Anna Betz – Medical Herbalism
Anna Betz
Medical Herbalism
Member of the professional governing body for qualified Medical Herbalists in the UK the CPP (College of Phytotherapy Practitioners).
I practise Endobiogenic medicine pioneered by Dr Lapraz, in conjunction with herbal medicine, dietary and life-style and wellness coaching as well as PEMF.
In the UK medical herbalists have the right to primary diagnosis as well as to prescribe and make plant-based medicines.
In 1991 I graduated from the School of Phytotherapy in Tunbridge Wells and practised as a Medical Herbalist in the UK and abroad ever since. I also completed a course of studies in Ayurvedic medicine with Dr.Ashwin Barot.
I travelled and lived in different cultures where I researched local knowledge and worked as a community herbalist. I published a series of articles about the use of local herbs and foods in Northern Cyprus.
Addressing the inter-connected causes of chronic inflammatory diseases, developing effective natural treatments and helping people to make necessary changes in their lives has been my calling for several decades. Having worked in mental health services for older people in the NHS for many years and encountered so much unnecessary suffering, I decided I could not stand by and accept the status quo by simply focusing on symptoms and attempting to treat them in isolation from the context in which they developed in the first place. There is so much we can do to optimise our health using natural methods if we know where to find the knowledge and learn how to apply it. I am here to help you with treatments as well as psycho/emotional and spiritual support to reach your potential.
I have trained in systemic family therapy and narrative approaches with Dr.Glenda Fredman
From 1999-2004 I worked as a community herbalist in Northern Cyprus and published a series of articles about the use of local herbs and foods.
Since 2004 I have been working in London and started a CIC called the School of Commoning and the HealthCommonsHub which is supported by my work as a herbalist and organiser for the Commons. I started HealthCommons Circles in GP practices where I facilitate regular manualised sessions for patients suffering from preventable diseases such as diabetes and other insulin metabolism related disorders like ME, PCOS, Metabolic syndrome, Energy crashes ….
In the NHS I work as a lead practitioner in dementia. I pioneered a ‘brainfood project’ to optimise brain health and to prevent or slow down cognitive decline.
I have lead workshops with Living Medicine which aims to re-skill us all in using food and herbs for our everyday healthcare, sharing knowledge across cultures.
I also trained in systemic family therapy, narrative approaches and constellation work. Systems thinking and applying it in treatment and life practice is what continues to inspire me and informs the way I work.
I sense the future of medicine and healing not as a linear continuum of the past or simply the adding up of all existing empirical and modern scientific knowledge but as something much more sustainable, enlivening, engaging, participatory and co-creative where experts help us to become smarter and wiser rather than telling us what to do.
I respect science and nature in everything I do and offer a personal service and quality assurance. I am interested in cutting edge work and liaise with medical and other healthcare professionals to help advance integrated and integral healthcare.
Medical Herbalism
Practitioners of modern herbal medicine (phytotherapy) combine knowledge of the traditional properties of medicinal plants, which has been passed down and developed through the generations, with a rigorous scientific approach. The vast body of research into medicinal plants and their effects on the human organism that has been built up over the past few decades provides clear proof of the pharmacological properties of many herbal medicines for example, the beneficial action of Andrographis for infections, or the benefits of Ashwagandha and Bacopa monierri for brainhealth.
I underwent several years of training at the School of Phytotherapy and was taught always to respect the unity and integrity of the individual patient, and to set any specific illness or disorder in its context, taking into account the patient’s overall physical condition, as well as his or her mental and emotional state, general lifestyle and environment. Experience shows that this holistic and thorough approach, although it takes time, gets much better results over the long term than a quick fix.
Herbal medicine may be used for a wide range of disorders, including digestive, respiratory, nervous system and musculoskeletal problems, as well as gynaecological conditions such as PMS and menopausal issues.
I am a member of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP), one of the main professional organisations for medical herbalists in the UK and more recently have been certified in endobiogenic medicine, an approach to healing that views imbalances as attempts by the body to heal itself. The emphasis is on the body as a living organism which is complex, multi-layered with dynamically interrelated subsystems. I am also a co-founder of the Endobiogenic Medicine Society in the UK.
I am Licensed Brain Health Programme Nutritional Therapist and offer an Online Brain Health Programme. In 2014 I initiated a very successful project called Brainfood in an NHS memory service for patients with mild and moderate memory problems. Preventing and reversing Cognitive Decline and dementia has become one of my passions. I am trained in the Bredesen protocol.
A first consultation lasts up to 1 hour 30 minutes, and a follow-up 30 minutes to 1 hour. During the consultation we will look at the questionnaire that you have filled out beforehand, and explore in depth any physical, mental or emotional challenges that you are experiencing, or that you have experienced in the course of your life. All this will allow us to discover connections between apparently random or disparate symptoms, and to relate these to underlying imbalances in your terrain.
As part of this process I will also carry out a physical examination, and will sometimes recommend certain blood tests, including those for a Biology of Functions. The timing and frequency of follow-up consultations will depend on the nature and the severity of the disorder and could be a number of weeks or months.
The herbal medicines prescribed come in a number of different forms. Most frequently I use tinctures, teas, fluid extracts and tablets, as well as essential oils.
Medical herbalists often use herbs to reduce some of the side effects from pharmaceutical treatment, reducing the need for polypharmacy and the toxic load on the body.
Herbal Medicine together with lifestyle and nutrition support will give you the best chance of returning to vibrant health.
Fees
- Initial Consultation (1 hour): £85 & (1.5 hour): £95.00
- Follow-up Consultations (Half hour): £50
- Child Consultation (Under 10 years, Half an hour): £50
- Endobiogenic blood test & evaluation are not included and will cost extra.
- Consultations via Zoom are available on request and will be 10% cheaper.
Herbal Prescriptions
Herbal Mixtures (incl tinctures, fluid extracts, Gemmotherapy, essential oils): £8 – £18 per week (100ml)
Prices for teas, capsules, suppositories, pessaries and creams vary.