In today’s health-conscious, greening world, alternative medicine is seeming less and less, well, alternative. A 2008 survey found that more than a third of adults nationwide rely on complementary and alternative medicine, meaning everything from herbs to meditation to massage therapy to lifestyle adjustments.
But most health care plans don’t fully cover alternative medicine, which can be pricey. “In this way, herbal medicine has provided a service for a population privileged to be able to pay for their choice in healthcare and subsequently has become out of reach for a large number of individuals,” representatives from Tai Sophia, the region’s leading alternative medicine school, point out.
Lucky for you, though, Tai Sophia offers a lower-cost consultation service, where student herbalists consult under the supervision of the school’s faculty herbalists. After answering questions about your diet, medical history, mood, and habits, you get a personalized herbal prescription to suit your particular needs. (Tai Sophia also has an herbal dispensary, just in case you don’t happen to have hibiscus and St. John’s Wort lying around at home.) Hour-long consultations are by appointment only, and cost $30 (although the first visit, which usually lasts around two hours, is $45). If this sounds like your kind of thing, consultations happen in Baltimore on Wednesday mornings, and in Laurel or Silver Spring on Fridays. To make an appointment, call 410.888.9048 ex.6667.
