Herbalism is in our roots!

Student Support Tutor

Helen Compton BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine, PGCHE, MA, FHEA, MCPP

Helen trained in herbal medicine with the College of Phytotherapy, graduating in 2004. Her interest in teaching as well as practice started during her experience of clinical training, and she went on to study adult education, gaining a position as a lecturer on the former BSc in Herbal Medicine at Leeds Beckett University (and  involved in working to attain accreditation for the course). Following the closure of the BSc, she moved into teaching anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology on the biomedicine stream of the BSc in Acupuncture at the Northern College of Acupuncture. She continues to explore her interest in education through her PhD research in education and virtual learning for adults with specific learning difficulties

Learning Support Tutor

 Jane Placca BSc (Hons), MCPP 

Jane Placca is a mother and grandmother and has a BSc (Hons) in Herbal Medicine from the University of Central Lancashire, she has a Post Graduate Certificate in Nutritional Medicine from the University of Surrey and is a member of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP). 

After a career in Photography and Digital Media training Jane spent some time in Lesotho, Ghana and Brasil, which informed her herbal practice. Jane’s professional training and experience informed her about safely using herbs that are available from across the world and can ease the stresses and strains of modern life, especially for those who may have a label or diagnosis that is not always useful for that individual. 

Jane is involved in organic allotment gardening and community food projects, and has an herbal practice in Manchester. Over the last 20 years Jane has worked in disability and ASD support and mentorship roles for university students, both in person and online. Jane has joined Heartwood in a learning support capacity and will be providing study support materials and one-to-one specialist support to Heartwood students. 

Lead Personal Tutor

Helen Phillips Dip. Phyt, MSc, MNIMH, MCPP

Helen qualified as a Medical Herbalist in 1997 and began practice at Napiers in Edinburgh. In 2001, she went to work for the NHS in Huddersfield and as a Clinic Supervisor for BSc degree students of Herbal Medicine at UCLAN, specialising in teaching clinical examination and differential diagnosis. In 2014, Helen graduated with an MSc in Herbal Medicine – her final dissertation was ‘Getting out into the garden: A review of the biophilia hypothesis and the effect of nature upon human health’, exploring how spending time in a natural environment can impact our health. Helen has since researched and written a paper on pyrrolizidine alkaloids and currently practises as a herbalist in Cheshire offering home consultations. Helen has also run an after-school club for primary school children, exploring the principles of ecology, organic gardening and nature-connectedness. She regularly gives talks to local groups on home remedies using plants from their gardens, allotment or the hedgerow, and is currently working on compiling local herbal remedies with the help of the elder community.

Academic Skills Developer

 Beth Caldwell BSc (Hons), BSc (Hons), PhD, FHEA, CeLP 

Beth is the Academic Skills Developer at Heartwood. Beth is a graduate of University College London where she completed her PhD in Anthropological Genetics. She also holds two BSc degrees, one in Human Sciences from University College London and another in Herbal Medicine from the University of Central Lancashire. Beth is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is also a Certified Leading Practitioner of Learning Development.

Iulia Barter BSc (Hons), MNIMH

Iulia moved from Romania to the UK back in 2011 to start her training in Herbal Medicine, having witnessed the power of medicinal herbs growing up. She graduated with First Class Honours back in 2015 and has been in practice ever since. Iulia is based in the Kentish town of Strood and is also one of Heartwood’s clinical trainers. A foreigner herself, Iulia understands the challenges posed by adapting to a different learning system and is keen to support tutees with whatever challenges they are dealing with themselves.

Naa Adjeley Tsofanye Dip.H.Med.

Naa Adjeley Tsofanye is a qualified medical herbalist. She is passionate about women’s reproductive health and as a GaDangme cultural researcher her work also involves exploring the practice of African medicine and traditions as solutions to health problems of the modern age. She delivers workshops and lectures on various topics of interest and you can see more of her work on her Website (www.Tsofanye.com) or YouTube and Instagram Channels (@Tsofanye)

Sarah Neville BSc (Hons)

Sarah has been a practising Herbalist since 2013 when she graduated from the degree course at The University of Lincoln. She has worked in a busy established Herbal practice and is now set up on her own. 

Sarah has been working with Herbal students for a couple of years now and is a mentor for newly qualified Herbalists or those who are looking for support or guidance for other reasons. 

Sarah is also a registered Nurse and works part time in urgent care. 

