An Herbalist is:

1. A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.

2. One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants (see wildcrafter).

3. Traditional Chinese herbalist: one who is trained or skilled in the dispensing of herbal prescriptions; traditional Chinese herb doctor. Similarly, Traditional Ayurvedic herbalist: one who is trained or skilled in the dispensing of herbal prescriptions in the Ayurvedic tradition.

4. One trained or skilled in the therapeutic use of medicinal plants.

An herbalist is a professional trained in the use of herbs, also called crude drugs or botanical medicine to treat others. Professional herbal designations include:

The American Herbalists Guild Registered Herbalist (AHG)[4]

The NCCAOM Diplomate in Oriental Medicine from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine[5]

The FNIMH of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. [6]

Lay herbalists and traditional indigenous medicine people generally rely upon apprenticeship and recognition from their communities in lieu of formal schooling.

Herbalists may engage in wildcrafting or cultivation of herbs, as well as diagnosis and treatment of conditions or dispensing herbal medication. Most herbal traditions depend upon constitutional analysis of the client, treating the patient instead of the disease.[7][8]

References

• Webster's New International Dictionary; 1934 Herb Doctor:

1. . herbalist.
2. . one who cures or professes to cure, by means of herbs

• Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary; 1971 Herbalist:

1. . One versed in the knowledge of herbs and plants; a collector of, or writer on plants.
2. . A dealer in medicinal herbs or simples; one who prepares or administers herbal remedies

Accessed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalist  on June 18, 2007.

For responsible, reliable information on herbs and herbal therapies, at this time please go to these web sites. We will have more information on this as it pertains to the Whole Being Wellness Center as we come closer to opening.

American Botanical Council: http://abc.herbalgram.org/ 
American Herbalists Guild:  http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/