This Is Not The Practice Of Medicine

The Holistic Herbalism Podcast

The pharmaceutical model is the dominant paradigm for medicine in our culture. For those of us who grew up in this culture, it shapes our expectations of what medicine is and how medicine works. Everyone is susceptible to this, including herbalists and students of herbalism. Even if, in the front of our minds, we recognize the limits of a drug-oriented approach, it lurks in the mental undergrowth. It shapes the way we form our questions and the types of answers we look for.

In herbalism, though, we are doing something different. Herbs are not drugs, they’re herbs. Herbalists are not doctors, they’re herbalists! Understanding the differences is important because it allows us to better assess when each strategy is most appropriate. Sometimes, you do need a pharmaceutical. Sometimes, a diet change and a daily pot of tea would actually be more effective. Being able to tell the difference is what allows us to integrate holistic and conventional methods successfully.
Mentioned in this episode:

• The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, Episode 101: How Herbs Are Different From Drugs
• The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, Episode 75: Foundational Health Strategies & Evolution’s Expected Inputs
• The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, Episode 100: The Definitive Guide to Herbalism
• Herbalism and the Law: The Practice of Medicine in Massachusetts

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Our theme music is “Wings” by Nicolai Heidlas.

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