Matt Finch interviews Amanda McQuade Crawford on her work she does combining phytotherapy (herbal medicine) with psychotherapy and other natural healing modalities.
About Amanda McQuade Crawford
Amanda McQuade Crawford is an herbalist and psychotherapist practicing integrative health care at her clinic PhytoHumana, with locations in Ojai and Ventura, California, serving Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. She practiced as a Consultant Medical Herbalist for decades before she became a licensed therapist (MFT), and now offers an experienced perspective on botanical medicine and clinical psychology.
Amanda has a degree in phytotherapy (herbal medicine) from Britain’s College of Phytotherapy. She was elected a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (MNIMH) in 1986, and is a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild.
She has studied the healing traditions of other countries while living and working as a clinician abroad. In 2005, Amanda spent a year in New Zealand as the Clinic Supervisor for Canterbury College of Natural Healing.
She is the author of three books on women’s health: The Natural Menopause Handbook, Herbal Remedies for Women and The Herbal Menopause Book. She also shared her methods of herbal self-care on her TV show, What a Relief! on the Veria network.
Amanda frequently participates with internationally active groups dedicated to quality in health care. As a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists and United Plant Savers, Amanda experiences science as a spiritual discipline. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild, a consultant in the natural products industry, and she continues to serve the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (Review Panelist) and the American Botanical Council (Advisory Board Member).
Here are the main topics discussed in this episode:
- Amanda’s story of getting into phytotherapy at a very young age and then her path of continuing education, mentors, practicing herbal medicine abroad, etc.
- The socio-political and psycho-spiritual aspect of the way Amanda practices herbal medicine
- Why so many of us have been programmed to want and expect fast results and how to break free of this conditioning
- The very large amount of decisions we are faced with on a regular basis and the issues this can cause
- The Post-Traumatic Growth Syndrome phenomenon
- How to start off slow building new habits
- How to start off slow improving your nutrition habits
- Having self-compassion and a support group of loved ones
- The Holistic Approach to addiction and other ailments
- Why looking at the whole person is overlooked in modern Western medicine and the importance of taking the time to do this
- Reincarnation and other spiritual belief systems that some find interesting to ponder or learn more about
How to learn more about Amanda McQuade Crawford:
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