When clinical herbalist Celina Ainsworth opened The Herbal Clinic & Dispensary (409 Roncesvalles, 416-537-5303) seven years ago, she wasn’t sure that the village apothecary–style storefront would fly on the west side, but she had to try. Ainsworth, who is a graduate of The Wild Rose School of Natural Healing in Calgary and Dominion Herbal College in Burnaby, BC, has been practising herbal medicine for 14 years, and the shift from clinical settings to operating a local dispensary was a revelation.

“I’ve worked with people in a way I couldn’t have imagined,” she says, referring to the bright green shop’s accessibility to the public. “It has been so exciting to feel a part of this lovely neighbourhood. In the summer, we see a lot of scrapes from bike accidents and in the winter people are more concerned about protecting themselves from colds and flu. There’s a cycle to it.”

While Ainsworth enjoys being on the frontlines of healthcare, she is careful to point out that there are limits to what herbal medicine can address. “Obviously we know our boundaries,” she says, “and we don’t hesitate to send someone to St. Joseph’s or one of the walk-in clinics down the street.”

The dispensary stocks a wide selection of herbs, tinctures, salves and creams and the clinic offers a broad range of holistic therapies by resident practitioners, from registered massage to traditional Chinese medicine. I follow Ainsworth down to the basement, where she prepares a tonic from immune-supporting herbs that will steep in a crockpot at a very low heat for several days. She also uses this workspace to make all-­natural skincare products that don’t require preservatives because she works in small batches. “Instead of producing 150,000 jars of face cream, I make 30. I’ll never be a millionaire,” she says with a smile, “but I love what I do and I’m making a living.”


GROW FURTHER
For those interested in reading more about the history and modern practice of herbal medicine, Celina Ainsworth recommends Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine (Churchill Livingstone, 648 pages, $145) by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone, The Herb User’s Guide: The Basic Skills of Medical Herbalism (Harper Collins Canada, 240 pages, currently out of print) by David Hoffmann and Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality (Storey Publishing, 408 pages, $27.95).

Unlike naturopathic or homeopathic medicine, there is no government-regulated standard for practising herbal medicine in Canada. In order to foster a more unified community, the Ontario Herbalists Association has served as a resource for local practitioners and enthusiasts for over 20 years. They maintain a directory of registered herbalists who have agreed to their Code of Ethics and Code of Practice (which is available to read online), publish The Canadian Journal of Herbalism and sponsor various public events. Their website also lists information on herb walks, lectures and workshops in Ontario, though postings appear to have tapered off since the end of the summer.

Although most of the schools with programs accepted by the OHA are out west or in the States, the Institute of Traditional Medicine (553 Queen W., 416-537-0928) is located in downtown Toronto. They offer a three-year full-time program leading to a diploma in herbal medicine. And healthcare bargain-hunters can sample supervised treatments like acupuncture or receive a nutritional consultation at the Institute’s student clinic for $5 and a can of food (donated to a local charity).