Insight Herbalism

We value skillful compassionate listening and awareness, creating the space for you to understand your own process of healing and your own relationship with your body. We appreciate that being really present for you is a major part of any healing process.

It is a fundamental value that we aspire to hear and accept you as you are, in a compassionate and non-judgemental way.

We all have gentle skills in touch, helping you listen to your body and creating a safe space for you to heal, integrate and recieve the teachings from the plants. We believe that touch is a critical human need, aiding healthy co-regulation and helping us develop a strong sense of safety. We are also aware how receiving touch can be difficult for some and are able to navigate this with you at your own speed.

Many members have additional trainings (e.g. shiatsu, massage, reflexology) which they may weave together with any herb work.

Each of us has unique professional skills to share – individual to each practitioner, generally in the form of a related profession that weaves beautifully in with herbalism. Insight Herbalism is a unique practice in that it is only intended to be one strand of the two or three of professional practice we each have. This means each of our practitioners is unique in their offering.

Trauma aware practice – We find that plants can be incredible allies in the gradual processes of healing and integration.We happily work alongside other therapists, recognising that sometimes the path of healing needs a wide and integrated support network, particularly where there is deep trauma.

 Professionality – All members have completed a minimum of 1000 hours and 3 years structured study of relational and insight herbalism before joining as a full member. We work within our skills and recognise when to refer and seek additional support.

We have protocols to check that this work is suitable for you and if not will help you find support and discuss ways of starting this style of work slowly and carefully.

The Foundation has a written disciplinary procedure for complaints.

Intersectionality – Part of the training is becoming familiar with some of the common ways that systems of power, privilege and discrimination can shape people’s lives and experiences.

Everyone is welcome.

Where a practitioner has the knowledge and skills to respond sensitively to these experiences within the scope of their practice, they will do so. Where appropriate, they may suggest additional support from someone with more specialised expertise.

We are all commited to ongoing learning on these areas.

We share a willingness to work in a truly integrated and holistic way alongside other practioners and support systems. So far, we are yet to find any health disciplines that we can not work alongside!

Safe practice – we are all trained to assess potential risks, side effects and interactions of herbs, source high quality herbal material (often harvested by ourselves) and ensure plant and dosage is appropriate for you. 

Practical herbal pharmacy skills – we are skilled in making tinctures, hydrosols and oils alongside sustainable harvesting and drying of plants. For those interested we will often be open to teaching some of these skills as part of the process of building relationships with the plants.

Many of our members put a high priority on local, organic or biodynamic sourcing for herbs.

We all commit to Continued Professional Development to continue to deepen our practice.

We are guided and accountable to a code of ethics (available on request) to help ensure you feel safe and in good hands.

A deep love of nature that is expressed in everything we do. To this end we support and encourage local sustainable harvesting, the highest ecological practices in herb sourcing (often organic / biodynamic) and are in a continual process of learning how we can better honour and respect nature.