Dr. Martha Mathews Libster

Dr. Martha Libster, Ph.D.

Dr. Martha Libster, Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and Board-Certified Advanced Practice Holistic Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, is the Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Integrative Nursing, author of 11 books, 3 International Guest Editorials, and 35 journal publications including the award-winning history of 19th century American botanical healthcare reform, Herbal Diplomats. Her contributions specifically in the areas of nurse-herbalism, precision self-care with plants, creating healing environments, and the integration of emerging technologies and healing traditions, are demonstrated by two decades of publications and events for thousands of nurses and the public on five continents. Dr. Libster's research and writing demonstrate that nurses’ historical leadership in the creation of healing environments with plants and other elements are well-positioned to address current concerns about climate change. To this end, she has developed and published four practice models: The Healing Relationship Model for Integrative Nursing Practice, the Cultural Diplomacy Model, the Tao of Integrative Nursing Assessment (TINA) Model, and the Elements of Care®, which integrates her 27 years’ experience in classical Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and knowledge of the five elements with nursing science.

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Dr. Libster published her first textbook on integrative nursing, Demonstrating Care in 2001 and her first (900-page) book and CD-ROM with Videos on nurse-herbalism, The Integrative Herb Guide for Nurses, in 2002 with Delmar Thomson Learning. After her years as a Thomson Learning book and E-author, Dr. Libster founded Golden Apple Publications in 2003, an independent academic publishing firm. Her Integrative Herb Guide and subsequent The Nurse-Herbalist have been sold in the USA and 16 other countries.​​

"My passion is growing and making plant remedies - and writing about it! I also love to wow people with improvisational poetry written with the healing words and cadences I hear them speak at their events!"

          ~ Dr. Martha Libster