Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals, Volume 4: Neurology, Psychiatry, and Pain Management, including Cognitive and Neurologic Conditions and Emotional Conditions

What valuable information in the introduction! Just the intro was worth the cost of the book. It's giving me correction and balance in the use of herbs. I can't wait to get into the rest of this valuable book. Thanks!

It's like tapping into a naturopathic mind and intuition every time you open this book. Such incredibly helpful and healing book series.

I could go on and on about the abundant clinical treasures in this book.Instead, I will focus on just one:The chapter on Pain is 65 pages long.As someone who has been studying, practicing and teaching herbal medicine for 25+ years, this is the most extensive, in-depth reference on ths topic in the herb community.This title is a must-have for the serious herbalist/healer.There will probably be someone who complains the book is too complicated or doesn't explain things in enough detail.This book is more for intermediate-advanced herbalists who have a solid knowledge base and are willing to be pushed out of their comfort zone.If you are newer to the herb community and looking for a good reference, anything by Rosemary Gladstar is recommended.If you are willing to spend some serious time learning how to work with some of the deeper health issues facing the modern world, Volume 4 by Dr. Stansbury belongs on your bookshelf.

This is a great book that is easily understood. Has excellent information and is an asset to one's library. Definitely worth the money.

Jill Stansbury and Sharol Tilgner write the best herb books ever. If you are a serious herbalist, their books are great.

Arrived ahead of schedule, excellent reference - used as reference by 7Song.

One of the things that has become common among more "professional" holistic practitioners has been to strive to be objective, to justify the use of herbs by citing studies and literature reviews, explaining mechanisms of action through phytochemistry, and using the models of evidence based medicine. There is obviously merit here, but too often I have seen this done at the expense of the practitioner's own experience and wisdom: in the attempt to be objective, they leave themselves and their valuable experiences using plants with people out (after all, we don't value "anecdoctal" evidence as "experience based medicine", an equal to "evidence based medicine").Not so with Jill Stansbury, whose understanding of plant constituents and pathophysiology is more than matched by her deep knowledge of plants, and how herbalism works. In this 4th volume of her Formulary, Jill explores the complex interactions of our cognitive and emotional experience, as well as how these interact with pain. As have the other volumes, this work offers a divers array of potential base formulas, with context given for personalization. It is exactly what we want in a resource: the culmination of decades of clinical experience shared by a gifted practitioner who really knows her herbs.

The author lists ADHD under psychiatric conditions even though it should be placed under neurological conditions due to the fact is a neurodevelopmental condition (neuro being short for neurological). Also, under the author's description of ADHD they list some concerningly outdated beliefs of the condition. "ADHD may affect 5 to 10 percent of children in the Unite States, and while some seem to outgrow the condition, it persists into adulthood for roughly half of those affected" (page: 117). There are multiple things that the author mentions in this sentence that are incorrect. First, ADHD is not a childhood disorder, you develop ADHD in the womb and are born with ADHD, you don't contract it later in childhood which is what this sentence implies. Also, you cannot "outgrow" ADHD, it is a permanent aspect of your brain that will not go away later in life. Now, some ADHDer's can learn to mask their ADHD traits as they face discrimination and stigma (from people like this author for example), but this is harmful for their mental health and doesn't change the underlying fact that their brain is different."Poor nutrition is sometimes downplayed as a significant contributor to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, and mental illness, but those who rely on fast food and processed food may put themselves at risk for psychiatric imbalances" (page: 4). This take is harmful and untrue. Changing your diet to be more 'healthy' is not going to make a person less likely to birth a baby with ADHD or other mental health condition.Additionally, the author talks sympathetically about people "labeled as anti-vaxxers" on page 70, who are clearly anti-vaxxers. If you avoid giving your child a necessary shot that will prevent them from spreading or getting a potentially deadly disease due to the statistically rare possibility that they might get a side effect, then you are an anti-vaxxer. Please listen to science and not fear mongering concerning childhood vaccinations.The author also uses abliest wording when describing different conditions such as "suffering from," "cure," and "risk." As a disabled individual with different physical, neurological, and mental health conditions I found her wording insensitive and derogatory. I love plants and herbal medicine but I do not use books with outdated terminology that is harmful for disabled people. If you buy this book please do your own research and you will see that the author's understanding of these different conditions is sorely lacking.