Herbalist Certification
 Herbal medicine is often classified as new age therapy, when in fact, herbs represent some of the oldest remedies in the world. From ginger extract for upset stomachs to chamomile tea for unsettled nerves, practitioners have continuously cultivated and improved nature's secrets for millennia. If you enjoy naturopathic medicine, gardening, health, nutrition, and holistic living, you might consider exploring how herbalist certification can help you launch an exciting career in this incredibly ancient branch of alternative medicine.
What Is Herbalist Certification?
There exist many different paths to becoming an herbalist. Some receive training in health and nutrition, others take specialty classes on Chinese herbs and alternative medicine, and still others pursue this career more from a culinary arts background. In all cases, however, the ideal coursework load should cover areas such as:- Ingredient selection
- Food preparation
- Anatomy and physiology
- Alternative healing
- Herbal medicine
- Cultivation and gardening
- Biology and chemistry
After completing your training at the certificate, associate's, or bachelor's level, you can pursue voluntary certification from any number of private or non-profit agencies that help regulate herbal medicine. There may be additional State licensing requirements depending on the exact nature of your practice. An herbalist who opens a restaurant or diner, for example, must receive government approval before he or she can begin accepting customers.
What Can You Do with Herbalist Certification?
There exist countless job opportunities for qualified herbalists. As already mentioned, some open restaurants and diners that focus on cuisine with holistic healing properties. Others work at shops that specialize in hard-to-find herbs and natural food products. And in some countries around the world, herbalists actually work in hospital settings, dispensing medicinal herbs and advice just as a traditional doctor might administer pharmaceutical drugs. This is especially true in many parts of Asia where herbal medicine is sometimes viewed on equal footing with clinical medicine. |
