In the Clinic with Camille Episodes

I'm joined in this episode by my colleague and co-teacher, registered herbalist and fertility specialist Liane Moccia, to talk more about the responses to the question, "Are you ovulating?" We cover what signs to look for, how to interpret tracking data (cervical fluid, LH strips, temperature), and why ovulation is a vital marker of hormonal and overall health even when someone isn’t trying to conceive. We also discuss practical intake phrasing, common misunderstandings, and introduce our Mens...

Let's talk about a "normal" menstrual cycle. What counts as "normal," how can we spot concerning signs, and when does it make sense to consider medical referral or further testing? We'll dive into this and more in this brief episode. For more information and clinical strategies to support clients around menstrual health, join the upcoming Menstrual Health Intensive. Key Takeaways Bleeding longer than 8 days warrants referral for possible clotting issues, fibroids, or other concerns Heavy mens...

A Mindful Eating Metaphor It might help to think about this in terms of mindful eating. When you feel the urge to sign up for something, stop and ask: is my practice actually hungry for this? If you've decided newsletters are your main marketing focus and you're specifically hunting for newsletter training - amazing. Dive in. If you're just responding to a sale email, a fear of missing out, or a vague sense that you "should" know more? Take a step back. You might find the urge is actually abo...

I've gotten several questions lately about whether or not I recommend Substack to clinicians who want to start a newsletter to help promote their clinical practices. TLDR: it's not the best tool for the job. In this episode, I spell out why I don't think herbalists and nutritionists are well-served by using Substack as a way to promote a private practice. Essentially, it all boils down to: It's not designed for promoting services, classes, workshops, etc. and it shows. It's free, which is gr...

A behind-the-scenes update on a change I've been making at Bloom & Grow: after years of offering my freebies as open downloads, I'm now requiring an email address to access them. I wanted to share my full (evolving) thinking in case it gives you permission to change your mind on something in your own practice. Key Points & Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome and intro 00:18 - The backstory 01:10 - Why I've had a change of heart 01:35 - People don't click on web search results anymore, apparently 0...

I got a great question from Cora about whether I recommend that practitioners put their prices on their websites. Short answer: yes, I think it makes sense to publish your prices. In this episode I walk through why I feel strongly about this, what can happen when you don't share prices upfront, and how transparency frees up time and makes discovery calls more meaningful. Links and Resources Sign up for my weekly Practitioner Notes newsletter at camillefreeman.com Submit a question for the pod...

I got a question in a recent Q&A call about wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) cream and progesterone. A client felt the cream was helping raise their progesterone, but the practitioner had questions about whether that was realistically happening. So what's the deal? I share a few thoughts on why a client might be noticing a difference and things to be on the lookout for as an herbalist or nutritionist if your client is using wild yam cream. Key Takeaways Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) contains diosge...

As I was out on a walk this morning, something I heard on Cal Newport's podcast resonated with me. I'm sharing a small takeaway point regarding over-optimizing and how I think that applies both to our clinical work and to everything that goes on behind the scenes to keep a clinical practice running. Key Takeaways The optimization paradox: over-optimizing a single area can throw the whole system out of balance In client work, you don't need to move every health pillar from a 2 to a 10. Moving ...

If you were trained to recommend RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for strains and sprains, it may be time to update your knowledge a bit. In this episode, I share what came up in a recent Monday Mentoring session: the shift from RICE to PEACE & LOVE, why icing and total rest can slow tissue healing, and steps to promote recovery from soft tissue injury. In this episode, we cover: Why the medical community moved away from RICE for soft tissue injuries The PEACE acronym explained: Prote...

Gummy multivitamins are everywhere now, from adult formulas to prenatal and senior blends - but are they actually a good substitute for capsules or tablets? In this episode, I discuss clinical considerations, including quality control findings, sugar content, and formulation limits that affect dosing and nutrient stability. In this episode, we cover: When gummy multivitamins might be the best (or only) tolerable option for a client Sugar and non-nutritive sweetener content to review before re...

Lots of us get brilliant ideas for new courses and programs in the summer. Here, I share why I strongly recommend that you don't build the course or program before you know if people will sign up for it. Instead of spending dozens or even hundreds of hours creating a course, consider running a pilot version and making sure at least a few people are willing to pay for the program before you start creating it. See also episode 39 from way back in 2022: Why You Shouldn't Create an Online Course In...

Whether you use AI tools yourself or want nothing to do with them, if you share educational materials, run a community, or work with clients, you may want to have a written AI policy. In this episode, I share the one I created for Bloom and Grow, which is still very much a working draft. In this episode, we cover: Why practitioners who don't use AI still need a policy The four parts of the Bloom and Grow AI policy: note-takers in live sessions, scraping and uploading community content, disclo...

