Forrest Tracy Chalmers is a functional herbalist, massage therapist, movement therapist, and practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
Originally on the road to be a medical doctor, Forrest’s interests in history and anthropology led him to the lesser traveled path of Herbalism and other forms of historical medicine. He began his herbal journey with a 5-year apprenticeship with a traditional Chinese herbalist in Bastrop, Texas, and then worked to complete his master’s degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Texas Health And Science University in Austin. Feeling incongruences in studying only the traditions of the East, Forrest began to seek out the traditional healing systems of the West, and this led him to the Eclectic School Of Herbal Medicine.
The integration of science and tradition forms the core of Forrest’s philosophy.
- As a functional herbalist, this means combining the traditional philosophy and knowledge of traditional western herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine with the science of functional medicine, clinical nutrition, and knowledge of modern physiology.
- As a movement therapist, this means combining the modern study of functional movement, and exercise physiology with the historical traditions of yoga, traditional Chinese movement therapy, and historical western movement therapies.
- As a hands on therapist, this means combining the traditional practice of massage, bodywork, osteopathy, acupuncture and tui na (Chinese manual therapy) with the sciences of modern anatomy and physiology, fascial research, as well as modern integrative manual therapy techniques and concepts.
When working with clients, Forrest’s focus is on using all the tools nature has provided us to assist healing of the whole person. He utilizes herbs, whole foods, natural movements, lifestyle modifications as well as healing modalities like acupuncture, hands on therapy, hydrotherapy, and other traditional healing methods.