What is Medical Herbalism?

Medical herbalism is kind of like going to your GP, but instead of pills, we prescribe plants.

As a Medical Herbalist, I have spent several years training in nutrition, anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment planning, as well as a wide range of clinical examination skills and of course, herbal and plant-based medicines (also known as phytotherapy). This training is very similar to how doctors are trained in the UK.

Herbalists differ from conventional medical practitioners. I will work together with you in an integrated way to understand the full picture of your life, health and situation. This will help me develop tailored treatment plans that work for you. This may (and often does) include working safely with and alongside your current medical practitioners, medications and treatments.

Patients will be able to work with Ellen one-to-one on on a whole range of health issues and challenges, both short and long term. Her special interest is in supporting neurodivergent people and those working with mental health challenges to feel at their best and receive supportive, tailored treatment in a way that works for them.

She works in an integrated way, understanding the full picture of your life, health and situation to develop tailored treatment plans that work for you. This can include working with and alongside your current medical treament.

Ellen has over six years experience, two in-depth clinical qualifications, and over 700 hours of combined clinical experience working with patients in a range of settings.

Medical Herbalism clinic opening for new patients Autumn 2025

What can I expect from my treatment?

The consultation
First of all, we’ll sit down and have 1.5 hour consultation, in person or online, where I hear all about you, listen to what’s going on, and take notes to understand the full picture of what’s going on.

This means looking at your health a whole: your past medical history, body systems, medications, life, work, nutrition, stress levels, mental and physical health. This helps me to get a really clear picture of who you are and what you’re hoping to gain from working with me and with plant based medicines.

The treatment
I’ll develop a treatment plan with you, including nutrition and lifestyle guidance, support to communicate with your medical practitioners, recommendations for blood tests or other diagnostics, and of course a prescription (or several) for herbal medicines. This can include alcoholic herbal extracts (tinctures), dried herb blends (medicinal-strength herbal teas), capsules, powders or glygerine (non-alcoholic) based medicines. We’ll always make sure the treatment works for you an monitor it regularly to see how it’s working.

Working together
We will work together for a minimum of three months, with monthly check in appointments to monitor your progress, health and wellbeing. This allows sufficient time for us to get to know each other, and for the herbs to start working effectively. Think of this as a marathon, not a sprint - instead of “plastering over the cracks” or solely providing symptom relief, we’ll aim to get to the root cause of the issues and tackle them there. This ensures we are nudging your body —bit by bit —back to optimal health and function in a strategic, gentle yet powerful way.

We will adjust treatment plans as needed. I encourage open and honest dialogue and am here to support you every step of the way. I will provide some “out of hours” support via phone, text or whatsapp - we’ll agree exactly what’s needed together during your consultation.

What makes my practice unique?

I specialise in helping neurodivergent people, and those with mental health conditions.
We look at your physical, mental and spiritual health. In my practice, I take into account my clients’ mental health as a top priority and specialise in supporting who are neurodivergent or working with anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges, I have personal lived experience of a range of mental health conditions, which makes me uniquely placed to offer a compassionate and safe space to address these challenges, or just to switch off from everything for a while, if that’s what you need. Although I specialise in treatments for mental health support, a wide range of clients come to me for treatment and I am more than happy to support you if you are not neurodivergent or working with mental health conditions.

I use powerful organic aromatic essential oils to enhance medical herbalism treatment
Not many medical herbalists are also aromatherapists. I have the advantage of being a qualified aromatherapist on top of my Medical Herbalism degree which means I can enhance treatment strategies with powerful aromatic oils to improve patients’ treatment outcomes. Plants containing volatile (essential) oils are known for their antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anxiolytic properties to name just a few. By harnessing the healing power of these plant extracts I can augment my medicines even further, always backed by scientifically rigorous research and training.

I have completed extensive specialised training
I’ve spent over 4 years training full time in my disicplines and have passed many rigorous examinations with top, specialist UK doctors and Medical Herbalists as examiners. This means I practice safely and to high clinical standards.