After years of training to be a clinical herbalist or nutritionist, you might find yourself on the other side wondering if this is something you want to or can realistically do right now. Many people don't realize what goes into running a solo practice when they sign up for a training program. Once you learn more about what's involved, you may make a different choice than you originally expected, and that's okay. In this episode, we cover: Why so many trained herbalists and nutritionists hit a...

This is one of my most controversial clinical opinions: I don't work with functional lab tests, including DUTCH testing, GI Map, organic acids, and microbiome panels. In this episode, I walk through exactly why and some considerations for those who do work with these tests. In this episode, we cover: What I mean by "functional labs" and which tests fall under that umbrella. Why I only recommend tests when the results will actually change what I do. The validity problem, with fecal samples fo...

It's a beautiful day outside, your brain is blank, and you're supposed to write a newsletter (or record a podcast). So, do you give yourself a pass? In this episode, I make the case for showing up even when you have nothing to say. In this episode, we cover: Why "I don't feel like it" is different from a real reason to skip your content commitment. The distinction between a well-deserved day off and letting your marketing/promotion plans fall off the radar. Why your "not my best" content som...

Have you ever started a "quick" DIY project for your private practice, only to find yourself pulling your hair out three days later? In this episode, I’m sharing a slightly embarrassing (but hopefully helpful) cautionary tale about a recent tech rabbit hole I fell down. After noticing my website traffic had dipped, I decided to take my page speed optimization into my own hands. What followed was a crashed website, a warning from my web host, and hours (days?) of wasted time. I finally hired an ...

Are you still working at 9 pm when you meant to stop at 3? If you're a solo herbalist or nutritionist, the line between working and not working can get quite blurry, because this work is part of who you are. Your clinical brain doesn't clock out just because you're supposed to be doing something else. In this episode, Camille shares how she's managing this challenge right now - 20+ years into practice - and why systems that used to work may need to be revised periodically. What's covered: Why...

Are you hesitant to include fennel in formulas for clients managing diabetes? In this quick clinical breakdown, we look past the generic safety warnings to understand what the data actually shows about fennel, insulin resistance, and blood sugar regulation In this episode, I discuss a recent systematic review on herbal use in type 2 diabetes. Imagine my surprise when I saw fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) listed as one of eight herbs that the authors consider contraindicated in T2D. I share reflecti...

As herbalists and nutritionists, navigating conventional lab results can feel like walking a fine line. We want to understand and work with the information that's available from labs while staying within our scope of practice. This week, I explain how herbalists can responsibly discuss conventional labs with clients. We'll go over my thoughts on what’s useful, how to stay within scope, and when to recommend primary care or direct-to-consumer options like GoodLabs. It's important to consider ac...

If you run a membership program or community and have ever brought in a guest speaker, you know how much easier it is when they already understand who they're talking to. In this episode, I share the simple "community overview" document I created to send to presenters before they join a Bloom and Grow workshop, and why I hope it will make for a better experience for everyone in the room. In this episode, we cover: Why a brief "about our community" document can set guest speakers up for success...

Most email platforms make it easy to resend your newsletter to subscribers who didn't open it the first time. But, just because you can resend doesn't mean you should. In this episode, I share why that one-click resend feature might not be the best idea in all cases. In this episode, we cover: Why "non-opener" data is less reliable than it used to be - and how privacy settings mean you could be pestering people who already read your email. How sending to your least-engaged subscribers drags d...

What if you could grow your newsletter list and make your work more accessible without social media, paid ads, or a big platform? In this episode, I share more about the "social sharing workshop" model I've been running for years, including what's worked, what I've learned, and how you could set up something similar. In this episode, we cover: What a social sharing workshop is: a paid class ($25-$40) that attendees can access for free in exchange for sharing it with their community. Why I use...

Do you need to alkalinize the urine for Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) to “work”? Let's talk about it. Uva ursi is a classic go-to for cystitis because it contains arbutin, which the body metabolizes to hydroquinone, a compound that shows antimicrobial activity in vitro. That’s the theory. In my opinion, focusing solely on arbutin is reductionistic. The leaves also contains tannins, flavonoids and other constituents that may be helpful. In addition, information on urinary alkalization and u...

Are you feeling hesitant or confused about how to properly dose compounded liquid extracts and tinctures for your clients? It’s a very common point of confusion, especially when what you were trained to do differs from what's printed on the back of a bottle. In this episode, I break down my rationale and practical strategies for dosing compounded liquid extracts. You'll learn how to figure out whether a client is getting a high enough dose to actually see meaningful change, and how to convert h...