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Herbal "Certification" is a Scam

Writer's picture: Jovie Hawthorn BrowneJovie Hawthorn Browne

Updated: Jan 13

How to choose an herbal program that's a good fit for you


Not all herbal education programs are the same. If you are interested in learning this life skill, you are most likely seeking the most reliable and accurate information available for your time and money. But with so much information available on the internet, it can be overwhelming to decide which path is the best one for you.


Your options are wide and can range from:

  • Local workshops with community herbalists,

  • Large online programs that teach thousands of students each year,

  • Smaller online programs with a teacher you trust

  • In-person apprenticeship programs that may take only a few students at a time,

  • University programs where you can obtain a bachelor's degree,

  • Clinical herbalism programs for advanced training in taking one-on-one clients,

  • and everything in between...


But no matter which path you choose for your herbal education: know that "certification" does not mean what it implies.


Herbal certification does not mean:

  • That you have received a level of education that is "complete" (or even quality).

  • That your skills are based on established standards, such as specific educational, experience, or exam-based requirements.

  • That you are legally allowed to practice herbalism only after receiving it.

  • That you've met the required standards in order to work as an herbalist.

  • That you are protected from legal action by that certification.


That's because none of these things exist.


There is no "certified herbalist" license or credential in the US. Neither at the state nor the national level, because there are no official governing bodies overseeing it and there are no standards set for what knowledge or skills are required in order to practice it.


Practicing herbalism is protected as freedom of speech by the First Amendment, with the limitation that herbalists can not, in any way, practice medicine. We can not claim to diagnose, cure, treat, or prescribe anything. Doing so would be out of our scope of practice and be considered practicing medicine without a license, which is punishable under the law. (Herbal scope of practice is something we dive into more in my herbal programs)



That said, the American Herbalists Guild does offer a voluntary peer-reviewed credential of Registered Herbalist RH (AHG), but this is a self-regulated system with no legal standing or protections. Earning this credential involves a group of herbalists reviewing your educational history, clinical experience, and knowledge of materia medica to determine if you qualify for this distinction.


While the credential of RH (AHG) is well respected within the herbal community, it is only earned after several years of clinical practice and is not an educational path or initial training program. Considering not all herbalists choose to practice in a clinical setting, this isn't necessarily a route that will make sense for everyone, especially not at the beginning.



If someone tells you they're a "certified herbalist"— all that tells you is that they received a certificate of completion from an herbal course. (It also tells you that they may care more about sounding experienced than actually being experienced.)


There are zero requirements for what an herbal curriculum needs to include in order to offer a certificate. Literally, any course can offer one and call you "certified"— but that does not make it a quality program.


For this reason, any educational program whose primary marketing tactic is touting that you'll be a "certified herbalist" or claiming you need to "get your herbal certification" through their course is intentionally being misleading in order to make their program sound more valid or official than others.


So, as an herbalist who did go to college for 6 years in order to pursue credentials: I immediately don't trust any program that uses that as their main draw to attract students. It makes me doubt the rest of what they teach as well.


These programs are preying on our societal programming to hold credentials and formal education in higher regard than we do ancestral or indigenous knowledge. Which, if you want to become a lawyer, a doctor, an architect, or follow any other career path that requires board certification for the greater good of society then yes, by all means, make sure you're licensed even if you come from a long line of lawyers.


But is that what we want for a tradition that has been passed down as a way to restore connections to the land and our ancestral lineages? And to provide for our own friends and family when they may not have access to any other alternatives? Should we be required to have a license in order to share the elderberry syrup from our own backyards with our neighbors?



You definitely can go get a degree in herbalism from a university and go to college for 6 years like I did... But it will cost significantly more than many of your other options and you still won't have a license to practice (because, again, licenses to practice herbalism in the US do not exist.*)


(*The only real exceptions in the US are 1) if you study Traditional Chinese Medicine and become a licensed acupuncturist, then practicing Traditional Chinese Herbalism falls under that license. Or 2) you become an ND naturopathic doctor by attending medical school to complete a doctoral program after obtaining your bachelor's degree, which can take 8+ years in total and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars)


While a college or university program is more likely to offer a curriculum of higher quality that's based in science and evidence: it's not guaranteed to be. I had to unlearn a lot of pseudoscience and biased information from the $12,000 accredited college where I did my post-grad herbal studies after earning my biology degree.


When it comes to a tradition like herbalism — which belongs to the people, not profit-seeking corporations, universities, or licensing bodies— we must prioritize continuing these long-held traditions while at the same time ensuring that we're not buying into any misleading pseudoscience laid out by the wellness industry.



Because of this, what I believe is more important than herbal "certification" is making sure a program's teacher or teachers are a good fit for you:


Questions to ask yourself when choosing an herbal program:


-What is the teacher's experience? Where did they learn what they teach?

-What are their values when it comes to things like health, modern medicine, marginalized communities, accessibility, "the government", etc? Do they align with yours?

-Does the teacher or school prioritize their beliefs over evidence?

-Do they credit the cultures where these practices originated?

-Do they understand how to interpret a body of peer-reviewed scientific research or do they cherry-pick studies to suit their beliefs?

-Do they use fear of bad outcomes as a motivator to learn?



Even though I, myself, was eager to quickly earn a credential in order to be taken seriously as an herbalist right away, after getting to know the plants and working with them for nearly 15 years I can tell you that one of the biggest lessons I've learned is this:


There is always more to learn.


Herbal knowledge is never "finished", "mastered", or "complete". The idea of it is exciting, especially when we want to help ourselves and others, so we might be aiming to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible in order to do so.


But nature keeps us humble. As herbalists, while we do become more confident in understanding how and when to work with plants, for most of us it quickly becomes apparent that we are in no position to ever claim to know all of nature's secrets or inner workings.


That's part of the beauty of upholding this tradition. Herbalism is a relationship and a practice that deepens our connection to the world around us, reminding us that we are a part of nature, not its "master".


Yes, it can be a career path in addition to being a personal path. But we must never lose sight of the fundamental fact that we will forever be students of the plants.


So, now that you know what herbal certification means and what it doesn't mean, hopefully this helps you choose the next step on your herbal path with a little more confidence!


That next step doesn't have to be with me, there are plenty of herbal teachers out there! But if you do want to continue this journey together: you can learn more about me and explore my online herbal programs here.


-Jovie Hawthorn Browne



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