Why Herbalists Cannot Answer Requests for Recommendations for Medical Conditions on Social Media
As a practicing herbalist and aromatherapist, I get asked often, “What can I do for ‘x,y,z’ condition?” It’s common to want to know what herbs or essential oils can do for specific conditions. Unfortunately, this is far more complicated and complex than just a pat answer.
When we toss off an “herb or oil for this or that” condition, what we’re doing is putting the herbs and oils into the category of a drug. Just cover the symptom…. Make me feel better. That’s usually the motivation behind questions like these. Herbs are not drugs, although they can and often do have druglike actions on the body.
Please understand that good herbalists operate holistically, and they would need to take the individual’s constitution, lifestyle, stress levels, family history, history of surgeries/medications, etc. into consideration before being able to put a relevant protocol or plan in place for a client. Notice I said “client.” Herbalists and aromatherapists do NOT ‘treat’ patients because we’re not medical doctors or medical professionals (unless we actually are.)
I’d love to send you a FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and a Cheat Sheet for Uses! Click here, and I’ll send yours along, FREE.
When you ask an herbalist, especially on a public forum like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, etc. a question that pertains to a medical issue, you are potentially putting that herbalist at risk of legal action for practicing medicine without a license. I’m sure you can see how serious this may be.
This is why, if you’re working with a trained herbalist, the language is around “supporting” the body in a variety of ways. We support the body’s natural abilities to reach a state of health balance. We do not “treat”, “cure,” “diagnose,” or “prevent” ailments, and using language like this puts the herbalist at risk.
Herbalists want to help. That’s why we become herbalists. We’ve seen the power of the plants in our own lives and the lives of those we interact with, people who enjoy our products, and those who want greater empowerment in their own health choices. But we need to be sure we respect the differences between practicing medicine and practicing herbalism and aromatherapy, homeopathy and naturopathy.
Even within our student community, students are taught and reminded to practice speaking in terms of health and balance instead of masking symptoms and curing illness. Even though our student communities are exceptional spaces for learning from our instructors and also each other, and we are very encouraging as students learn and grow in the art and science of herbalism and aromatherapy, it’s vital that we use correct language so as not to lead the general public into thinking we are medical practitioners.
The mainstream public isn’t educated in this differentiation in language or potentially even the skills herbalists learn versus what a medical doctor learns. They’re VERY different. I’ve done a video about this here.
Tips for Asking Questions of an Herbalist, Aromatherapist, or Other Alternative Health Practitioners
IF you must ask a question, especially on a public platform like a social media channel, here are some tips to help you get an answer without putting the herbalist or aromatherapist in potential peril:
1) Ask About Properties
Instead of putting the focus on a diagnosed illness, instead, ask about possible essential oils or herbs that have properties that might be helpful in supporting the presentation of symptoms. (Which essential oils might be beneficial for painful, sore joints?)
2) Research First, Then Ask for Corroboration
It’s a great idea to do your own research first, and try to find reputable sites and books. Unfortunately, the internet “powers that be” have strongly pushed herbalists’ websites from the search results in most questions because of their algorithm changes starting back in 2018. This is why when you search for information, the major medical sites come up in search. Just be aware of this…and these sites do often give you a place to start. **Be aware that AI is now being used to write much of this content, so do your due diligence.
After doing some research, you could ask a question of an herbalist or aromatherapist like this: “I’ve read that cornsilk, horsetail, and dandelion leaf are often used to help with these symptoms. Does anyone else have any experience they can share about using any of these herbs for a urinary tract infection?”
3) Ask for General Information on How an Herb or Oil Might Affect the Body Specifically
You could also ask about specific herbs in terms of how they might affect the body in specific ways. For example, a question could be asked like this: “I’ve been thinking about using mullein and marshmallow to help me with my seasonal allergies, but I’m not sure why they actually work in the body. Can anyone explain this?”
4) Ask for Further Research Recommendations
Ask for print recommendations to support your research: “Does anyone know of a helpful book or resource for natural approaches to RA?”
Other Options for Finding Herbal Advice
If you’re a person needing answers, I strongly suggest finding a good herbalist or naturopath or aromatherapist (especially for mental wellness needs) who you can enter into a client relationship with. In this way, you’ll get the support you need from an educated herbalist/aromatherapist to learn about your individual and unique body.
OR…. Find high quality herbal education and study for yourself and family
Working 1:1 with an herbalist can get expensive, so many people like to take their health choices into their own hands and start studying herbalism and aromatherapy. If you do this, be sure to choose a school that is reputable (check testimonials, the length of time they’ve been around, and that their overall value system matches your own), and start taking courses! **At our school, we practice from a Judeo-Christian standpoint, and New Age, Wicca, Occult, Astrology, aren’t found here.
Even in the basic courses, many students who are motivated by health needs make great strides as they learn herbalism and also focus on their own body’s needs. In fact, many of my students study with me while working with their medical doctor to reduce or get off their prescription medicines. They do this while learning, and some of them have been helpful in helping doctors understand how powerful herbal allies can be as substitutes or adjuvants to medications.
I don’t write this to discourage anyone from asking a question or trying to help themselves….I’m writing this to help you see that herbalists and aromatherapists who know the rules (and we ALL should if we’re sharing information on public platforms) just can’t answer many questions that aren’t asked in a certain way. We can answer in terms of health, balance, support, and help.
And remember….herbalists and aromatherapists who have been practicing for any length of time will rarely use words that convey medical education such as treat, cure, diagnose, prevent, prescribe, patient, etc. If you hear these words coming out of someone’s mouth, it’s highly likely they don’t have enough education or training in herbalism to be making any kind of suggestions anyway.
You can find a great list of language tips for talking about herbalism as a health support inside my private Facebook Group, Practical Herbs and Oils with Heidi inside the rules section and also by searching.
I hope this was helpful. And I hope you’ll consider studying herbalism, the lost art and science of traditional healthcare all over the world. It’s time we learn what we’ve lost and then share with others. We just need to do this in the right way.
I appreciate you being here, in our community, both public and within our school.
Be sure to bookmark my website so you can come back and explore. There’s SO much information here.
And…subscribe to my YouTube channel! We are growing an active, supportive community there, too. Consider joining the membership there, as I do a live chat for the Bloom level each month!
Finally, visit our School of Botanical Arts & Sciences so you can check out our herbalism and aromatherapy courses.
Hugs, Health, and Herbs,
Heidi
