Meet the Practitioner: Lara Jonasdottir's Path in Natural Wellbeing
- laraherbalist
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
written by Lara Jonasdottir
BSc Herbal Medicine, ITEC Massage Therapy and MSc Clinical Education
Eighteen years of practice, a lifelong love of plants, and a deep belief in the healing benefits of plants and the body's ability to heal itself.
People often ask what drew me to herbal medicine. The honest answer is that herbal medicine eventually found me. I had lived with health challenges since birth and had followed the path of conventional medicine through my twenties, despite it not offering satisfying solutions. In my late teens, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of answers, while also gradually awakening to the beauty of nature and plants. It was during my studies in Floristry and Horticulture at the Horticultural College in Iceland in my early twenties that the two eventually came together — I happened to come across a book about the medicinal properties of plants... I was fascinated and hooked.
My formal training began with a Foundation Course in Herbal Medicine at the College of Phytotherapy (Plant Medicine), which led on to my studies at the University of Westminster in London. I graduated from the University of Westminster in 2008 with a BSc in Herbal Medicine. The focus here was predominantly on the Western Herbal Medicine tradition, and it was a rigorous programme, grounded in both the traditional use of medicinal plants and the science of how they work — the phytochemistry, the pharmacology, the clinical evidence. The course also covered physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, nutritional therapy, pathology, pathophysiology, allopathic pharmacology, differential diagnosis, therapeutic relationship and communication, clinical and physical examinations, materia medica, and plant medicine making. One of the key things the course offered was a way of thinking: of looking at a patient as a whole person, not merely a collection of symptoms to be managed. It set me up with a solid foundation to build on as I entered practice upon graduation in 2008.
In 2010, I added a second string to my bow by qualifying in Massage Therapy (ITEC Diploma). What struck me immediately was how naturally the two disciplines complemented each other. Herbal medicine works from both the inside and outside — through remedies, teas, tinctures, and topical applications that support the body's own processes. Massage works predominantly from the outside — releasing tension, improving circulation, calming the nervous system — but it also offers the reassurance of human touch, which can be vital during times of healing and recovery for a variety of reasons. Together, the two disciplines offer a well-rounded and integrated approach to health.
After graduating from the University of Westminster, I moved to Ireland, where I established my first private practice in Dublin. Those early years were formative — a time of learning what it truly means to hold a clinical space, to be consistent and trustworthy for the people who come through your door.
In 2014, I made a significant move — both geographically and professionally. I left my Dublin practice and relocated to the west of Ireland to work alongside Dr. Dílis Clare, a GP and medical herbalist, and the clinical team at Dr. Clare's Clinic and Apothecary in Galway. Working within an integrated medical setting, alongside a doctor who was also a herbalist, gave me a perspective I could not have gained anywhere else. It deepened my understanding of how herbal medicine sits within the broader landscape of healthcare, and how collaboration between disciplines serves patients in ways that no single approach alone can.
This move also reinforced something I had always suspected: that the most important thing a practitioner can do is listen. Not just to the presenting complaint, but to everything around it — the context of a person's life, the factors that have been overlooked, the questions that perhaps haven't yet been asked.
Alongside clinical practice, my education continued. I undertook Women's Health Education under the guidance of Dr. Aviva Romm — an MD, midwife, and herbalist whose work bridges evidence-based medicine and botanical healing with remarkable depth and nuance. Her influence shaped my approach to working with women's health in ways I draw on every day. I also attended David Winston's two-year herbal training programme — a rigorous and inspiring exploration of Western, Traditional Chinese, Native American, Ayurvedic, Unani-Tibb, and Eclectic herbal traditions. David is one of the most widely respected herbalists in the world. His training gave me a richness of materia medica knowledge that continues to inform my practice.
"Good clinical education produces practitioners who know how to be present with a patient, how to hold uncertainty, and how to keep learning throughout a career. They also become comfortable knowing what they do and don't know."
Over time, the educational dimension of my work grew into something I wanted to pursue more formally. I completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education in 2015, followed by an MSc in Clinical Education in 2017, both from University of Galway. These qualifications gave language and structure to something I had long felt: that teaching and treating are not separate callings. They are two expressions of the same commitment — to support another person in moving towards their goals, whether that person is a patient seeking to improve their health and wellbeing, or a student finding their way in practice towards becoming a confident and competent practitioner.
In 2018, I began working with Heartwood, a professional training college for those seeking to qualify as medical herbalists. My roles with Heartwood have been varied over the years, including overseeing clinical supervisor training workshops and providing clinical supervision for the Heartwood Tuesday online training clinic. Alongside this, I have had the pleasure of welcoming and guiding students attending clinic hours at Dr. Clare's Clinic in Galway. In both settings, students have had the opportunity to observe case-taking in practice, explore the reasoning behind treatment plans, engage in clinical discussions, and experience what is involved in being in herbal medicine practice.
2008 | BSc Herbal Medicine — University of Westminster | Graduated and entered clinical practice as a medical herbalist. |
2010 | ITEC Diploma — Massage Therapy (including Holistic Massage, Sports Massage, Pregnancy Massage, Indian Head Massage, and Reflexology). | Qualified in massage therapy; began offering integrated herbal and massage care. |
2014 - present | Collaboration with Dr. Dílis Clare and the clinical team in Dr. Clare's Clinic and Apothecary in Galway | Joined an integrated medical and herbal practice in the west of Ireland. |
2015–17 | PG Diploma & MSc in Clinical Education | Formalised a long-held commitment to teaching and professional mentorship. |
2018 - present | Clinical Roles with Heartwood | Began supervising and mentoring student herbalists; also hosting clinical placements in private practice. |
2025 | Pods Wellness — Headford, Co. Galway | Opened a dedicated natural health and wellbeing clinic at 44 Main Street (Upper Floor), Headford. |
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working with thousands of individuals — from children and young people to those in their sage years — across a very broad range of conditions. I have been humbled, repeatedly, by the body's capacity to heal when it is properly supported. And I have never once lost my sense of wonder at what plant medicine can do.
At Pods Wellness, I bring all of this to the table — the clinical training, the years of practice, the educational experience, and, above all, the genuine belief that every person who comes through the door deserves to be heard, understood, and supported with care.
There is also something exciting on the horizon in the world of education — more on that very soon.
If you'd like to make an appointment, or simply have a question about whether herbal medicine or massage therapy might be right for you, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at hello@podswellness.com or through the booking page at podswellness.com.
Lara Jonasdottir
BSc Herbal Medicine · ITEC Massage · MSc Clinical Education · Pods Wellness, Headford
