Medical Herbalist Edinburgh

Ally Hurcikova RH (AHG)

About Ally

Grass Roots Remedies | Medical Herbalist | North Edinburgh

Herbal Medicine Specialist

Hi, I'm Ally, a Medical Herbalist based in North Edinburgh. I offer Professional Herbal Consultations to provide a natural option to enable you to feel more in control of your health. I am a member of Grass Roots Remedies Co-operative and the American Herbalists' Guild. Update - May 2021 - I am not currently taking on any clients currently, though I will be again in the future.

My Approach To Herbal Medicine

May 2021 update – I am on Maternity Leave & am not taking on any clients.

My training in Western Herbal Medicine combined biomedical study of anatomy & physiology with a holistic view of the wider social, environmental and psycho-emotional influences on health & disease. Find out more about what herbal medicine is and what it can treat here

As a herbalist I always aim to bring myself fully to the space, and be as genuine and present as I can. I will listen fully to your concerns and lived experiences without judgement. I offer guidance and advice about treatment, while supporting you to make your own choices.

I hold a Diploma in Herbology from the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh, and a first class Herbal Medicine Degree from Lincoln University where I graduated top of my year with the ‘Prize for Herbal Medicine.’ I am a registered herbalist and professional member of The American Herbalists’ Guild (AHG).

Since graduating in 2015

I co-founded Grass Roots Remedies Co-operative, a herbal medicine co-op dedicated to making herbalism accessible to those who need it most
I set up the low income Wester Hailes Community Herbal Clinic in Edinburgh: one of only two settings in the UK where herbalism is offered alongside NHS treatments.
In 2016 I was part of the collective who created the Herbal Unity Clinic in Glasgow: a free fortnightly clinic for refugees & asylum seekers.
Through this work I have gained hundreds of hours of clinical experience, and treated a broad range of health conditions.
Outside of the clinics I also volunteer and work at sporting and music events as both a Medic & Herbal Medic, with ABC Paramedic Services & Herbal Scotland CIC.
I have also qualified as a Holistic Massage Therapist to be able to offer bodywork alongside herbal treatment

I love to learn, and am passionate about exchanging skills and knowledge with others. Since qualifying as a Medical Herbalist I have continued to expand my knowledge through training courses and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) including: a Permaculture Design Certificate, First Response in Emergency Care Level 4, COSCA Counselling Skills, Suicide Intervention & Holistic Massage.

I am committed as far as I can to using local herbs which are grown, gathered and processed in ecologically responsible ways. The herbs you receive after your consultation are a combination of the following:

grown in our own Blackford Glen Medicine Garden using Organic methods
foraged sustainably from local wild areas
bought from Scottish suppliers & growers
or ordered from herbal suppliers in England & Wales

Some herbs from suppliers are imported, we try to keep these to a minimum

Prices & Testimonials

Costs of Treatments:

The North Edinburgh Community Clinic offers appointments using a sliding scale, which means that you pay an amount relative to what you can afford for your treatment. I ask that you honestly assess what you can afford, and won’t ask for any proof of income.

All treatments have a local rate for people living in Granton, Pilton, Muirhouse & Drylaw, and a general rate for those coming from outside this area.

Local Rate: (Residents of Granton, Pilton, Muirhouse, Drylaw) –

£15 to 45 for an initial appointment (60-90 minutes)

£10 to 30 for follow up appointments (30-45 minutes)

Herbal medicines are charged separately. The average cost for medicines is £5-10 per week, with individual pricing as follows:

Tinctures £4 per 100ml
Dried Herbs £3 per 100g
Ointments & Creams £2 per 30g, £3 per 60g

(The average weekly cost of herbs is £4-5)

Postage (if desired) £4.00

General Rate: (for those coming from elsewhere )

£25 to 60 for an initial appointment (60-90 minutes)

£15 to 30 for follow up appointments (30-45 minutes)

Herbal medicines are charged separately. The average cost for medicines is £5-10 per week, with individual pricing as follows:

Tinctures £8 per 100ml
Dried Herbs £7 per 100g
Ointments & Creams £4 per 30g, £7 per 60g

(The average weekly cost of herbs is £8-10)

Postage (if desired) £4.00

If the cost of treatment feels out of reach, please do discuss it with us and we hope to be able to accommodate you.

