What is an herbalist? 

 

An herbalist has traditional knowledge of plant medicine. An herbalist can be a practitioner, farmer or product creator— and usually suggests individualized formulations for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being through connection with our plant relatives, from a holistic perspective. This could be in the form of herbal teas, tinctures, honey/glycerin extracts, essential oils or infused oils, or practices, such as herbal bathes, smoke work or meditation. These traditions are often passed down orally through matrilineal lines and exist in every culture. 

 

A hundred years ago, even in the west almost all medicine was herbal. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have been documented for over 10,000 years. But regardless of documentation, these healing practices and our collaboration with plants spans across every group of humans, and are inextricably linked to our own lineages. Many currently popular modalities can also be conceived of under the umbrella term of “herbalism”, including but not limited to aromatherapy, homeopathy, and flower essence therapy, for example.

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Note: this is my extremely unofficial definition, and each herbalist may give you a completely different extremely viable answer.  

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Why make an appointment with an herbalist, like Ana Lygia?

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Herbal medicine, our original medicine, is seeing a resurgence in popularity. This is due in large part to dissatisfaction with a medical system that treats symptoms and diseases, rather than the individual in front of them. In an herbal consultation you are given plenty of time one-on-one to connect with a skilled practitioner trained to assess your current pattern, looking deeper than the name of any specific disease can offer. I will hear your story, seeking to see you–as you are today, as you were as a child, as you have the possibility to be.

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This "wholistic" approach to health puts the power in your hands. With the myriad products and diets bombarding us in the cybersphere, how often have you heard, "Oh, this is so good for you!" or, "No, don't eat that, it's bad for you!"? When the entire person is taken into account, there is no one herb or one food that is good or bad for everyone. This is where a skilled practitioner can be a great asset to help you navigate this plethora of information now at our fingertips and guide you to make the best choices for your own personal growth. 

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Together we can uncover what changes can be made, to what end, and talk about what support will be needed to make this feasible for you. All the while bringing you closer to nature by getting to know the plants we coevolved with. The plants that have given back to us our whole lives, and whom we will call by name–honoring and evoking the innate wisdom they hold. The awareness gained by embarking on or continuing your healing journey with plants will be transformative, as you are lit-awake by familiar smells, tastes, and visions.

 

We don't heal in isolation from our environment or our society. I believe to heal ourselves and each other, we must also acknowledge and address structural injustices, inequality and generational trauma in our culture.

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Sliding Scale Herbal Consultations

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I am currently offering remote sliding scale herbal consultations, via Zoom or telephone.

 

Initial Consult Bundle

 

This package is the starting place for our work together. This bundle includes:

 

• initial consultation, 75 minutes

 

• quick Q and A phone call after you receive your protocol suggestions, 15 minutes

 

• a follow-up consultation at the 4-6 week mark, 60 minutes

 

 

sliding scale pricing ranges from $150-$350* for this bundle of services (full price $250)

*Payment plans available

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Working together long term

 

After your initial consult bundle, we can work together long term to address ongoing needs, goals, and challenges. This is a great option for working on chronic health issues, or for those who want to learn more about how to integrate herbs into their daily life. 

 

3 months of 1:1 herbal support

 

includes:

 

• two 60 minute herbal consultations, 6 weeks apart

 

• access to ongoing limited personalized email/text support throughout this time period (this could include recipes, visual how-to’s, or links to recommended resources to help guide you through incorporating herbs into your life). We can communicate via voice memo/video/writing once per week as questions arise.

 

This service is also priced on a sliding scale, ranging from $300-$600* (full price $450)

 

*Payment plans are available to spread out payments throughout the 3 months

 

This service can be renewed as many times as needed.

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About the sliding scale and how to use it:

 

 

I have created this transparent sliding scale pricing model to make my services more accessible to those with varying levels of financial freedom. I aim to mitigate the hardship that might be typically associated with obtaining this type of service for some. 

 

It is important to me that those from historically marginalized/disenfranchised communities such as black/indigenous/people of color/femmes/queer/trans/non-binary people have access to herbalism. I believe healthcare is a human right, and while our government may be failing us on this, natural/alternative medicine has long been the people’s medicine. 

 

Our ancestors all used plants as medicine. Now, the wellness industry is filling in a gap created by unmet needs arising from the medical-industrial complex. However, these goods and services are often opportunistic, catering to those with significant privilege— excluding the very lineages that contributed so much to these modalities and wisdom. 

 

If you have the means and would like to make a contribution to make offering the lower end of the sliding scale possible, pay above the full price. 

 

You may self select where you fall on the scale, no questions asked. 

 

The “full price” reflects actual price of the services offered. I offer pricing below that range, and above that range. 

 

Consider paying the full price if: 

 

• you may stress about meeting your basic needs, but still regularly achieve them, you have some expendable income and are employed (or benefit from generational wealth)

 

Consider paying below the full price if:

 

• you stress about your basic needs and do not always achieve them, have limited to no expendable income, and/or are unemployed or underemployed

 

Consider paying the full price or above the full price if:

 

• you comfortably meet all of your needs, you have an expendable income/generational wealth and/or you want to contribute to making the lower end of the sliding scale possible

 

There are many things to take into account when establishing one’s current economic status, and they are not all addressed here. Trust yourself to select the amount that reflects your relative financial privilege and reality.

 

You may find the Green Bottle below helpful for clarifying where you may fall on the scale. Created by Alexis J. Cunningfolk of www.wortsandcunning.com.

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I have created this sliding scale based on information found in the following resources:

 

https://www.ridefreefearlessmoney.com/blog/2016/05/sliding-scale-1/

 

http://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/sliding-scale?rq=sliding%20scale

 

http://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/a-better-sliding-scale

 

 

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Note: Herbalists do not diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Always consult with your doctor before taking herbs or supplements, and keep them aware of what you are taking.