Highlighting our great herbal community

Here at Herbal Apothecary, we are passionate about promoting our practitioners who are up and down the country! We have created a new initiative to support in advertising different types of natural practitioners and allowing you to get to know them more!

For this practitioner spotlight in October, we have interviewed Sarah Farrow of Common Ground Herbals, asking her about being a Medical Herbalist, her passions and what she loves about herbal medicine!

Introducing Sarah Farrow of Common Ground Herbals

Question 1:  Why did you want to become a herbalist?

Growing up in the countryside, I have always been inquisitive about nature and excited to learn more about its secrets. This is a curiosity which stayed with me as I started work in healthcare.

Shortly after leaving school, I started working for a high street pharmacy where I gained NVQ’s in dispensing and OTC sales. This involved dispensing orthodox medicines and treating common ailments. I worked and helped individuals with their complaints and knew that there was more to the story. I wanted to know more about how these chemical compounds acted in the body and where these were derived from.

To my surprise, I learnt that many common orthodox medicines are derived from herbs (Aspirin [Meadowsweet], Metformin [Goats Rue], Morphine [Opium Poppy], Galantamine [Snowdrops]… to name a few).

This gave me a newfound passion and interest as I was drawn to natural health and healing, I also wanted to learn more about herbal medicines and its origins.

Question 2: Where did you study and tell us about your award and Dissertation!

I studied for 3 years with Lincoln College and, achieved a first class degree in Clinical Herbalism BSc (Hons). I relocated to Lincoln in order to do this and continued working in a local pharmacy, where my work colleagues and pharmacists were always interested and asked questions about my studies.

This influenced my dissertation; ‘An exploration of the perspectives and attitudes of UK pharmacy students on CAM therapies and CAM training’ for which I earned an award ‘outstanding dissertations’ at my graduation ceremony!

I was able to conduct this research using the contacts made within the industry and provided questionnaires to year 2, 3 and 4 students of the MPharm Pharmacy degree at the University of Lincoln. The majority of these students planned to go on to be community and hospital pharmacists.

The outcomes from this primary research were very interesting, for example; around 60% of females said that they agreed with the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies and 60% of all respondents had a positive attitude towards integrative medicine. However, There was a lot of uncertainty about what would be adequate to advise patients in their future job roles, but interest was shown in the possibility of including more training on the course.

Some other areas that the research explored include: 

• -          Do they agree with the use of CAM therapies? and why
• -          Would they recommend CAM therapies to their patients in the future?
• -          Are they confident answering queries about CAM for their future job roles? If not now, will they at the end of the degree?
• -          Should CAM therapies be available in pharmacies?
• -          Should more training be offered to pharmacy students on CAM?
• -          Did they think the clinical evidence is a barrier?
• -          Would they know where to find information if needed?
• -          When and how should this information be delivered in their studies?
• -          Their thoughts on integrated medicine

Overall, the responses received were really positive and many of the students had a genuine interest and openness towards learning more. The students offered an inspiring perspective, and could pave the way for a future with integrated medicine. This is despite a historical divide between the two professions, and whilst there may still be conflicting ideas, this research shows that integrative medicine could bridge the gap, and in the future, the two could work together to achieve a holistic approach to health.

Question 3:  What do you enjoy about Herbal Medicine and being a herbalist?

Being a herbalist and training to be a herbalist has been a joyful experience. Working alongside nature and harnessing the wisdom of our fellow flora is a radical and liberating act. It is a powerful reminder of our bond with plants, and a reconnection to our roots. I am overjoyed to take part and foster connections between individuals and their local herbs, witnessing the profound impact this connection can have on our health and livelihoods. Whilst we have many challenges ahead, I am constantly reminded that I am on the right path and my dedication to the profession continues to grow.

There are so many areas of herbal medicine that I enjoy, including exploring history and folklore, working hands-on with plants and supporting individuals on their health journeys. Now that dissertations, clinic days and assignments are behind me, I am enjoying watching my creativity grow around my herbal practice. Creating herbal art (anthotype prints, gel prints, flower pressing) and studying more about the astrological associations to plants, has been a wonderful way to deepen my connection to my work, and each new project has been a step towards nurturing the growth of my new herbal business.

Question 4: What herbs are you enjoying working with at the moment?

At the moment, I am enjoying working with Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and Limeflower (Tilia europea). Each with their own unique properties, being able to wildcraft them has provided another layer of connection to my work. It has been wonderful moving back to Norfolk and being in the same environment where my first steps with herbalism began, and being able to watch these herbs grow and change with the seasons.  These are herbs that I have been using in my herbal blends and practice recently, supporting menstrual, musculoskeletal and sleep issues.

Question 5: What advice would you give to people who do not know much about herbal medicine and how could they begin to implement it into their life?

The beauty of working with herbs is that inspiration is all around you, all of the time. When I started my first steps with herbalism, I would take my plant ID book, head out for a walk, and collect specimens. At home I would ID them, learn about their properties and identify their plant family, draw them, and paint them. This would be a sort of journalling which put me in a really good position to learn more about the plants that grew around me locally.

Meditative tea tasting is another practical way to learn more not only about herbs but how they act within the body. This is something I learned at college and it can be a really powerful way to connect to the herbs around us. Sensory activities like this give us a great opportunity to tune into our bodies and connect with our local plants.

Common Ground Herbals

At Common Ground Herbals, we integrate traditional herbal knowledge with modern insights that address the root causes of health imbalance. Founded by Sarah Farrow BSc (Hons) Medical herbalist, bespoke herbal blends are crafted to enable a holistic approach to health, that emphasises a reconnection to nature, health empowerment, education and lasting wellbeing.

A warm welcome – We look forward to meeting you on common ground.