About Elemental Herbals
A purpose-built clinical tool that brings the wisdom of the Five Elements to Western herbal practice.
What we do
Elemental Herbals is an intuitive wellness platform that analyses health symptoms, pathology results, diseases, surgeries, allergies, pain levels, injuries, and lifestyle data to generate custom herbal formulas grounded in the Traditional Oriental Five Elements theory (Wu Xing). Every formula maps a patient's full clinical picture — not just the loudest symptom — to the five elements and their organ systems: Wood (Liver/Gallbladder), Fire (Heart/Circulation), Earth (Spleen/Digestion), Metal (Lung/Immunity), and Water (Kidney/Adrenals). The matching engine recommends Western medicinal herbs with dosages, Bach Flower Remedies for emotional balance, essential oils, poultice recipes, and targeted support plans for oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and bowel health — all screened against the patient's medications, allergies, age, and gender. Practitioners can review, edit, and refine every formula before sharing it with their clients through printable PDF reports or direct email. The platform also draws on Debra Hearn's Seasonal Eating manuscript to auto-recommend seasonal eating advice tailored to each patient's element balance and the current Southern Hemisphere season, and a dedicated testing suite offers pharmacogenomic and micronutrient gap analysis modules.
Who it's for
Elemental Herbals is built for credentialed Western Medical Herbalists, naturopaths, and herbal medicine students who want a reliable, evidence-informed starting point for clinical formulation — especially those navigating the complexities of herb-drug interactions, allergy cross-reactivity, and the regulatory standards of Australian practice. A patient intake portal lets practitioners invite their own clients to submit health questionnaires securely, so formulas can be generated from real patient data and reviewed in a structured practitioner dashboard. Whether you're a seasoned clinician managing a busy practice or a student learning the art of elemental formulation, the platform adapts to your workflow.
Who builds it
Elemental Herbals was founded by Debra Hearn, a Western Medical Herbalist and Naturopath with over 30 years in continuous clinical practice. A Full Member of the NHAA and a graduate of Dunns Herbal College, Debra built this platform to share the Five Elements framework that has guided her own practice since 1994 — making it accessible to a new generation of practitioners while maintaining the professional standards and TGA-aligned disclaimers that responsible clinical use demands.
Seasonal Eating & Testing Modules
Building on the core formula engine, Elemental Herbals now offers two expanding toolsets. The Seasonal Eating Suggestions library distils Debra's manuscript into practical, Five-Element-aligned advice cards — covering foods, principles, recipes, tips, and condition guidance for every season. When a practitioner generates a formula, the most relevant cards are auto-recommended based on the patient's element balance and the time of year, then included in the PDF report and client email. A public Seasonal Suggestions page lets anyone browse the full library by season, element, category, and organ system.
The Testing Modules suite provides deeper clinical analysis: a Pharmacogenomics Herb Screen flags herb–gene interactions against a patient's medications, and a Micronutrient Gap Analysis cross-references pathology results and dietary intake with a curated catalog of Perth Herbs nutritional products and seasonal whole foods — prioritising in-stock, sensitivity-safe recommendations for the current season.
Debra Hearn
Western Medical Herbalist · Naturopath
Debra's journey into natural medicine began in 1989 after a severe car accident crushed 1cm of her T11 vertebra. Conventional medicine offered only surgery and a rod in her back — she refused. Months of painkillers and sedatives left her unable to care for her young children, until a friend handed her a Nova Magazine and she visited a local Western Medical Herbalist.
The difference was remarkable — within days she felt alive again, and after a deep tissue massage and herbal tonics she could move freely. A year later, follow-up x-rays showed she had regrown ¾ cm of the crushed vertebra. The doctors were amazed; Debra was hooked. She enrolled in herbal college that same week and never looked back.
As a child, Debra spent over three years in Wittenoom — Australia's only blue asbestos mining town in the Pilbara. Told she would not live much past 38, she began a personal mission in 1990 studying with Master Herbalist Kathleen Dunn to find natural pathways for asbestos-related disease prevention. She qualified as a Naturopath and Western Medical Herbalist in 1994 and has been in continuous practice for over 30 years.
Qualifications & Education
Diploma of Naturopathy & Herbal Medicine — Dunns Herbal College
Diploma of Nutrition — Dunns Herbal College
Diploma of Ortho-Spinal Practice (D.A.T.A — Dragon & Tiger Alignment) — Dunns Herbal College
Clinical Training
Subjects: Anatomy, Body Chemistry, Oriental Theories, Acupressure & Acupuncture, Herbology, Disease & Prognosis, Aromatherapy, Oriental Bodywork, Diagnosis Techniques, Iridology
Advanced Diploma of Herbalism & Naturopathy
Refresher in Acupuncture — AIHM
Graduate Diploma in Health Science (Herbal Medicine) — refresher, 1½ of 2 years completed — University of New England
NLP Practitioner
Refresher in Chinese Medicine Theory and Acupuncture — Endeavour College, Perth
Herbal Medicine for Companion Pets — Dogs and Cats
Other subjects studied: Aromatherapy, Bach Flower Remedies, Kinesiology, Permaculture
A balanced approach
Debra is not your typical anti-pharmaceutical natural therapist. She takes orthodox medications when needed and believes the best outcomes come from integrating both traditions. Her focus is on helping patients who are on medications understand which herbs and nutritionals are safe and effective alongside their prescriptions — avoiding herb-drug interactions rather than dismissing conventional treatment.
Perth Herbs — supplying quality since 1999
An Australian-owned business stocking over 250 quality dried herbs, spices, tinctures, ointments and loose-leaf teas. Certified organic is the first preference; wild-crafted herbs are the next.
Read the Perth Herbs Blog/newsCheck Your Results with Debra
A one-on-one virtual consultation to review your formula and get personalised guidance — $49.
