American Herbalists Guild
Encyclopedia
The American Herbalists Guild is the only professional organization for herbalist
s of all traditions in the United States of America. The Guild was founded in 1989 as a non-profit, educational organization. It was founded to represent the goals and voices of herbalists who come from a wide variety of traditions such as Michael Tierra
, James Green, Roy Upton, Grace Marroquin, Mindy Green, Amanda McQuade Crawford
, Christopher Hobbs
, Paul Lee, Cascade Anderson-Geller, Mara Levin, Savannah Hogan, Brigitte Mars, Jane Bothwell, Lesley Tierra, David Winston
, Steven Foster, Kathi Keville, David Hoffmann, David Bunting, Mark Blumenthal, Ed Smith and Sara Smith. Past presidents include: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, RH(AHG) immediate past president (1999-2011), Steven Horne RH(AHG), David Eagle RH(AHG), Feather Jones, RH(AHG), Roy Upton RH(AHG), Tieraona Low Dog MD, RH(AHG), and David Hoffmann, MNIMH, RH(AHG).
It is the only peer-review organization in the United States for professional herbalists specializing in the medicinal
use of plant
s. AHG membership consists of professional members who must meet conditions for certification, general members (including students) and benefactors. They publish the Journal of the American Herbalists Guild (Founding and Executive Editor Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, Herbalist; Managing Editor Tracy Romm, EdD) and hold annual conferences at which research is presented. The professional title granted after education, reviewed clinical experience and review by a multidisciplinary admissions board is Registered Hebalist (AHG).
A major goal of the American Herbalists Guild is to establish standards for herbal training. An approved study program has 200 hours of anatomy
, physiology
and human sciences, 60 hours of botany
and plant identification, 400 hours of herbal materia medica
and therapeutic herbalism, 80 hours of pharmacognosy
, pharmacology
and dispensing, 400 hours of clinical skills, 20 hours of practice management/ethics, and 40 hours of history of herbal medicine and research skills. Professional members can achieve certification through apprenticeship or other methods providing they meet appropriate standards.
The organization engages in charitable donations including the Annual Community Service Award and the AHG Herbalists Health Trust. The organization's members include some of the most respected and prolific botanical medicine writer's in the world.
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
s of all traditions in the United States of America. The Guild was founded in 1989 as a non-profit, educational organization. It was founded to represent the goals and voices of herbalists who come from a wide variety of traditions such as Michael Tierra
Michael Tierra
Michael Tierra is an herbalist and acupuncturist who has been in clinical practice in Santa Cruz, California for nearly thirty years. He integrates Chinese, Western and Ayurvedic herbal medicine and acupuncture...
, James Green, Roy Upton, Grace Marroquin, Mindy Green, Amanda McQuade Crawford
Amanda McQuade Crawford
Amanda McQuade Crawford, BA, DipPhyto, MNIMH, MNZAMH, RH , is a Medical Herbalist, Professor, Author and Television Personality. She hosts "What a Relief!", a television show on the Veria TV network which teaches viewers about natural herbal treatments for common, everyday ailments.- Life and...
, Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs is an English experimental composer, best known as a pioneer of British Systems music.-Life and career:...
, Paul Lee, Cascade Anderson-Geller, Mara Levin, Savannah Hogan, Brigitte Mars, Jane Bothwell, Lesley Tierra, David Winston
David Winston
David Winston RH is an American herbalist and ethnobotanist. He has been in practice and teaching since 1977 and has written several books on the subject. He works in the Cherokee, Chinese and the Western eclectic herbal traditions...
, Steven Foster, Kathi Keville, David Hoffmann, David Bunting, Mark Blumenthal, Ed Smith and Sara Smith. Past presidents include: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, RH(AHG) immediate past president (1999-2011), Steven Horne RH(AHG), David Eagle RH(AHG), Feather Jones, RH(AHG), Roy Upton RH(AHG), Tieraona Low Dog MD, RH(AHG), and David Hoffmann, MNIMH, RH(AHG).
It is the only peer-review organization in the United States for professional herbalists specializing in the medicinal
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
use of plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s. AHG membership consists of professional members who must meet conditions for certification, general members (including students) and benefactors. They publish the Journal of the American Herbalists Guild (Founding and Executive Editor Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, Herbalist; Managing Editor Tracy Romm, EdD) and hold annual conferences at which research is presented. The professional title granted after education, reviewed clinical experience and review by a multidisciplinary admissions board is Registered Hebalist (AHG).
A major goal of the American Herbalists Guild is to establish standards for herbal training. An approved study program has 200 hours of anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
and human sciences, 60 hours of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and plant identification, 400 hours of herbal materia medica
Materia medica
Materia medica is a Latin medical term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing . The term 'materia medica' derived from the title of a work by the Ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the 1st century AD, De materia medica libre...
and therapeutic herbalism, 80 hours of pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well...
, pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
and dispensing, 400 hours of clinical skills, 20 hours of practice management/ethics, and 40 hours of history of herbal medicine and research skills. Professional members can achieve certification through apprenticeship or other methods providing they meet appropriate standards.
The organization engages in charitable donations including the Annual Community Service Award and the AHG Herbalists Health Trust. The organization's members include some of the most respected and prolific botanical medicine writer's in the world.
See also
- Herbalists
- Traditional Chinese MedicineTraditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
- AyurvedaAyurvedaAyurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
- EthnobotanyEthnobotanyEthnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants....
- BotanyBotanyBotany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
- Medicine manMedicine man"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
- MedicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....