Herbalism

Reasons Someone Might See a Herbalist

Herbalists work with people on a variety of health issues and imbalances, both acute and chronic. It could be that you’ve received a medical diagnosis and want supportive herbal care alongside other treatment strategies – or that you have self identified a concern that needs support.

Reasons people commonly see herbalists include insomnia and other sleep issues, autoimmune conditions, gender affirming surgery support, support with blood sugar management, joint pain, fatigue, low energy, and chronic digestive issues.

In my own practice, I have seen clients seeking support for many of these concerns. In addition, I have been excited to provide weight-neutral and body-accepting blood sugar management, post-viral recovery support, and symptom-relief from cancer treatment protocols.

Herbal education is an ongoing practice. If I ever feel that I do not have enough educational knowledge to appropriately support you, I’m happy to refer out to other experience practitioners and mentors.

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What is a Herbal Consultation?

A herbal consultation is where we sit down together and discuss your whole health picture. Together, we develop a way forward.

Herbal medicine works much better if we formulate for the specific person, their patterns and the whole picture of their health concerns. During an initial consultation we will go over your health history, any physical and emotional concerns, and even what has or has not been working in your care before coming to me. We will also talk about how you currently feel, how you want to feel, and what herbal strategies can support moving you there.

After the consultation, I will develop and recommend a customized holistic herbal protocol that is specific to your needs, and the issues we discussed.

What to Expect

The Consultation

Sessions can take place in-person in Hamilton, ON or over phone or video-call.

An initial consultation is typically 60-90 minutes long.

I’ll ask you to fill out a short intake before our first visit so I can get a sense of your goals and we can use our time together most efficiently.

In the session I will ask you lots of questions to prompt a conversation where we explore your holistic health picture, body system functions and patterns of dysregulation. If you have lab tests or blood work we can look at them. We will discuss the challenges that keep you from your healing goals and how to achieve follow-through with your protocol.

After the Consultation

After the consultation, I will send you a write-up summary of what we talked about with a description of your herbal formula, instructions for use and any other thoughts & suggestions.

Your protocol will likely include a daily herbal formula and might also include an as-needed formula. It will take time to see progress from daily formula for a chronic condition and the herbs will work cumulatively. Working with herbs will require your commitment and adherence to a protocol we choose together.

Formulas can be dispensed by me, or I will recommend other options. We will collaborate within your budget.

What are Formulas?

There are many ways to work with plant medicines. The most common in my practice are herbal infusions, tinctures and glycerites. These are different ways of extracting the medicinal components of a plant and suspending them in a solution that best supports their work in your body. A herbal infusion is a water extract of dried plant material, essentially a tea blend you’ll steep at home for 20+ minutes. A tincture is a water + ethanol extract prepared in a way that best supports the medicinal constituents of the plant. A glycerite is an extraction in vegetable glycerine and in a non-alcohol-based option. Apple Cider vinegar is also sometimes used as a solvent when it is indicated. There are other ways to ingest herbs by using powders, capsules, infused oils, syrups and honeys, or lozenges. Topically we can work with herbs in salves, creams, topical honeys, herbal baths and liniments.

Accessing Herbs

The herbs I recommend are available to purchase through my apothecary to clients in Canada and generally cost about $60 -150 + shipping per month.

Herbs are not included in the consultation price.

Please note that you don’t need to purchase your herbs from me! I am happy to recommend other trusted sources and incorporate herbs you have a connection to or have grown yourself.

Follow-up Appointments

Follow up appointments are ideally spaced 6-8 weeks apart to ensure your herbal formula is working well for you. This time frame is long enough to take note of any changes, obvious or subtle, and reflect on the time past. It also offers time to re-evaluate what herbs we are using, and the space to adjust, add or remove if required.

Pricing

Acute Consultation
For new or existing clients wanting to address an acute issue that hasn’t been addressed previously.
$45 | 30 minutes

Initial Consultation
For new clients wanting a whole-look assessment & approach.
$100 | 90 minutes

Follow Up
For clients who have had an initial consultation and want to discuss changing treatment or new goals.
$40 | 30 minutes

Sliding Scale & Solidarity Rates

I offer free consultation spots and discounted medicines to people facing state repression and burn-out from organizing for Palestinian liberation, or other anti-imperialist, anti-colonial struggles. Please email me before you book for the discount code of -100%.

I offer discounted spots to Black and Indigenous people as well as Disabled folks who are on fixed-incomes and without access to generational wealth. This is in a spirit of reparations and solidarity, in an effort to create more accessible spaces for people who experience systemic oppression. Please email me before you book for the discount code of -10% to -50%.

If the cost or payment options don’t work for you, please email me to discuss other flexible payment options or to request financial assistance.

Cancellation Policy

To respect my time and livelihood, if you need to cancel or reschedule please do so at least 24 hours in advance. If you cancel or reschedule between 24 hours and 1 hour before the session you will be charged 50% of the session fee unless there are emergency circumstances and you have contacted me directly to arrange. If you cancel within one hour or no-show to your appointment you will be charged the full fee. If you are running late please email or text to let me know. I will wait up to 15 minutes to accommodate unforeseen circumstances delaying your arrival, however I may not be able to extend the session.

Scope of Practise

Herbalists neither diagnose nor directly treat diseases. We make assessments of imbalances based on patterns and physiologic presentation. We support healing using our understanding of physiology, pathophysiology, organ system dysfunction and energetics combined with phytochemistry and herbal therapeutics. We carefully assess all interactions that herbs may have with pharmaceutical medications, and can work with other health care practitioners if desired.

Kaleigh is a clinical herbalist, a restoration ecologist and an educator.

My practice is based on the territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Mississauga,
Neutral, Erie and Huron-Wendat in Hamilton, ON.

I believe that our personal wellbeing, community health and health of the ecosystem are dependent on abolishing
the racist colonial Canadian state and the violent systems that uphold it.