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A Zen Maitri Natural Health Consultation gives you the opportunity to explore your health concerns with a Medical Herbalist, who can tailor a prescription to meet your goals.
The expert knowledge provided by our team will empower you to make positive changes to your lifestyle. It's a new start, a new approach, and you lead the way.You can explore our consultations in detail by hitting one of the buttons below. But our standard consultation format looks like this:
Zen Maitri has a team of kind and experienced Medical Herbalists. Our consulting Medical Herbalists are fully qualified, members of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and receive support and supervision from our Lead Medical Herbalist, Sara Hennessy.
In herbal medicine, we often say that we aim to “treat the patient rather than the disease”. It’s a customised approach that consists in the targeted, individualised application of appropriate herbal medicines to patients to address any health concerns and promote wellbeing. We consider that it is key to thoroughly understand the background to a person’s condition before formulating treatment. That’s how we reach the best possible outcomes. All of which means our treatments are often directed at the potentially multifactorial causes of the condition, not just the condition itself.
If you have more than one symptom, then it's best you choose the Natural Health Consultation, where the Medical Herbalist will be able to examine all of your symptoms and identify if there are any links between them.
Of course. After an Express Consultation, you may find that you want to do a more comprehensive assessment of your symptoms, in which case it makes sense to move up to the Natural Health Consultation.
Our Medical Herbalists are trained to check any contraindication between herbs and conventional medication. They will ensure that your herbal prescription is safe to take alongside any medication you are on.
Our team generally takes 3 working days to research and formulate your herbal prescription after an Express Consultation, and 5 working days after a Natural Health Consultation.
You and the medical herbalist will agree on a time to check-in with each other after your initial consultation. It's usually 5-7 days after you have started taking your herbal prescription but it may vary on a case by case basis.
A Medical Herbalist makes use of plants, whose traditional uses are backed up by modern scientific research and clinical trials, to support and improve a variety of ailments. Their goal is to find the root cause of illness and to choose herbs based on the symptoms or ailments a client describes during the consultation. A Medical Herbalist is a person who is trained in the medical sciences and so has a modern understanding of the health problems affecting people in today’s world. They undergo extensive study of conventional modern medicine including subjects such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacy, pathology (the cause of diseases) as well as herbal medicine theory and practice, materia medica (the study and application of herbs/plants for illnesses/ conditions) and plant/herb study including laboratory analysis and growing from seed to remedy. Plant/herb study also includes identification of plants, optimal growing conditions, natural habitats and appropriate methods of processing the plants to create remedies. In addition to their extensive theoretical and academic training, in order to graduate a Medical Herbalist needs to undergo 500 hours of clinical training. This involves seeing patients under the supervision of qualified Medical Herbalists and fulfilling the specified curriculum set out by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH). Only those who meet these requirements can then be called a Medical Herbalist.
A BSc. Honours degree or equivalent qualification, including 500 hours of clinical training and practice under the supervision of a qualified Medical Herbalist tutor.
Only those who have achieved the requirements of a degree or course that fulfils the requirements of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) including 500 hours of clinical training.
Our Medical Herbalists have primarily trained in Western Herbal Medicine though some have extensive training in the Ayurvedic tradition.
The philosophy differs between the two systems. Chinese Herbal medicine (usually called TCM) uses tongue and pulse diagnosis and reference channels of energy called meridians to diagnose and choose the appropriate remedy. Acupuncture is also usually used with Chinese Herbal Medicine to optimise the meridians. Western Herbal Medicine uses the humoural system based on Hippocrates’ and the later teaching of Nicholas Culpeper and John Gerard in the 16th century for diagnosis (alongside physical observations including tongue and pulse and conventional medical diagnoses). Western Herbal Medicine aims to bring overall balance to the body as well as treat specific conditions.
Ayurveda translates as the Science of Life (Ayur means Life, Veda means science or knowledge). It is a complete and traditional system of medicine and healing modality which originated in India. The emphasis in Ayurveda is on prevention of disease and illness through correct knowledge and practise of Dinacharya (daily routine) and Ritucharya (Seasonal routine) as well as knowledge of one’s own Prakruti (unique inherent constitution) and how to maintain its balance. Ayurveda prescribes herbal remedies, external body treatments, diet and lifestyle advice and yoga and meditation, all of which are designed to address the root cause of presenting imbalances in order to restore equilibrium.
No, homoeopathy is a method of treating disease in which small signals are sent to your body to help it unblock a problem. The premise is that the homoeopathic remedy allows your body to heal itself more efficiently. The signals are given in the form of liquid drops or small white tablets. Each remedy looks and tastes the same. The liquid or tablet tells the body to act with an opposite response to the signal it carries.
Herbalism is not the same and is not given in this form. Usually, herbal remedies are given in the form of liquid, capsules or tea. Each remedy will usually look or taste different and work on a physical level influencing cell signalling in the body in a similar way to conventional modern medicine.
A Medical Herbalist primarily uses herbal remedies/herbs in their practice though some also use other practices, such as aromatherapy, to enhance their primary practice. A Naturopath tends to practise by drawing on a variety of different disciplines such as nutrition, herbalism, spa/hydrotherapy, flower remedies, homoeopathy and aromatherapy/massage.
The Medical Herbalist will build a picture of you - your lifestyle and health and will discuss any specific complaints you may have. They will ask you questions about and analyse your medical history, family history, allergies, diet and lifestyle. In some cases, depending on the complaint, the Medical Herbalist may also do a physical examination, including taking blood pressure, looking at your skin, tongue, eyes, mouth, nails and so on. The consultation allows the Medical Herbalist to assess your needs and the underlying causes of specific conditions and thereafter to formulate the right herbal remedies for you. Whether during or after the consultation, the Medical Herbalist will always explain their prescriptions to you - what are the herbs being prescribed, what they treat, when and how to take them, so you always remain informed and in control of your health and wellbeing. After the initial consultation, our Medical Herbalist will schedule shorter follow up consultations to ensure the prescribed remedies are working as they should and will make adjustments to your prescription, where necessary, according to the progress of your condition.
Need a Repeat Prescription?
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