultation with a follow-up in 4-6 weeks time. After that, I’ll recommend a rhythm for follow-ups based on your individual needs, which can vary from continued 4 week intervals to waiting 6 months.
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is where I take a comprehensive health history. There will be an intake form to fill out (requires about 15-30 minutes), and a few other things to prepare. The consultation usually lasts an hour and a half.
After the consultation, you will receive a written guide with an individualized health program specific to your concerns
I can provide you with herbs from my dispensary, or you can choose to buy them elsewhere
Cost: $160 + HST
Follow-up Consultations
Follow-up consultations last 45 minutes to an hour and are usually spaced out in intervals of 4 weeks to 6 months depending on where you are in your healing process.
We evaluate progress so far and discuss any adjustments required or next steps.
Cost: $90 + HST
Ongoing support by email and phone
While we are working together, I am available to support you with any questions or concerns you have with your program by phone or email. There is no charge for short exchanges like this. If we need to have a longer conversation (15 minutes or longer), there will be a cost based on the time required.
Cost for longer discussions between consultations: $25 + HST in increments of 15 minutes.’
Sliding scale and options for work exchange are available for those in financial need. Please get in touch to discuss.