In the Clinic with Camille For Herbalists & Nutritionists

Whenever I hear about a new practitioner launching an online course, I cringe a bit. It's not that I don't wish them well. Of course, I do! I'd love nothing more than to see everyone's online courses filling easily and making big changes in the world. Unfortunately, that is not usually what happens. In this episode, I share why I don't recommend that newer practitioners offer courses and programs....

I left social media several years ago. I had always thought that social media was mandatory for building a practice. However, when it got to the point that being on Facebook & co. had more downsides than upsides, I decided to take a break. I've never really gone back. In this episode, I share more about that decision and how it's affected my clinical practice. Hint: it's been fine. Although th...

February can be a hard month. For many of us, it's dark. It's gloomy. It's cold. It can be hard to keep the faith, particularly when you're new to clinical practice. Here's a short pep talk for you if you've been feeling a bit down when it comes to your practice. Hang in there. Here's the link to episode 13 on forming your own accountability group , which I mentioned in this episode. --- Send in a...

One of the biggest challenges when running a clinical practice is finding more clients. In today's podcast, we'll talk to clinical herbalist Oren Hercz about how he offers herb walks and classes to support his community and build his practice. Oren shares a few tips and tricks he's picked up along the way, as well as detailed information about how he structures his herb walks and classes. Oren's w...

Planning to do any public speaking in 2022?  In this episode, I interview public speaking expert Megan Hamilton, who shares an easy strategy you can use to stay calm before and during a presentation. Fear of public speaking is incredibly common, and at the same time, presenting is one of the most effective ways of connecting with people in your community. If you're hoping to do a class for your co...

What if I can't do this... Doubt and fear are incredibly common when you're in clinical practice. When you have your own health issues, particularly when they're not resolved or you're in a flare, it can be easy to tell yourself that you're in no position to help others with the same thing. Why should they trust me, when I can't even get my own health under control? This comes up often in my mento...

At this time of year, it's tempting to spend hours planning and organizing to prepare for 2022. I've found that this approach, while fun, isn't always one that works for me in the long run. In this episode, I'll share more about why I avoid annual planning and what I do instead (hint: seasonal planning). If you want to plan for the winter season together, please join me for a free Seasonal Dreamin...

As 2021 comes to a close, I recommend spending some time reviewing your offers. Most of us start out very simply. We have one offer, usually an initial consultation + a few follow-up visits as needed. As time goes by, sometimes additional services, classes, and programs get added to the roster. In this week's episode, I share a few thoughts on why adding more services isn't always the way to go. I...

Ever had a brilliant idea, only to find out that someone else was already doing the same thing? I think we've all been there. You brainstorm and scheme until you're pretty sure you have the perfect program, offer, or class in mind. It can be a big blow to find out that someone else is already doing it. Your first instinct might be to give up, try to think of something new, and move on to your next...

Transitioning Quickly If you're in practice long enough, you'll likely find yourself in a situation where you need to transition quickly between one client and another. You'll also find that there are times when you need to move from a jarring personal situation into your clinical work, without much time to make a mental adjustment. In this week's episode, I share a situation that required me to f...

Should you take the COVID vaccine if you're pregnant or trying to conceive?  This is a great question to bring to your primary care provider! Even though I am not a primary care provider, I've been getting this question from many of my clients who are wondering whether to get vaccinated during pregnancy or while trying to conceive. I thought it might be useful to share my perspective in this week'...

In this teeny-tiny episode, I discuss how to think about quarterly taxes so that it's not quite so painful to send in those checks every few months. Resources Mentioned Happy Money by Ken Honda My Roots course just re-opened. If you're getting started & need help setting up your practice (insurance, forms, scheduling, etc), come and join us! Not sure how much you should be setting aside for ta...

Why I Spend Money on Mentoring... and lots of it.  This week, I'm sharing specifically how much money I spend every month on mentoring. Hint: it's an amount that would have been inconceivable to me a year or two ago. It's an amount that doesn't feel entirely comfortable. It pushes me, which is part of the point.  When I first started practicing, I resisted spending money on mentoring and other "bu...

Why licensed nutritionists need to be aware of the new OpenNotes rules.  Did you know that new legislation went into effect in April, 2021 that affects the way licensed healthcare providers share information with their clients/patients? It's called OpenNotes. If you're in practice, it will affect how you communicate with your clients and potentially how you take notes. Because it's still very new,...

If you've ever felt bashful because you don't run an apothecary... Check out this week's episode! There are many different ways to be an herbalist. Not everyone needs to fulfill each aspect of herbalism personally. If you love running an apothecary, great! If you don't love it, you don't have to do it. If you don't have the time, or the money, or the ability to deal with it: that's fine. There are...

Do you need a business plan? One of the things I get asked relatively often in my  Roots course  is whether you need to have a formal business plan before you open your private clinical practice as an herbalist or nutritionist. The short answer: Nope. Not really. In this episode, I share why I don't think you need one and a few things to consider instead.  Need help with some of these steps? You m...

An interview with herbalist Lori Wroten In this week's episode, you'll hear an interview with herbalist Lori Wroten. This is the first time I've had a guest on In the Clinic!  A cautionary tale I invited Lori to share about a frightening experience associated with the use of an herbal product being sold by a 3rd party vendor on Amazon. Although we don't have all of the details about what was in th...

Should you charge extra for payment plans?  When you purchase a course, program, or package online, you're often offered a payment plan - particularly if the price is on the high end. Usually, the payment plan winds up being more expensive than the "paid in full" price. An Example A program costs $999 - or - four payments of $300 In this scenario, you'd be paying an extra $200 if you couldn't affo...

Do you have your eye on a course, program, or package that's starting soon?  There are endless tempting opportunities out there. If you're anything like me, you probably receive messages daily about trainings or courses that seem like something you really, really should know about. There are times when a course, training, or coaching package is just what you need. Most of the time, these are not j...

Are you having a hard time finding new clients?  When your schedule isn't booked and you're spirits are down, it's tempting to start grasping at straws. Maybe you need to run Facebook ads? Hire a pricey consultant? Do some deep visualization? Take another class? Before you do any of these things, make sure you've tried the basics first. If you're not getting clients, ask your self this: do the peo...

Do the ovaries work without the uterus? Although the ovaries and uterus work hand-in-hand (so to speak), for a long time we've thought that ovarian hormone production would continue more or less unchanged if someone needed to have a hysterectomy. It turns out that removing the uterus does affect ovarian function. In this episode, I share some of the newer studies looking at how hysterectomy affect...

In this visit, I share some things to think about if you're consistently going over the scheduled amount of time for your clinical visits. These aren't always obvious, and it's important to consider how your timing affects your clients physically, emotionally, and logistically. If you'd like to be part of a community of practice with other clinical herbalists/herbally-minded nutritionists, please...

The trials and tribulations of survey research. A paper that I've been working on with a team of other folks was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.  It took about 2.5 years from the start of the project to publication, and it's been a wild ride. In today's episode, I share some of what went into the research and publication process, and a few things that I learned along...

It's okay to keep things simple.   Sometimes practitioners feel pressured to come up with complicated recommendations. A complicated case means someone needs a complex protocol, right? Not always. Sometimes, simple is just the thing. In this episode, I gently remind you of the reasons it's okay - and even preferable - to stick with basic, easy (in some ways) recommendations. These are more afforda...

The more clear you are about who you're aiming to serve, the easier things will be in your clinical work. Feeling confused about your target market and niche?  Not even sure what the difference is between the two? Don't think you really need either of these? Listen to this episode to find out why it's so helpful to narrow these things down for yourself and to learn why it's okay - really! - if you...