Paulina Nelega, Registered Clinical Herbalist (RH)
As a Clinical Herbalist, I combine a knowledge of herbal medicine and time-ho
noured traditional wisdom with a thorough understanding of medical science and the chemical composition of plants.
My therapeutic protocols incorporate customized (personalized) herbal remedies and orthomolecular nutrition, along with guidance for a healthy diet and lifestyle, in order to restore balance and attain a higher level of health. I believe in an integrated approach to health care and that herbal medicine and conventional medicine are complementary to one another.
I have been in clinical practice in Vancouver, BC, since 1997. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
A Little Background
Growing up in a rural setting, my backyard was 40 acres of wilderness filled with swamps, bullrushes, frogs, and assorted creatures. Birch, willow, fir, maple, and majestic cedars shared with me their verdant wisdom as I walked beneath them; without realising it, I was literally ‘touched’ by many of the very plants that I later discovered could be used for healing. These green roots provided me with the foundation for an abiding love and respect for Nature and the bounty of medicine that it holds.
Before rediscovering these roots, the first half of my 25+ year career in health care was spent in a hospital pathology lab, peering down a microscope, analysing specimens, or culturing and identifying bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. This experience as a Medical Laboratory Technologist (Magna cum laude) provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the body’s processes during illness and an appreciation of the benefits of modern medicine; it also instilled in me a desire for a deeper understanding of our body’s innate intelligence to heal.
This led to further studies and, after completing a three-year diploma program in herbal medicine, I graduated in 1996 as a Clinical Herbalist. During my training, I was fortunate to apprentice with several of North America’s most renowned herbalists and benefit from their collective experience and wisdom. Alongside being a practitioner, I have developed and taught programs in herbal medicine at local colleges and at Hollyhock Retreat Centre (Cortes Island), and have contributed articles to several natural health publications. My involvement in the natural products industry also includes sales and marketing, consulting for product formulation, and freelance copywriting and editing.
Plant extracts, whether as tinctures, teas, powders, essential oils or vibrational essences, provide a repertory of natural medicines that can greatly assist in re-establishing and maintaining your health and well-being. To ensure that what is good for you is also healthy for our planet, I am committed to sourcing organically grown, fair trade, and ethically harvested botanical medicines.
In Health,
Paulina
This site is dedicated to my father who inspired me with his love for all that grows from “the good Earth” - and whose onion poultices were possibly my first introduction to herbal medicine!
Registered Professional Member:
- Canadian Herbalists Association of BC
- American Herbalists Guild