LIVING EARTH HERBAL CLINICS


Living Earth School of Herbalism offers two choices of herbal clinics to accommodate the different needs and financial resources of our clients. We are able to treat almost any kind of acute or chronic condition, however, it is recommended that those who have very serious illnesses or are taking one or more pharmaceuticals book appointments with Michael Vertolli as their case will require the ongoing guidance of an experienced practitioner.

The system of healing that is practiced in the Living Earth herbal clinics is Four Elements Herbal Therapy, a unique system of Western clinical herbalism. Four Elements Herbal Therapy is a modern, holistic healing system based on the time-tested principals of traditional Western herbalism that will help you to optimize your state of health and well-being. It normalizes and optimizes your health, providing you with support as a whole person rather than just focusing on the alleviation of your symptoms. This system can benefit all manner of acute and chronic health conditions as well as prevent illness and optimize the health of anyone who is already relatively healthy. Four Elements Herbal Therapy was developed by Michael Vertolli. It is the system that is practiced both in his personal clinic and in the Living Earth Student Clinic.


Living Earth Student Clinic

PLEASE NOTE: The senior students of the Traditional Herbalist Program have now completed their clinic requirements. As a result, the Student Clinic is closed until the next group of students reach the advanced part of the program. The Student Clinic will reopen in November 2010. If you wish, you may book an appointment with Michael Vertolli's clinic (see below). Sorry for the inconvenience.

Let our senior students help you to restore your health and vitality with a safe, effective, natural herbal treatment plan designed to meet your individual needs.

Schedule

The student clinic is scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Consultations

Initial consultations are 90 minutes long. Follow-up consultations are 45-60 minutes. During the consultation you will be asked detailed questions about your health, history, diet, lifestyle and anything else that is pertinent to your case. If you are taking any vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies or drugs, please bring them with you to your initial consultation. It is also recommended that you bring copies of any blood tests or other diagnostic tests that relate to your condition.

At the end of your consultation you will be given dietary and lifestyle recommendations along with a personalized herbal tincture formulated to meet your specific needs.

The first follow-up consultation is scheduled four to six weeks after the initial consultation, depending on the specifics of your case. Thereafter consultations are scheduled every six weeks. Your personalized herbal formulation will be continually changing as your treatment progresses as all aspects of your health can not be addressed by a single formulation.

The herbal tinctures used in the clinic are prepared by Michael Vertolli and the senior students of the Traditional Herbalist program using fresh (with a few exceptions where fresh herbs are not available), organically grown and ethically wild harvested herbs. Only the most potent parts of  the herbs are harvested at the ideal time of day and stage in the life-cycle of the plant. Proper respect is always given to the herbs and the environment in which they grow. Living Earth tinctures significantly exceed the quality that is available from over-the-counter products and professional product lines. The formulations are customized to address the individual needs of each client in accordance with the principles of Four Elements Herbal Therapy, the system of Western herbalism that is practiced in our clinic.

Supervision

The clinic is supervised by the clinic director, Michael Vertolli. All recommendations by our student practitioners require the approval of the clinic director.

Cost

All consultations are FREE. You are only required to pay for your personalized herbal remedy.

The cost of the remedy is $50 for a 250 ml bottle. In the early stages of treatment only one bottle will be required per consultation. As your treatment progresses the dosage that you are required to take will increase. Eventually more than one bottle will be required. When this occurs, the cost of the first bottle is always $50. The cost of each additional bottle is $45 for 250 ml, or $20 for 100 ml. [In comparison, 250 ml of a tincture formulation purchased from a retail outlet will cost between $75-150, depending on the brand and the specific herbs that they contain. Retail formulations are also generic. They are not customized to your specific needs.]

Payment

Payment must be made in cash or by cheque. We can not accept payment by credit card or debit card.


Michael Vertolli's Herbal Clinic

Michael Vertolli is one of the most respected herbalists in Canada. As a result of his twenty-four years of clinical experience and empirical research he has developed Four Elements Herbal Therapy. This unique system of Western herbalism is the foundation of his clinical practice.

Schedule

Michael Vertolli's clinics run on Thursdays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Consultations

Initial consultations are two hours long. There is usually less information that needs to be recorded for infants and small children unless their case is fairly complex. Therefore initial consultations for infants and small children usually only require one hour. All follow-up consultations are forty-five minutes to one hour. As in the student clinics, you will be asked detailed questions about your health, history, diet, lifestyle and anything else that is pertinent to your overall health. If you are taking any vitamins, nutritional supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies or drugs, please bring them with you to your initial consultation. It is also recommended that you bring copies of any blood tests or other diagnostic tests that relate to your condition.

