Founder Member and Committee
Chair 2022/23
About Michelle:
Michelle started her career as a software engineer but in 2005, inspired by her life long passion for alternative health issues, began a course in herbal medicine and naturopathy at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. After graduation she moved to mid-Wales where she set up a clinic specialising in the treatment of ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia, having been a sufferer throughout her adult life.
Michelle is a fully qualified Master Herbalist and Naturopath with 4 years of training in Western, Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs which included 450 hours of supervised clinic experience. From her dispensary of over 300 herbs she can tailor a herbal formula to suit your individual requirements. The herbs prescribed are of the highest quality available with preference for organic and biodynamic sustainably grown herbs sourced from reputable British suppliers.
As a naturopath, Michelle seeks to treat the underlying cause of a condition not just the symptoms and recommends a variety of techniques such as detoxification, dietary therapy and hydrotherapy to help you reach optimum health. She can also arrange for non-invasive laboratory test for example Vitamin-D levels.
Michelle specialises in chronic illnesses such as Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue, but herbs can be be used to relieve symptoms associated with stress, hormone imbalances, breathing difficulties, skin problems, allergies, sleep and digestive disorders.
Michelle is registered with:
Light Therapy given via a Photonwave device, is a gentle non-invasive therapy which corrects missing light frequencies in the brain due to lack of sunlight or too much computer use. It can be used for a variety of disorders including allergies, depression, CFS/ME, Depression, SAD and improves the patient's overall physical and emotional well-being.It is given in short sessions of 15 minutes over a couple of weeks. It is known that lack of sunlight and associated lack of vitamin D is linked to SAD and MS.
Autonomic Response Technique (ART) was developed by Dr Klinghardt, a medical doctor specialising in Lyme disease and neurological disorders. It uses kinesiology, the body's natural biofeedback system to directly assess what the problem is, where it is and which herbs, supplements or other intervention it needs to recover. It produces the most reliable & consistent responses over other forms of muscle testing. It can find the underlying issues in such cases as fatigue, allergies, stress, insomnia, gut problems, brain fog and give you the answers you need to get well.
Michelle Boudin Dip.Herb, ND (Naturopathy)
Herbal Medicine, Naturopathy, Light Therapy and Autonomic Response Technique
Based in Llanidloes
Contact Michelle via email
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is one of the oldest natural therapies available and a huge wealth of knowledge has been handed down over the centuries for us to use today. It is estimated that 80 percent of the world still use herbal medicine as their main form of medical treatment and in the West we are blessed to be able to use herbs from all over the world, blending the many different traditions into our own new and unique modern system. Today herbalists are well trained not only in tradition herbal medicine but also in biochemistry, pharmacology and modern medical sciences. Much research and analysis has been performed into the many chemical constituents that are present in herbs and how they work in the body.
Many medicines today were originally extracted from plants: Aspirin (salicylate acid) for instance used to come from Willow, Metformin used to treat diabetes from Goats rue (Galega officinalis), and Taxol from the Yew tree for breast cancer treatment. What can herbal medicine treat?Herbs can relieve symptoms of many common illnesses including skin problems, sleeping difficulties, digestive complaints, hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, stress and anxiety, arthritic and muscular pain, allergies, high blood pressure, minor infections.
What to expect?
Your first consultation will last between 60 to 90 minutes. The herbalist will take a full case history concentrating on your current symptoms and then move on to your past medical history, diet and lifestyle. This will build up a picture of you as a person and also identify any underlying causes to your current symptoms. If necessary the herbalist will take your blood pressure and do a short medical exam. The herbalist will then review your case with you making suggestions and recommendations. They will dispense a custom made herbal formula tailored to you, and the condition being treated.
A formula can consist of one to 10 herbs. The herbs can be taken as a tincture (liquid) or in pill form, or dried to make a tea. Herbalists may also guide you to use herbs externally, through the use of baths, salves, creams, liniments and compresses. A follow-up appointment is usually recommended in 2 to 4 weeks.
Are herbs safe?
Herbalists are trained to consider any medications you are taking, in order to avoid drug herb interactions and/or exacerbate your symptoms. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding certain herbs will be restricted but there are many that are safe and effective.
Types of Herbal Medicine
Today herbal medicine is a blend of many different cultures but there are several basic traditions which some herbalists may specialise in:- Western Herbal Medicine was developed in Europe and knowledge spread from the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and the Phoenicians. Wales also a strong herbal tradition in the Priest of Myddfai who were based in Carmarthenshire in the middle ages who recorded their recipes and methods in texts containing descriptions of over 175 herbs which is now held in the British Museum. Western Medical herbalists are often trained to degree level and when prescribing consider both traditional herbal preparations as well as the latest scientific research on chemical constituents and clinical trials.
Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine based in the Indian subcontinent and uses a system of doshas or constitutional types in order to prescribe the correct treatment and restore “prana” life force. The three doshas are pitta (firey), kapha (earthy) and vata (airy), and the practitioner may ask non-medical questions in order to correctly determine your dosha, for instance is your skin dry or prone to acne, are you quick to anger, are you big or small boned, do you like the heat? The herbalist may also use pulse and tongue diagnosis. Indian herbs are often prescribed in powder form and eating the correct diet for your dosha is also an integral part of the treatment..
Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the four pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Herbs are classified into their characteristics hot, warm, cooling, cold, neutral, sour, pungent, sweet, bitter and salty. The combinations influence the body and correct the yin-yang and qi imbalance. Herbs are prescribed in complex formulas of up to 20 herbs often based on ancient recipes and given as dried herbs to be taken as decoctions (tea) which is drunk several times per day. Unani Tibb is a form of western medicine based on philosophies and work of the late 10thand early 11th century herbalists Avicenna and Galen. Galen believed in a vital energy or creative force that he called "pneuma" that is similar in concept to the Chinese concept of "qi" and the Ayurvedic "prana.".
Naturopathy
Naturopaths believe that the body’s natural state is one of equilibrium, which can be disturbed by an unhealthy lifestyle which includes poor diet, excess consumption or bodily neglect, worry, emotional disharmony, and overwork. They look for the underlying causes of a problem rather than treating symptoms alone, combining diet and non-invasive therapies where possible to stimulate the healing process. The aim of the treatment is to empower the individual to be ultimately responsible for their own health and well-being through education and to adopt a hands-on approach to self healing.
Naturopathy is practised throughout the world in various forms and is perhaps more commonly accepted in Europe. Some of its principles have been adopted by conventional medicine.
Some of the following therapies may be prescribed depending on the condition being treated:
Hydrotherapy (internal and external, baths, enemas)
Detoxing (bowel, liver, kidney cleanses, parasite removal)
Skin brushing
Fasting,
Juicing,
Diet Therapy (Food Combining, Raw Food, Alkaline Diet, GAPS Diet)
Exercise
Relaxation and stress management
Biochemical supplementation (vitamin, mineral, herbs, superfoods, celloids, tissue salts)