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic oils (extracted from plants via steam or water distillation) for therapeutic purposes. Oils can be applied as a dilution to the skin in massage, used in skincare, inhaled or diffused.

Known as essential oils, these plant extracts contain a wide range of phytochemical components which are beneficial for promoting skin health, as well as supporting the respiratory system, nervous system, joint and muscle function, the circulatory system and addressing a whole range of health issues.

Essential oils work on both a physical and mental level; some say also a spiritual level. I have found them to be particularly helpful when treating clients who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions, particularly when combined with other more physical illnesses, they can be especially useful and effective.

In my practice, I use high-quality oils from organic and ethically-harvested sources, and select the most relevant oils to my clients’ particular needs.

Note: some companies promote and advocate the ingestion of essential oils: this is not something the I or the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA) condones or promotes. Always consult reliable sources of safety information. Learn more

What can I expect from my treatment?

Talking, supporting
First of all, we’ll sit down and have a conversation about you. This means looking at your health a whole: your life, work, nutrition, stress levels, mental and physical health. This helps me to get a really clear picture of who you are and what you’re hoping to gain from our time together.

Blending, creating magic
You’ll receive a bespoke, handmade on-the-spot organic essential oil blend, and you’ll be fully involved during the blending process. This helps me to create a blend that is unique to you and your own needs and health goals for the session, no matter whether these are big or small, long or short term - there are no judgements here, we’re working together to support you in whatever way you choose.For me, this is one of the most magical parts of aromatherapy: blending the individual oils to create something aromatic and wonderfully healing which is so much more than the sum of its parts. We’ll look at any energetic and physical imbalances within the body and mind, using the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory of the Five Elements to understand your own energetic balance. The oils we choose will be a direct reflection of any imbalances we’re working to address.

Identifying, massaging, releasing
Using my background in Aromatherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine alongside my scientific chemistry and anatomy training and intuition, I create a holistic and unique experience for each client, which includes tailoring the physical massage treatment as well as the oil blend.

I can provide a full-body massage, or focus energy on key areas for the duration of our session. I can work on all areas of the body, releasing tension and addressing pain using a toolkit of soft and deep-tissue techniques.

Types of massage to choose from:

• Facial, neck & head massage

• Back, neck & shoulder massage

• Abdominal massage

• Chest massage

• Arm, hand, leg & foot massage

What makes my practice unique?

I adapt each treatment to take your unique combination of health needs and goals into account.
We look at your physical, mental and spiritual health during our in-depth consultation. In my practice, I take into account my clients’ mental health as a top priority and specialise in supporting those with anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges, I have personal lived experience of a range of mental health conditions, which makes me uniquely placed to offer a compassionate and safe space to address these challenges, or just to switch off from everything for a while, if that’s what you need. Although I specialise in treatments for mental health support, a wide range of clients come to me for massage with various needs, including yoga instructors and runners with a range of physical issues, and those with neurological, spinal or skin conditions.

I have completed extensive specialised training in Aromatherapy massage.
I am ITHMA qualified and a member of IFPA, the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists. This means that I have passed a wide range of rigorous examinations, as well as undertaking extensive training to become a professional aromatherapist and massage practitioner.

I have trained in plant chemistry, anatomy and physiology, therapeutic massage and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I integrate this approach into all of my treatments. am specifically trained to treat pregnant clients, elderly folks, children and adults alike, and qualified with distinction in 2019. I have treated over 200 clients to date.

Note: Some training courses in aromatherapy aren’t extensive, and can be as little as 1-day long. This means that they don’t provide the in-depth training needed to blend, apply and supply essential oil blends and products safely and appropriately with clients. Always make sure you check the qualifications your therapist has passed if you’re not sure.

I create bespoke products and treatments to take home.
This helps my clients to prolong the benefits of their treatment and allows them to carry some aromatherapy to use to support them between treatments, which can be immensely helpful for many health conditions. Note: these are subject to an additional cost.