""If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

That's not a phrase you often hear in reference to the body, but we frequently treat our bodies as machines that only have two states of being: 'broken' or 'fixed'. There is also an often-unrecognized in-between place: being run-down, stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed.

If you're living in that window in between sick and well, you might want to consider an herbal consultation. Natural practitioners like herbalists can give you more of their time and energy, offering the support that HMOs, hemmed in by necessity, just aren't able to provide. And if your health-state is changing or challenging, that support is so very welcome that you'll likely wonder what you did without it.

Even a machine like your car will break down on the side of the road if you don't change the oil and check the tires once in awhile! Your own body is infinitely more complex and worthy of attention.

Clinic Information

About Herbal Medicine

    Herbal Medicine, also called phytotherapy, is the use of plants and plant material as medicine. Plants are placed into menstruum (alcohol, water, oil or another liquid), and eventually strained away. The resulting tincture, tea, or oil is then either ingested or applied topically. Of course, herbs can also be ingested as a powder or in capsules as well.

    Plant medicines, although enjoying a rise in popularity, are nothing new. From analysis of a paleolithic grave, we know that plants were used for at least ritual purposes 40,000 years ago or more. The oldest Chinese herbals (books written about herbal medicine) are over 2,000 years old. Sadly, this information is slipping out of common knowledge and cultural consciousness.

Herbal Medicine at Tai Sophia

    The most common understanding of herbs today is as an exchange for drugs. For instance, if you have a cold, don't take cough syrup; take echinacea, instead.

    At Tai Sophia, however, we take a good look at the whole person rather than using herbs as a substitute for drugs. Herbs are individual medicines; and so you will be treated as an individual, and not as a 'gallbladder', a 'headache', or a 'cramp'. The Tai Sophia Institute has been practicing this individual-based holistic system of medicine – and teaching it to their students - for over 30 years in the Baltimore/Washington DC area.

    It is only after nearly two years of study that an Herbal Medicine M.S. student may begin to accept clients. We have now been seeing clients for approximately a year.

About Me

    I have been interested in plants and growing things for almost as long as I can remember, and herbal medicine has been my goal from a very young age. To that end, I attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science, and my minor in Education. After that, I headed almost directly to Tai Sophia to obtain my Master’s Degree in Herbal Medicine.

    My virtues as a clinician are my empathy, my scientific background, and my ability to clearly convey ideas and concepts. As a clinician, I will use my time and energy to listen, discuss and explain rather than solely to formulate medicines. Your health should not be a mystery!

    I am very excited about student clinic at Tai, and hope to see you soon in the Laurel, Silver Spring, or Baltimore clinics.

    My clients say:

    "Jaime helped me solve issues with weight control, fatigue, and general fitness... when I have completely followed her recommendations, I feel better and am without cardiac symptoms (such as) chest pain..."

    "I liked that (Jaime) looked at the whole medical history and looked for linked problems..."

    "I felt like she really listened to what I had to say..."

     Email me to ask for more details or to schedule an appointment at: valley_herbal@yahoo.com.

Essentials of Clinic at Tai

    So that you are given optimal care, a clinic supervisor with years of herbal experience will be present for a small part of your visit. A 'partner', an herbal student at or below my current level in the program, may also be present, to further his or her own learning.

    It is a good idea to bring a paperback novel or a magazine with you to the clinic. It takes 5-10 minutes in order to verify that your paperwork is in order for clinic, at the beginning of the session; and towards the end of the session, your case will be discussed between the supervisor, my partner, and myself, so that together we can compose an appropriate herbal formula for you, taking your constitution, dysfunction, and price range into consideration. At that time, you may go downstairs to our herb room to purchase the formula, or you may take your slip to Roots, David's, or anyplace you like and fill it there.

    If you are pregnant, have cancer that is not in remission, or are terminally ill, Tai Sophia's student clinic is not for you; and while children are welcome, those under the age of eight are not permitted to be seen by a student practitioner for insurance reasons. In order to verify your health status, you need to have had a physical sometime within the past year, and we need your physican's notes from this physical. If you do not have proof of a physical, we cannot provide you with a formula, so be certain to bring your paperwork with you when you come. You can obtain a quick and easy physical from Consentra, a walk-in clinic in Columbia, Maryland, or at any other walk-in clinic. That particular clinic is located at 6656 Dobbin Road in Columbia, and their phone number is (410)381-1330. Walk in hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

    There is also an intake form that it is important I have in advance of your visit. You can email me your address and I can send it to you via snail mail; or, you can access the form here.

    1) Highlight the following address: www.angelfire.com/dragon3/herbalmedicine/CLINIC/Intake_Form.doc

    2) Right-click the address.

    3) Scroll down and click 'copy'.

    4) Go up to your browser and hit Ctrl-V to paste.

    5) Go to that webpage.

    The form should open up in Microsoft Word.

    ~Why did I do it this way? (Because I enjoy complication!) No... because angelfire won't actually host Word documents, for fear that they carry viruses.~

    Thank you for taking the time to read; see you soon! Back to main page?