An online herbal consultation offers space to deeply explore your health history and wellness goals.
What is an Herbal Consultation?
As an herbalist dedicated to providing you the best experience possible, we will dive deep into your health history according to your priorities and goals.
During a holistic herbal consultation, we’ll discuss in depth your primary health concerns as well as other health issues that may be relevant. I approach our conversation and work together with complete respect, creating a non-judgmental environment to explore your wellness goals.
We may discuss:
- Body system functions
- Family medical history
- Your diet and lifestyle
- Movement and exercise
- Rest and stress patterns
- And more
Based on what we discussed in the consultation, I recommend a customized holistic herbal protocol that is tailored to address your unique wellness goals.
Available Herbal Consultation Appointments
Initial Intake Consultations are 1 - 1.5 hour sessions, during which we will go in-depth into your health history so that we can develop a clear picture of where you are in your wellness journey. From here, we will begin to lay a foundation for your wellness journey by developing an integrated herbal, nutritional, and lifestyle protocol to support you in addressing your wellness goals.
After our initial intake consultation, you will receive written guidance via email within one week of our meeting that will include any lifestyle, herbal, nutritional, and dietary recommendations discussed. This protocol will include a custom herbal formula and/or tea blend I have prepared for you.
Ongoing Support Appointments are 45 minute sessions offered 4-6 weeks after the initial intake consultation and throughout the course of a package to see how the herbs are working with you, to answer any questions, and to make any adjustments to your initial recommendation. Beyond our first ongoing support appointment, these sessions allow us to check in on your progress, discuss any questions you may have, and explore new concerns and needs your body expresses as you journey through our work together and as the seasons shift.
Written Guidance / Herbal Protocols may include custom herbal tea blends, tinctures, and other preparations. This guidance may also include lifestyle changes, recipes, foods, movement, body work, meditation or reflection practices, and suggestions for how to integrate all practices and herbs into your routine. For each session, I devote roughly 3-5 hours to research related to everything discussed in our session to choose herbs and deliver suggestions that will best support you in your wellness journey.
Why Work with a Clinical Herbalist?
Our holistic health consultations are focused on addressing your health concerns using a holistic approach, and are intended to complement your primary medical care.
Our goals are to:
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support your body & mind in ways that are holistic, integrative, and effective.
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develop a professional relationship with a holistic practitioner who is devoted to your needs and vision for wellness.
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work with plants in support of your vitality and well-being while ensuring safety alongside prescription medications and complex health conditions.
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receive a comprehensive protocol that is tailored for your body, constitution, and vision for wellness.
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learn the best approaches for rekindling a strong relationship with your body and earth.
“Alex is a gifted herbalist who brings a lot of soul and sensitivity to his practice. The custom tinctures and tea blends he prepared have been nourishing and effective in addressing the root causes of my concerns, and I have always left our sessions feeling extremely cared for in discussing things that can be quite vulnerable. I look forward to working with him and First Curve for years to come!”
— Herbal Consultation Client
Herbal Consultation Pricing and Packages
I charge $125 for Initial Intake Consultations (90 minutes), and $75 for Ongoing Support Appointments (45 minutes). For most clients, I tend
to recommend one or more sessions beyond our Initial Intake Consultation to deliver the most comprehensive herbal care possible. Toward this end, I offer two primary herbal consultation packages. Booking an Initial Intake + Follow-up Session is a good place to start if you're not sure how many sessions you will need. The Empowerment Package offers discounted pricing for purchasing multiple appointments at once.
Initial Intake + Follow-up Session
For those new to herbal care, seeking to get a sense of how they may integrate herbalism into their daily rituals, or for those familiar with herbal care, seeking to create a self-care plan related to anxiety & stress management, cold & flu support, or general wellness guidance.
This package includes:
(1) 90 minute Initial Intake Consultation
(1) 45 minute Ongoing Support Appointment
takes place over the course of 1-2 months
Cost: $200 – (no discount)
Empowerment Package
For those seeking to deepen their connection and relationship with their bodies and our plant and fungal allies, or those seeking to dive into more complex chronic conditions or wellness goals that require work across multiple overlapping body systems.
This package includes:
(1) 90 minute Initial Intake Consultation
(3) 45 minute Ongoing Support Appointments
takes place over the course of 4-6 months.
Cost: $300 – ($50 discount)
Schedule Your Online Herbal Consultation
To book an appointment, please click the link below. This link will bring you to our booking page, where you can book either package outlined above. Upon booking, you will be asked to briefly describe the primary issues and wellness goals you’d like to address through our work together.
At the end of our first session, we will book your first follow-up session.
If you initially booked an Initial Intake + Follow-up package, and would like to upgrade to the Empowerment Package, please let me know in our Initial Intake Session and I will apply your $200 payment to the total cost of the Empowerment Package.
Book a Free 20-minute Intro Session
Are you interested in clinical herbalism but want more information before investing? Book your free 20-min Intro Session to explore the benefits of working with Chicago herbalist, Alex Williams and get your questions answered!