Alice Johnston Dip.H.Med Dipl.-Inf.Wirt (FH), MNIMH

Alice is a practising medical herbalist based in Uphall, Scotland, where she runs a dedicated clinic and dispensary. She graduated with distinction from Heartwood Education and was honoured with the Arthur Barker Best Graduate award by the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH). 

Alice’s practice is evidence-based and patient-centred care, with a particular interest in the therapeutic relationship between humans and nature. Her work integrates clinical herbalism with biophilic principles, exploring how connection to the natural world enhances both, the individual and the natural world. In 2022, she co-led the NIMH baseline study Biophilia – Nature in Herbal Practice, which examined how herbalists engage with nature as part of their clinical practices or self-care routine.  

She regularly offers herb walks and community talks to foster local engagement with medicinal plants and the natural environment. Her approach reflects over 25 years of involvement in the environmental movement and deep commitment to ecological awareness and sustainability. 

Prior to her herbal career, Alice studied languages in Koblenz and graduated from the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne in 2005 with a degree in Information Sciences and Business Administration. She held senior management roles across both private and public sectors before transitioning to clinical herbal medicine. 

Janine Gerhardt BSc (Hons), PgD Ecology & Conservation, MNIMH, Mycotherapist MUKIMPR

Janine is a practising medical Herbalist since 2008 who would rather climb a tree than sit in front of a screen. Four years after graduating in herbal Medicine, she was itching to learn more about nature and in 2012 completed a postgraduate diploma in Ecology and Conservation. Reconnecting people with nature, themselves and each other has been her main inspiration and are the fundamental reasons behind her Herbwalks, Workshops and Wild Food Adventures.

She loves working with people from all walks of life and age groups with the aim of enhancing health & well being through nature engagement in many shapes and forms, hoping to nourish self-reliance and self-empowerment.She is a teacher, mentor and senior Forest Bathing + Guide working part time for the Forest Bathing Institute and lives in Molesey, Surrey, South West London.

Yeli Williams BSc (Hons), MSc, MNIMH, YAP.

Yeli worked for nearly 15 years as a Clinical Scientist for the NHS. During this time, she completed a Masters’ Degree in Medical Immunology, qualified as a yoga teacher, and graduated with a first-class Honours Degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of East London. She then left the NHS in 2014 to pursue her dream of a full-time career in holistic health.

Yeli is based in East Sussex and works full time as a Medical Herbalist balancing her time between working in a busy dispensary, alongside her home practice and teaching yoga. She practices Western herbal medicine and combines traditional herbal knowledge with a modern scientific approach to diagnosis and treatment. She merges sound scientific understanding with a holistic person-centred approach to healing and optimal health, to produce safe and effective results.

She has a passion for sharing the herbal tradition and encouraging students to develop the skills and knowledge required to thrive as herbalists.

Sue Goodwin Ba (Hons)

Sue qualified with NIMH in 1983, and was a member until around 2014. She had a busy herbal practice and ran a clinic in Hebden Bridge for 30 years, before working part time and finally retiring in May 2021 when she was 69. 

Sue has always been involved in student education, taking students into her clinic, working in the Manchester Training Clinic, and mentoring several newly qualified herbalists. Other areas of expertise and training include: Plant Spirit Medicine (with Eliot Cowan) Nutrition, Iridology, Flower Essence therapy, chakra and energy healing, and soul retrieval. Sue is also a trained celebrant, and ceremonialist.  She was part of the steering group that set the herbal medicine degree at East Lancs University, and taught clinical skills there in the 90s. 

From 2009 to 2014, Sue trained in an earth wisdom tradition from the Americas, known as the Delicate Lodge, and am authorised to pass on the teachings. During the pandemic she began offering these teachings online, and developing new courses, which continues up to the present. She also runs women’s circles locally, for support, sharing and spiritual nourishment. Sue is dedicated to her ongoing personal and spiritual development, and is a keen gardener, growing many medicinal herbs and making some of her own remedies.

Kaidi Koiv BSc (Hons), BA (Hons), MNIMH

Kaidi Koiv is a Medical Herbalist with a first-class degree from the University of Westminster. Her areas of special interest are stress management and sleep and autoimmune diseases. She also incorporates therapeutic sound into her herbal practice where appropriate. Prior to becoming a herbalist, she worked for the European Medicines Agency where she gained valuable experience in the regulatory aspect of the pharmaceutical industry. Kaidi is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and Therapeutic Sound Association.

