Health Consultations

I offer holistic health/wellness consultations for individuals. A consultation typically goes for about an hour and consists of health history, an examination of what specific health complaints a person wants to address, and what herbs or other approaches may help. If an herbal approach is agreed upon, I can make formulations specific to each person's needs but am also happy to provide resources for other places to get quality herbs, or how to make these formulae for onesself.

I see clients in my office at my home in Lansing, NY (in northern Tompkins County, near Ithaca). If you do not have access to transportation, I am willing to come to you: I only ask that cost of travel be covered. It is very difficult to form a comprehensive picture of individual health patterns without meeting in person and having a dynamic discussion; for this reason I usually decline to attempt consultations by phone or mail.

For persons who also see other wellness/health practitioners, I'm happy to work with them also. For some health concerns, I may insist that I be able to talk to a client's physician or other provider.

I charge $35 on a sliding scale for a consultation (any herbal formulae desired are priced separately). I am a provider member of the Ithaca Health Alliance and offer discounts besides the sliding scale to IHA members. I accept Ithaca HOURS for 100% of the cost of a consultation, and am willing to discuss options for barter or work trade.

Herbs

I maintain a small personal apothecary of approximately 200 different herbs, mostly used in making formulations for clients. I am willing to supply herbal extracts (most commonly tincture), or dry herbs and make personalized formulae so long as I have enough of the herb in question on hand. Prices for formulae vary, but for most herbs I follow a formula of $5 per fluid ounce of tincture or other extract. Dry herbs are priced by weight and are more variable due to the different considerations involved in acquiring and storing them for best quality, shelf life, etc.

I'm willing to discuss the possibility of larger formula/herb orders, but I'm a small scale formulator and do not keep vast quantities on hand. I personally collect or grow perhaps 95% of the herbs which I use, always with ethical collection practices or organic cultivation techniques. If you want a lot of something, I may be best served to help you find a good wholesaler or resources on how you can grow it yourself.

Because I have to buy the supplies used in herbal medicine making, I cannot accept 100% Ithaca HOURS for herbs, Sorry.

Classes & Workshops

I'm a skillful teacher with extensive knowledge of herbal medicine, plants, and health considerations. I am happy to teach classes or workshops for groups and individuals, at request. If you are interested in such a class, contact me and we can discuss the specifics of subject and fee.

Past classes which I have taught include:

• Introduction to considerations in herbal medicine
• Introduction to herbal medicine and herb/drug considerations (for physicians)
• Field and Woods walks - identifying plants that grow around us, and discussion of their medicinal virtues
• Ethics and ecology of medicinal plant collection
• Native medicinal plants of the American Northeast
• Cultivating medicinal herbs
• Herbs and Autoimmune Disorders
• Herbs, Lifestyle, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Introduction to herbal pharmacy and medicine making
• Medicinal uses of specific plants (many and variable)
• Magic and medicine in folkloric herbalism
• Listening to the Plants: herbalism as a partnership
• Cooking with herbs (The Kitchen Herbalist)
• Herbal medicine for pets

Many of the papers available in the Articles and Handouts section were designed to supplement information presented in further depth through specific classes.

I do not instruct personal students in a full curriculum of herbal medicine, nor teach apprentices. I'm happy to talk about available options in herb schools and herbal education with those interested in more in-depth study.

Informational Articles

Want some information about medicinal plants, but not a full class? I can write it up for different media. Fees negotiable by what is involved.