Spotlight on The Berkeley Herb Clinic

We’re not your average herb school.

We don’t just teach budding herbalists how to identify and heal with plants. Our mission is to help them cultivate their careers and teach them how to heal themselves and their communities. We offer our students up to four years of training in Clinical Western Herbalism. These are two years of study in our program, and two years of study as a community clinician working with the public.

That’s why we’re called an “Herbal Center.” We teach herbalists through our school, and we offer herbal healing to our community through our Community Herbal Clinic.

Herb Clinic Beginnings

The Berkeley Herbal Center Community Clinic program began in 1997.

Our school founder, Pamela Fischer, had a vision of offering clinical experience to her students while serving all members of the community with quality, affordable holistic care. We have operated consistently now for more than 23 years and it is our honor to continue to deliver on this vision, both for our students and our community. 

We are driven by the belief that natural remedies are a birthright of all beings and work to provide this to our community.

As one of only a handful of community herb clinics in the country, we strive to bring herbal medicine to the forefront of community healthcare models.

At our clinic, no-one is turned away for lack of funds, and for those who can afford to pay it forward, the clinic welcomes donations beyond our recommended sliding scale. 

Who are the Clinicians

The way that our clinic is structured is such that after two years of study in our program, a student that shows a deep interest in becoming a clinical herbalist that sees clients, is invited to become a clinical apprentice. These students will continue their study with us under a seasoned, trained Master Herbalist for one to two more years.

Our clinical apprentices manage full caseloads while immersed in the myriad of dynamic skills required of clinical herbalists including marketing, scheduling, case research, diagnostic assessment techniques, verbal intake skills, case documentation, herbal formulations, and time and financial management.

Clinical apprentices receive both clinic oversight and one-on-one mentorship with Berkeley Herbal Center clinic directors with the opportunity to invite their clients into their private practice upon graduating from the program.

What You can Expect as a Client of the Herb Clinic

At our clinic, we care for the whole person, we don’t just treat symptoms.

Each of our Community Clinic clients receive individualized care from our trained apprentices. They have the option to choose first or second year clinicians, or they can make an appointment with a faculty member of the school.

Intake sessions are 1.5 hours, allowing for a thorough health history and assessment with 30-60 minute follow-up sessions at a frequency of anywhere from two-week to six-week intervals. 

Clients can expect to receive individually formulated herbal teas and tinctures, as well as recommend lifestyle, nutritional and stress management suggestions tailored specifically for their needs.

When the Berkeley Herb Clinic is Open

Our weekly clinic is open from Monday, November 16, 2020 with our 2020-2021 class of clinical apprentices.

Reach out to our management staff to schedule your appointment today – clinic@berkeleyherbalcenter.org.

We look forward to working with you.