Helen Compton BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine, PGCHE, MA, FHEA, MCPP

Helen trained in herbal medicine with the College of Phytotherapy, graduating in 2004. Her interest in teaching as well as practice started during her experience of clinical training, and she went on to study adult education, gaining a position as a lecturer on the former BSc in Herbal Medicine at Leeds Beckett University (and  involved in working to attain accreditation for the course). Following the closure of the BSc, she moved into teaching anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology on the biomedicine stream of the BSc in Acupuncture at the Northern College of Acupuncture. She continues to explore her interest in education through her PhD research in education and virtual learning for adults with specific learning difficulties

Sue Salmon BSc (Hons) PHYT, MSc, MNIMH, MCPP

Sue qualified from the “College of Phytotherapy” with a BA(Hons) degree in 2002 and has been in practice in Huddersfield since that time. Sue has always felt that giving people the space and time to explore their own health stories, is at the heart of her practice. Networking within her local community has also always been a vital part of Sue’s work. In addition to giving talks to a wide variety of groups and leading herb walks, Sue looks for novel ways of re-connecting people to the medicinal plants that grow around them in the beautiful West Yorkshire countryside. She has been involved in running a variety of collaborative ventures, including workshops with artists at the “Yorkshire Sculpture Park” and “Yoga and Herbs” activities with local Yoga teachers. Sue will be joining a local chef for “Lunch and Learn” events in 2023.

Cath Couzens Dip.H.Med., MNIMH

Before training to be a herbalist, Cath was Director of a marketing agency and spent much of her time flying round the world and, from the outside, everything looked perfect. However stress was taking it’s toll and after months of feeling unwell she ended up in hospital. A herbalist supported Cath in regaining her health and, as a result, decided to completely change her career and began training to be a medical herbalist at Heartwood, graduating with a distinction. She was also awarded the Dorothy Carroll award for Top Final Clinical Exam.

Cath is a member of NIMH and practises Western Herbal Medicine, taking inspiration from TCM and Tibetan Herbal Medicine. Cath also runs workshops, hosts talks and events and has helped design an RHS ‘Apothecary Garden’. Cath offers face-to-face consultation at her practice in Cheshire, as well as supporting patients throughout the UK by online appointments. You can find out more at https://woodsideapothecary.com

Garreth Falls Dip.H.Med., B..Th. MNIMH

Garreth is a Consultant Medical Herbalist, Theologian & Social Entrepreneur based in Northern Ireland.  He is a member of the NIMH and has a wealth of experience in the Youth, Faith & Community Sectors at board and executive levels.  He also used to be on the Telly!   It is his love of people and desire to see wholeness in the community that seeded the vision of The Wild Sage.  When not working you might find him in the open water, out in the garden, foraging or experimenting with his newest homebrew!  Garreth has a special interest in oncology and an area of functional medicine known as “psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology” which understands the intricate balance of how the systems of the body are all tightly interwoven and depend on each other.

Sonya Elnaschie BSc (Hons)

Sonya initially trained as a Physiotherapist at the University of Southampton and has worked in NHS & private setting both in the UK & abroad. Having a keen interest in holistic and preventative health care, she went on to complete a degree in Western Herbal Medicine at the University of Westminster. After graduation she went on to set up a private practice for herbal medicine & nutritional therapy in East London with a special interest in women’s health & autoimmune disease. Sonya has taught on herbal medicine courses at the University of Westminster & Betonica with a focus on anatomy & physiology & clinical skills.Sonya also works for The Social Prescribing Network which has been an opportunity to contribute to meaningful changes in how healthcare is delivered & work towards addressing health inequalities on a larger scale than she has been able to as an individual practitioner. She is also the co-founder of Bee Happy Babies LLP which trains health care professionals to be baby massage instructors. She now lives in Northern Sweden and works remotely.

Canda Diacono Dip. H. Med., Ba (Hons) MNIMH

Having qualified from Heartwood’s Professional Course in 2021, I run a weekly in-person clinic from multi-disciplinary practices in East Devon, as well as seeing patients online.  I enjoy being a generalist and treating people for a wide variety of conditions, and have a special interest in digestive and immune conditions.

I have a medicinal herb allotment where I am growing herbs for use in my practice and I forage for others in my local surroundings.I also write a monthly column in the local paper about medicinal plants that are growing in the Sid Valley, and write short pieces on medicinal herbs for my social media accounts.