Certified Clinical Herbalist ( Dr. Jong Ho Lee )

Certified Clinical Herbalist

An herbalist uses a variety of plants to foster health and healing. Many herbalists are also licensed practitioners of other disciplines, such as acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine or naturopathy. Most are self-employed and must spend considerable time seeking new clients. Many herbalists may find great reward in the act of helping others.

Job Requirements

Herbalists often earn a master’s degree in traditional Chinese medicine or a related field. Licensing is required, and optional certifications are available. The following table outlines the basic requirements to enter this career.

	Common Requirements
Degree Level	Graduate degree is typically required to practice herbal medicine*
Degree Field	Traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathy, or related healthcare field in which herbs are used for healing***
Licensure and Certification	Licensure in a healthcare field is required to practice herbal medicine**
Experience	Experience in the field is helpful*
Key Skills	Active listening, critical thinking, science, speaking, judgment and decision making, service orientation, active learning, and complex problem solving*
Computer Skills	Accounting software, information retrieval or search software, label-making software, spreadsheet software, and medical software*

Source: *O*Net Online, **American Holistic Health Association, and ***University of Maryland Medical Center

Step 1: Get a Bachelor’s Degree

Depending on which career path an aspiring herbalist is seeking, there may be prerequisites for admission into educational programs. Some graduate and professional schools may require that students have completed a bachelor’s degree program first. Aspiring herbalists may want to consider majoring in botany, biology or a related science.

Step 2: Complete a Herbology Training Program

For prospective herbalists, there are a variety of different herbal training programs from which to choose. If a career only advising clients is sought, schools offer workshops, self-study classes and non-degree programs that encompass training in herbology. If a career practicing herbal medicine is the ultimate goal, students must undergo more intensive training. Graduate schools offer master’s and doctoral degrees in TCM, with curricula that may include an introduction to botany and herbology, herbal treatment in dermatological diseases and integration of East/West medicine. Students interested in becoming N.D.s must complete a 4-year training program, taking courses such as botanical medicine, homeopathy and pharmacology. Allopathic physicians, who go to medical school to study traditional Western medicine, may seek board certification in complementary medicine that includes herbology through the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine.

Step 3: Become Certified

Voluntary certification may be available to herbalists who specialize in certain types of herbal medicine. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) offers the Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.) and Diplomate of Chinese Herbology (Dipl. C.H.) designations to candidates who complete formal education requirements and pass an exam. Certification through the NCCAOM is a prerequisite for licensure as a practitioner of TCM in most states. The American Herbalists Guild (AHG) offers the Registered Herbalist (RH) designation to its members. Professional-level AHG membership is given to herbalists who provide three case studies and meet the requirements, which include four years of educational and clinical experience.

Step 4: Get Licensed

In order to practice herbal medicine, an herbalist must be licensed in a particular healthcare field. Practitioners of TCM and naturopathy are regulated by many states. In states that offer licensure of these fields, requirements vary but often include passing a national or state licensing exam. All allopathic and osteopathic physicians in the U.S. must be licensed and can obtain licensure by passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination.

Step 5: Take Continuing Education Courses

Naturopaths will need to complete continuing education credits every year to meet state requirements for maintaining their license to practice. These credits can be obtained through attending naturopathic treatment-related conferences, seminars and symposia held throughout the state individuals practice in.