How Can I Become an Herbalist?
Research what it takes to become an herbalist. Learn about training and education, job duties, and potential wages to find out if this is the career for you.
What Is an Herbalist?
An herbalist is an alternative health practitioner who uses herbal remedies to help patients prevent or treat disease. Before beginning treatment, they meet with patients to discuss their symptoms, and they use the information to design a treatment plan, which can include herbal remedies such as decoctions, tinctures, infusions, creams or ointments, depending on the patient's condition. Some herbalists specialize in a particular herbal medicine tradition, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western herbology or Native American herbal medicine. Over the course of the treatment, they monitor the patient's condition and make changes if necessary.
The following chart gives you an overview about becoming an herbalist.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td> Post-secondary certificate; master's degree (<i>for Acupuncture and Oriental medicine</i>)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Training Required</b></td><td> Apprenticeships are an alternative to formal education</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td> Herbalism</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Skills</b></td><td> Knowledge of principles of plant chemistry, medicine making and herbal pharmacology; knowledge of dosages and dosage forms; knowledge of pharmacological indication and contraindications; knowledge of plant identification, harvesting and compounding</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td> 11% (<i>for health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other</i>)*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Salary Range (2019)</b></td><td> $20,000 to $120,000**</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **American Herbalists Guild</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoINeedToKnowToBecomeAnHerbalist">What Do I Need to Know to Become an Herbalist?</h3><p>To become an herbalist, it is important to have a firm knowledge of biology, botany, chemistry, anatomy and physiology and earth sciences. If you want to become an herbalist, an important beginning step is to take both high school and college-level courses in these sciences. Many herbalists have college degrees in science or health care.
</p><h3 id="section---ChooseAFocusOfStudy">Choose A Focus Of Study</h3><p>Herbalism is a broad-spectrum term for many interdisciplinary focuses. Herbalists can study Western herbology, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurvedic herbology and a mixture of some or all of these focuses. Knowing what type of herbalism you would like to practice will help you focus your search for an educational program.
</p><p>Another choice you have to make is whether you want to study herbalism to become a clinical practitioner or a researcher. You might also choose to study the field for self-enrichment purposes. Be aware that to legally practice clinical herbalism in the United States, you must be licensed in a regulated holistic or medical field that allows physical and clinical contact with patients.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatTrainingProgramsAreAvailable">What Training Programs are Available?</h3><p>There are many different types of herbalist training programs available in the United States, according to the American Herbalist Guild (<i>americanherbalistguild.com</i>). Distance learning programs allow you to study herbalism in your own home in your own time. Distance learning offers a low-cost choice if you are looking for an introduction into the use of herbs in healing. A downside to distance learning programs is the lack of any clinical training and detailed scientific study.
</p><p>Short courses are six to eight month courses taught on-site at a learning facility. Short courses offer a good foundation and introduction in herbalism, but are not long or detailed enough to offer a comprehensive education in and of themselves. Comprehensive on-site courses are 2- to 3-year clinical courses taught on-site at a learning facility. The benefits of comprehensive courses include having access to many trained master herbalists and building relationships with fellow students.
</p><p>Apprenticeships offer you another way to learn herbalism. An apprenticeship is a combination of didactic home-study, such as that of a distance course, and clinical experience under the tutelage of a professional herbal preceptor. Apprenticeships require a complete and detailed plan to ensure that all subjects are adequately studied.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatWillIStudy">What Will I Study?</h3><p>Because herbalism is not a licensed medical profession in any state, there is no official regulating body that evaluates herbalism programs. Instead, professional groups representing different disciplines of herbalism approve or accredit schools based on what they, as professionals, believe to be sound educational standards. Choosing a program that is accredited by an organization recognized by the United States Department of Education has the added benefit of being able to offer you more financial aid opportunities.
</p><p>The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (<i>acaom.org</i>) is an accreditation agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education. This is because acupuncture and Oriental medicine are recognized as health care professions and practitioners are licensed and regulated by the states in which they practice. The ACAOM accredits master's degree, certificate and diploma-level programs in both acupuncture and Oriental medicine. According to the ACAOM, there are currently over 60 accredited or accreditation-candidate schools available in the United States.
</p><p>To be approved by the American Herbalist Guild (AHG), a professional guild comprised of herbalists that meet regularly, a program must have at least 1600 hours of study, broken down to 400 hours of clinical work and 1200 hours of didactic learning. Approved didactic learning needs to include courses in basic human sciences, botany and identification, material medica, pharmacognosy, ethics, history and research.
</p><h3 id="section---HowCanIWorkInTheField">How Can I Work in the Field?</h3><p>Herbalists do not always work in a clinical setting with clients. Some herbalists do scientific research, trying to uncover the hidden medical properties of herbs, and combining herbs to create new treatments for ailments. Herbalists who do choose to work on an individual level with clients can choose to go into practice in their own right, or to work in conjunction with other practitioners in a group health practice. It is important to remember that practicing herbalism is not regulated or licensed in any state, and legally protecting yourself and your clients is a very important consideration you must make once you are an herbalist.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>You might also be interested in a job as a massage therapist, since massage is another alternative way to treat medical conditions. Massage therapists use soft tissue manipulation techniques to promote circulation, injury healing and general wellness. In order to become one, you must complete a professional training program. Another possibility is a career as a dietitian. These professionals develop eating plans for their clients in order to treat disease, promote general health or meet a particular health goal, such as weight loss or muscle gain. The minimum educational requirement is a bachelor's degree; some states also require licensure.</p>