Vanessa Prescott, CHT, RHT

“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.”
― Mourning Dove

While I refrain from using the word “cure” in my practice, I too believe everything on earth has a purpose, every ailment an herb to help heal or lessen the severity of symptoms, and each person a mission. Thank you for being curious about how herbal medicine can help assist you on yours.

My core belief is that nature is capable of many therapeutic actions and should be the first line of defence wherever possible.
My vision statement is to empower people to engage in and take an active role in their own healing, instilling the doctrine that individuals have the right to patient’s choice. In my practice I strive to validate the emotional response to illness, create a safe space for disclosing private information, and advocate a more fearless attitude towards both pathology and the use of herbs as medicine. If herbal medicine is your preference, I want you to feel confident with this choice and experience the gratifying results that nature can provide.

After completing my formal 4 year Clinical Herbal Therapy training through Dominion Herbal College, I graduated as a Clinical Herbal Therapist. Each academic year was 12 months long.  Studying a range of subjects over 48 months, my education included Anatomy & Physiology, Biochemistry, Botany, History & Philosophy, Materia Medica, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Clinical Assessment, Pathology, Differential Assessment, Nutrition, Therapeutics, Dermatology, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Medical Laboratory Science, and Psychiatry as well as 510 hours of supervised Clinical Training at Dominion Approved clinics.

Past experience working with the BC Compassion Club, Alchemy and Elixir Health Group, and White Rock Wellness Center gave me the incredible opportunity to train beneath immensely knowledgeable professionals in my field.
Special thanks to:
Katolen Yardley, MNIMH, RH (AHG),                Maryann Abbs, BSc, CHT, RHT,
Jazz Mattu, MNIMH, RHT, and
Evelyn Coggins, MHS, CHT, RH (AHG), RHT.

I remain undoubtedly grateful for my teachers, mentors, and herbal colleagues, all of whom continue to provide inspiration, motivation and camaraderie - together we keep the spirit of herbal medicine alive. I thank my elders and forefathers who paved and continue to pave the way for our right to practice herbal medicine.

In 2016 I began my private practice. In 2017 I became registered with the Canadian Herbalist’s Association of British Columbia as a Registered Herbal Therapist, having successfully qualified under the regulations laid down by the Examining Review Board. The RHT designation is for professional members and is the highest designation of Herbalists in Canada.

I am not a doctor nor do I provide any form of diagnosis. I believe strongly in science-based medicine, traditional medicine, and the metaphysical connections between disease and mental state. As someone with  Métis ancestry, I feel that herbal medicine is a powerful way to honour  my lineage.

Though honoured when someone refers to me as a healer, I feel that to refer to oneself as this grandeur is a lack of humility. I facilitate healing by holding space and providing the knowledge and skills I have learned and continue to develop as a Clinical Herbal Therapist. Being versed in the knowledge of plant medicine is a time honed skill and art. As a professional in this field, scientific articles and research papers can only prepare you so much. It is near impossible to learn the in and outs of herbal medicine from a textbook and so my patients are truly some of my most valued teachers. Each individual is a brand new learning opportunity - navigating plant allergies, contraindications, herb-drug interactions, idiosyncratic reactions, and herb/personality conflicts.

Herbal medicine can be very simple or very complex. Sometimes there is so much information that all I can do is slow down and listen to an inner voice to guide my practice; a combination of trusting my experience in this field and mentally cross-referencing.

As a clinician I approach each case with an open mind while helping to address emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical imbalances. These are the Four Directions in Native teachings, symbolized by the medicine wheel. In Native cultures, life is viewed as a continuous circle, recognizing the interrelatedness of all things. Each morning the sun will rise and each night the sun will set.

Often my clients are aware of existing imbalances already and it is their own courage and strength that has brought them to see me. My role as a practitioner is to help show you how these seemingly unrelated imbalances may be connected, prompting inquisition within yourself as to what the root cause of imbalance may be. At times this may include referring a patient to a medical doctor for diagnosis or testing, or calling on the services of another medical professional or mental health specialist if the health and recovery of the patient is at stake.

I will offer support to the best of my ability as you reconnect with your body’s own innate ability to heal. Whether it be through herbal medicine, western medicine, or any other type of therapy, often the healing someone needs already exists within oneself, one just needs help getting back to it.

“What I like most about you as a Clinical Herbal Therapist is that you believe in science and research. You check your sources, you put a lot of effort into reading studies and you’ve tried things first hand with your own health struggles. I put my trust into you because of your values.” - K.M.

I would like to acknowledge and show respect for the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples on whose traditional territories I live and practice on and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSANEC peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.