Patient Testimonials

Emotional Support

“I have been a patient of Ally Hurcikova now for 3 years. She mixed personalized tinctures to support my Emotional health. They had an impact in a few short days, if not instantly.
Her consultation style and gentle manner make her a wonderful and professional practitioner of Herbal Medicine. I am pleased to be in her care and highly recommend Ally Hurcikova.”

Suzie

Gentle Approachable Way

“Ally is a highly skilled medical herbalist with a very gentle approachable way and excellent intuitive skills for asking the succinct questions on consultations. I have known Ally for 3 years as a one of her clients, as a colleague and as a person who I have encouraged many of my clients to see.From my own experience and feedback from clients, I know she prescribes v good remedies, from teas to tinctures and other things that help in so many ways to ease pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia, skin issues, IBS,depression, stress arising from chronic severe illnesses etc.
She works alongside pharmacological medicine and embraces always the holistic approach. She is also very empowering in all her connections.You leave a consultation always feeling heard, that you have just spent quality time with someone who is your ally and working to share her skills to support you. Edinburgh is very lucky to have her working here.”

M.S

Wonderful Herbalist

“I highly recommend Ally, she has an immense knowledge and enthusiasm for herbal medicine. Along with this she brings a great awareness and compassion to her consultations. Her medicine, advice and support is of great help to me on my journey back to health.”

Anon

Plant Guide

“I really enjoy time with Ally and I find her knowledge and curiosity about plants and people inspiring. If you would like to explore how you can use plants as medicine, I wholeheartedly recommend Ally as a guide!”

J.W

Magic Medicine

some 18 years ago I completely lost my hearing on my left ear. Last year I had to travel by plane, after landing I was completely deaf on my both years. After return home, went to my doctor. His only help were infusions, which did not help at all. Went also to a oxygen tank for 15 sessions, a minuscule improvement. Than finally I got from Ally a medicine. It has no name, only the ingredients are listed. Small bottle with a darker liquid inside. My dose was 5ml 3 time a day. After a week or so, my hearing gradually improved. Of course slowly. So ever since last November I am addicted to it – it helps me not only with my hearing, but also with my blood circulation. So I call it magic medicine

I.H

Warm & Easy to Talk To

Ally is warm and easy to talk to. She works with such wisdom and good quality herbs. I find her reassuring, knowledgeable and creative with what she offers. Her approach to herbs feels very embodied and practical as well as educational. I have been well nurtured and feel richer for having seen Ally. This has helped me enormously with recovering from insomnia and anxiety. – HS

Gentle & Affordable Medicine

I have been coming to see Ally with my son who is 16 and has additional support needs for a couple of years now. Ally listens very carefully to us both and is very sensitive to my sons needs especially, it feels almost like a counselling session! She does not lead, she just asks questions to clarify the physical or psychological symptoms we are having and then suggests a course of herbal treatment as appropriate. The herbal medicines have been very suitable for us both as we tend to be oversensitive to other drugs so the herbal treatment gently but directly helps the problem. The project has enabled us to access herbal treatment at an affordable cost. We would really recommend the clinic and Ally to others. (J.M)

J.M

Articles I've Written

Herbal Medicine Articles

A Herbal Approach to the Treatment of Withdrawal from Opioid and Benzodiazepine Dependence

Ally - April 24, 2018

This article originally appeared in the National Institute of Medical Herbalists’ ‘Student Thymes’ Magazine in Winter 2014, and Tilia Magazine’s Spring 2017 Edition: Drug addiction remains a widespread issue in the UK, affecting every strata of society and bringing with it considerable ill health and social problems. Historically, the phrase ‘drug addiction’ has sparked connotations […]

What Is Radical Herbalism

Ally - April 24, 2018

The word ‘Radical’ comes from the Latin ‘radix’ meaning root. A radical approach is one which asks questions about the root causes of problems in our society, and works to fundamentally challenge and address those. Radical Herbalism & radical approaches to health then, call us to question the root causes of ill health, and think […]

Project Report: The Wester Hailes Community Herbal Clinic – Integrated Herbal Healthcare in An Area of Poverty

Ally - April 23, 2018

Since July 2015, I have been working on and consolidating an integrated herbal healthcare model in Wester Hailes, South West Edinburgh as part of Grass Roots Remedies Herbal Medicine Co-operative. We want to share the model now as an inspiring example of forward thinking, collaborative responses to health inequality by the NHS and local agencies; […]