At the end of your consultation you will be given dietary and lifestyle recommendations along with a personalized herbal tincture formulated to meet your specific needs.

The first follow-up consultation is scheduled four to six weeks after the initial consultation, depending on the specifics of your case. Thereafter consultations are scheduled every six weeks and will eventually increase to eight to ten week intervals in the later stages of your treatment. Your personalized herbal formulation will be continually changing as your treatment progresses as all aspects of your health needs can not be addressed by a single formulation.

The herbal tinctures used in the clinic are prepared by Michael Vertolli and the senior students of the Traditional Herbalist program using fresh (with a few exceptions where fresh herbs are not available), organically grown and ethically wild harvested herbs. Only the most potent parts of the herbs are harvested at the ideal time of day and stage in the lifecycle of the plant. Proper respect is always given to the herbs and the environment in which they grow. Living Earth tinctures significantly exceed the quality that is available from over-the-counter products and professional product lines. The formulations are customized to address the individual needs of each client in accordance with the principles of Four Elements Herbal Therapy, the system of Western herbalism that is practiced by Michael Vertolli.

Student Apprentices

Please note that this is a teaching clinic. There will occasionally be a student apprentice helping in the clinic and sitting as a silent observer during consultations. Anyone who is uncomfortable having a student observer during their consultation can request that the student not be present.

Cost

Two hour initial consultations: $135 ($90 for children, seniors and full-time elementary school and undergraduate students, $50 for infants and small children who only require one hour for their initial consultation).

One hour follow-up consultations: $75 ($50 for children, seniors and full-time elementary school and undergraduate students).

The consultation fee does not include the cost of your personalized herbal remedy.

The cost of your personalized herbal tincture formulation is $45 per 250 ml bottle and $20 per 100 ml bottle. As the dosage will be gradually increased, in the early stages of treatment less of your herbal formulation will be required per consultation. As your treatment progresses the dosage that you are required to take and the time between consultations will increase. As a result, more of your herbal formulation will be required per consultation during the later stages of treatment. In general, the overall cost of treatment will average out to approximately $90-100 per month for the duration of the treatment, $75-80 per month for children, students and seniors.

Payment

Payment must be made in cash or by cheque. We can not accept payment by credit card or debit card.


Location

Living Earth is located in a rural area just north of Maple. If you are coming from Toronto or other areas south of Maple, take Highway 400 north to Teston Road. Turn right (east) and continue to the first set of traffic lights which is Jane Street. Turn left (north) onto Jane. Living Earth is 0.5 km north of Teston Road. There is a white wooden sign with the street number (10971) at the end of a long gravel driveway. The building is not visible from Jane Street.

If you are coming from North of Maple, take Highway 400 south to King Road. Turn left (east) and continue to the first set of traffic lights past the on and off ramps to and from the 400. This is Jane Street. Turn right (south) onto Jane. Living Earth is 5.5. km south of King Road. There is a white wooden sign with the street number (10971) at the end of a long gravel driveway. The building is not visible from Jane Street.

Living Earth is accessible from Toronto by public transit via the following routes:

From Finch Station on the Yonge subway line take either York Region Transit Route 99 or Viva Blue Route north on Yonge Street to Major Mackenzie Drive. Then take York Region Transit Route 4 (do not take Route 4A) west to the intersection of Brandon Gate Drive and Jane Street. Walk north on Jane to Living Earth. It is approximately a 15 minute walk. This is the quickest route from the northeastern part of Toronto.

From Yorkdale Mall take the York Region Transit Maple Express Route 360 to Vaughan Mills Mall. Then take York Region Transit Route 20 north to the end of the route at Mosque Gate and Teston Road. Walk east on Teston Road then north on Jane Street to Living Earth. It is approximately a 10 minute walk. This is the quickest route if you are coming from the southwestern and central parts of Toronto.

From Downsview Station on the St. George subway line take TTC Keele Street Route 107C north to the intersection of Cranston Park Avenue and Teston Road. Walk west on Teston, then North on Jane Street to Living Earth. It is approximately a 15 minute walk.

From either York University or the intersection of Steeles Avenue and Jane Street, take York Region Transit Route 20 north to the end of the route at Mosque Gate and Teston Road. Walk east on Teston Road then north on Jane Street to Living Earth. It is approximately a 10 minute walk.

If you are traveling from areas north of Toronto, check the York Region Transit route map to find the best route from your location.


Bookings

For more information or to book an appointment, please call Living Earth at