Dee Atkinson FNIMH
About me:
My passion and interest in plant medicine started when I was very young, from a childhood in the north of Scotland and on an organic small holding in Wales. I qualified in 1998 and moved to Edinburgh where I opened my clinic and dispensary.
D.Atkinson Herbalist is my own clinical brand. Our retail dispensary in Edinburgh carries one of the UK’s largest ranges of practitioner quality medicinal herbs and tinctures and we carry our own brand of herbal formula and bath and body care products. Many of the formula are based on the traditional blends that I have been working with for over 30 years. My dispensary is managed and staffed by herbal practitioners and qualified therapists to provide the best possible integrated health advice and products.
I am a Fellow of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and I regularly attend conferences and training workshops, both in the UK and abroad. I have also worked as a Council Member of NIMH.
I take an eclectic and wide ranging approach to health and to both assessing and working with my patients. I have learnt that there is no one answer or way to good health, but rather many inter-linking paths and crossovers. I have trained in orthodox medicine and clinical diagnosis but also have an understanding that illness has both a physical and an ‘energy’ side.
I take time with my patients to work on both the presenting symptoms and the possible underlying causes and, because I know that flexibility and understanding are needed when working with patients, I often use different modalities such as nutrition and lifestyle advice. Working within a multidisciplinary clinic means that our patients have the benefit of access to other therapists and I often cross refer where appropriate.
The therapeutic detective
Ill health and disease are often the expression of internal imbalance. In many cases, we do not fully understand the mechanisms that lead to this imbalance, sometimes seeking help for one physical problem, such as a rash for example, when the real issue comes from an internal imbalance. I always look beyond the presenting complaint to try to understand this imbalance: it might come from the gut microbiome for instance, or it could be an inherited pathway or perhaps be driven by stress.
The true aim of a herbal consultation is to restore both physical and energy balances throughout the body and to help the patient with a health road map. Herbal Medicine is the oldest known form of medicine and, in world terms, is the most widely used form of medicine. Herbal medicine can work well alongside orthodox medicine and patients can often benefit from a dual approach.
Who comes to my clinic?
I have a general practice and work with a wide range of patients and clinical situations. Many of my patients have chronic health issues and come to herbal medicine looking for support in the management of them, whilst others have a single problem that they want to fix. Some patients are referred by their GP or consultant, and I often work as part of a patient’s healthcare team. I may suggest that other treatments, either orthodox or complementary, would be more appropriate for your condition. It is always my responsibility to make sure that my treatments are the best approach for your health issue.
A large part of my practice is working with women’s health care, with an emphasis on managing hormonal change and ageing. I also support patients who are undergoing cancer treatments, often working with their healthcare team. This is an area of special interest in which I have personal experience. I have over 30 years of clinical experience and have worked with many different health scenarios. If you are unsure about whether I can help, please contact me before booking or talk to my reception team.