About Us

Vilma is a medical herbalist, naturopath, lecturer and craniosacral therapist, in clinical practice for over 19 years. A Fellow of the Irish Register of Herbalists (IRH), a co-founder and a former President of the IRH. Lecturer and clinic supervisor at various herbal medicine schools (CNM, Excelsior Apprenticeships, Plant Medicine School, University of Klaipeda and others).

Alex is the current CEO of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, taking on the role after a long stint on the council including as president for 3 years. He practises Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture and tuina massage in West Hampstead where he also teaches Tai Chi and Qi Gong. In 2011 he founded the London Chinese Medicine Meetup Group to teach Yangsheng self-help techniques to the public. He is a clinical supervisor in acupuncture at City College of London, regularly runs courses for practitioners in Yang Sheng and Chinese Dietary Therapy and has published several articles in Chinese medicine journals. Alex became interested in Chinese medicine while studying Mandarin in Taiwan. He returned to the UK to gain his formal qualifications in all the Chinese medicine therapies. Now fluent in Mandarin Chinese, he regularly makes trips to Taiwan to continue his studies and deepen his practice.

Marion Mackonochie is a Western Medical Herbalist in Brighton and Senior Herbal Specialist at Pukka Herbs. Due to interests in the scientific basis of herbalism and the history of herbal use Marion is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Herbal Medicine and blog editor for the Herbal History Research Network.

Rumana runs her busy natural medicine practice in the North-East of England, for over 25 years. Her scientific background in microbiology led her onto qualifying as a herbalist, naturopath, homeopath, acupuncturist, iridologist and kinesiologist. She has published research, lectured on health and was former Chair to the AMH and member of the EHTPA Accreditation Board.

Simon Mills is a Cambridge medical sciences graduate, author, teacher, and herbal practitioner in Exeter since 1977. He has been President of the NIMH and of the CPP, and Chair of the British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA). For 25 years he has been Secretary of the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP). In 1987 he co-founded the first University complementary health centre at Exeter, and in the 1990’s led ESCOP in a major international EU project on herbal medicine. He is Herbal Strategist at Pukka Herbs and with co-author Kerry Bone set up the Mills and Bone Academy for on-line professional webinars.