Jean Dow (BSc (Hons), BA (Hons), MSc)

​

As a medical herbalist and functional medicine practitioner, I bring together the rich tradition of herbal remedies with modern medical insights to deliver comprehensive healthcare solutions. My expertise lies in understanding the intricate connections between botanical medicine and human physiology, allowing me to address health concerns at their root causes. I am committed to crafting individualized treatment plans that honor each person's unique biology and circumstances, aiming for long-term wellness rather than short-term symptom relief. Through compassionate guidance and evidence-based practice, I empower my clients to take control of their health journey. Continual learning and staying abreast of the latest research ensure that I provide the most effective and up-to-date care possible.

​

I graduated from the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in 2004 and have been practicing in Edinburgh since that time.  Recently I moved to live on the beautiful Isle of Skye and combine practice in both these wonderful locations.   I see a very wide variety of patients ranging from newborn babies to people in their 90s and I considered myself blessed to be able to work with these patients and show that herbal medicine is suitable for all. I work from a vitalistic philosophy in that I work in a manner that supports the person’s own innate self-healing and self-regulating ability.  Success for me is when the patient has fully recovered, no longer needs my care,  is thriving and can maintain their good health through diet and lifestyle.

 

Most people are unaware of the depth of training involved in being a medical herbalist and I feel it is important that patients understand this so that they know they are in safe hands as I will be asking them to take internal medicine.  The study of Herbal Medicine is a four-year honours degree covering very similar subjects to that of a medical degree. This includes botany, plant pharmacology, biochemistry anatomy, physiology, pathology and differential diagnosis.   This allows us the right to primary diagnosis and to safely prescribe alongside pharmaceutical drugs.  

 
As an Herbalist and Functional medicine practitioner I am constantly searching for the “why”.  Why is this person ill? Why does this person have these symptoms?

 

My practice is patient centred and based on a personalised medicine approach and clinical testing can be an important part of this.  Each person comes to me with their own unique history and set of circumstances and my role is to investigate, identify, understand and then address these issues.

I am incredibly passionate about the Functional approach to patient care and its important role in personalised medicine. This is the way Medical Herbalists have worked for centuries and it’s a joy to be able to carry on this tradition and also integrate modern clinical diagnostic testing.

 

I have a particular interest in working with chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, chronic gastrointestinal disease, gut infections, inflammatory disease, mould illnesss, multiple chemical sensitivities and also Lyme disease.  I also see many patients with hormonal disorders including menopausal issues.
 
I continue to be inspired and motivated to continue to work with patients on their journeys.  I see dramatic and powerful shifts in patients’ health and mindset and see it as a huge privilege that they allow me to be part of that journey.​