What you'll receive as a client:
• A 1.5 - hour initial intake consultation with herbalist Alex Williams
• Several hours of research outside of our consultation to formulate and prepare your protocol
• A personalized protocol and customized herbal formulas tailored to your specific situation
• 1 - 3 ongoing support appointments to check in and make any adjustments to your protocol (based upon package chosen)
• Ongoing email support (within the limitations of our Email & Phone Policy)
Considerations:
• Case details may be shared with 2 - 3 herbal mentors for professional development purposes only with your consent.
• Package does not include the cost of herbs & supplements. An invoice for your custom formulations will be included alongside your protocol and shipped after payment of herbs is received.
• I comply with HIPAA standards. Your files and any other information you provide will be kept in HIPAA-secure online spaces. Our virtual meeting takes place via a HIPAA-secure online virtual room.
• Sessions are audio recorded for note taking purposes. All recordings and transcriptions are stored securely on Practice Better's HIPAA compliant server and are only available to Alex Williams for the purposes of note-taking, research, and protocol development.
• Payment plans are available. Please let me know if you are interested in a payment plan upon booking.
• Individual consultations can be added at an additional cost on a case by case basis.
What happens after booking your first herbal consultation?
1. Sign up for Practice Better - After booking your consultation package, you will receive an invitation to join Alex's secure client management system, Practice Better. It's free and this platform will give you access to the forms and video conferencing tools needed to conduct the consultation.
2. Complete Forms Online - You will be sent two forms to complete before we meet (an informed consent form, and a confidential health history form), which will be stored securely and shared with an herbal mentor only with your consent. These forms must be submitted 48 hours prior to your consultation in order to keep your appointment.
3. Pay Invoice Prior to Initial Intake Session - If you didn't pay for your package at booking, you will receive an invoice to pay for your package. Payment is required at least 24 hours before your first session. If I do not receive payment within this time, your session will be cancelled.
4. Initial Intake Consultation - During our 1.5 hour initial consultation, we will go in-depth into your health history so that we can develop a clear picture of where you are in your wellness journey. From here, we will begin to lay a foundation for your wellness journey by developing an integrated herbal, nutritional, and lifestyle protocol to support you in addressing your wellness goals. I will also recommend an apporopriate consultation package for the wellness goals you bring to the consultation. I may recommend anywhere from 1-4 follow-up sessions.
5. Receive Herbal Protocol - After your session, I devote several hours to go over your case, research, and develop an herbal and lifestyle protocol for you. You will receive this written guidance through Practice Better within a week of our Initial Intake Session.
6. Purchase Herbs & Supplements - The cost of herbs is not included in your visit. An invoice for your custom formulations will be included along with your protocol and shipped after payment of herbs is received.
7. Ongoing Support Appointments - Along with your recommendations, you will receive an invoice to pay for all follow-up sessions (as discussed in our initial intake). After receipt of payment, you will be able to book your subsequent ongoing support appointments with Alex to check in and see how the herbs are working with you, and make any changes to your protocol.
~ If you are ready to book, please book a consultation package using the 'book now' link below! ~
Additional Info
In Person Sessions: If you are in Chicago, and would prefer to meet in-person, I offer in-person consultations. For in-person consultations, my home office is located up a flight of stairs. If this is inaccessible to you, please consider a virtual consultation.
Virtual Sessions: I also offer remote online sessions for those who live far away or would prefer not to meet in person at this time. Once you book your package and create an account through Practice Better, you will receive a link to my online consultation room. For virtual consultations you will need a stable internet connection with video capabilities, and a private place to meet during the consultation.
Cancellation Policy: Once you have booked an herbal consultation, I have the time reserved for you in my schedule exclusively for you. Cancellations made up to 48 hours prior to your appointment will be rescheduled without penalty. If you cancel your appointment less than 48 hours prior to your appointment or do not show up to your appointment, you forfeit this consultation booking and no refunds or rescheduling for that missed appointment will be available. See all additional policies, including our refund policy, by following the link in the footer section below.
Free Clinic: available for those who would like to see an herbalist, but do not feel that they can afford the full cost of consultation or consultation package. Click Here to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Herbal Consultations
What is the difference between an herbalist and a naturopath?
Naturopaths are doctors, herbalists are not. Herbalists tend to offer herbal recommendations to complement primary medical care, not replace it. While naturopaths do study herbal medicine, they also embrace a wide variety of therapies, which means that they tend to be generalists rather than specialists. Herbalists tend to focus solely on herbal approaches to address health issues, so their herbal knowledge tends to be far more extensive than naturopaths.
When should I see an herbalist?
Most people typically see a clinical herbalist when they have a chronic illness, with or without a diagnosis, if they are experiencing health issues that they feel conventional methods have been unsuccessful in addressing, or if they are seeking a more holistic perspective to complement their primary medical care. Clinical herbalists, especially those who are members of an organization such as the American Herbalists Guild, have extensive clinical training in anatomy, physiology, and herb-drug interactions, and establish their practice with a standard of competency necessary for offering comprehensive holistic care.
What happens during an herbalism session?
Herbalists attempt to find and address the root cause of any health concern their client brings to the herbal consultation. Practitioners will recommend a holistic protocol that includes herbs and lifestyle changes based on the unique expression of symptoms or health concerns the client describes during the consultation. Many herbal practitioners will also encourage self-care practices like meditation or breath-work alongside their herbal regimen.
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