How did you become interested in this line of work? (tell us a little bit about your background)

I fell in love with herbs and plants when I was quite young. Even thought herbal medicine was almost extinct in the late 1960’s, it was my passion and I devoted myself to learning everything I could about using medicinal plants, growing them, making medicine from them, gathering them and wild foods and creating what has turned out to be one of the largest private herbal libraries in North America. Now 52 years later, I am still as passionate about these powerful, yet gentle healers and sharing what I know about them with others.

Please share a wellness tip or word of advice that relates to the workshop you will be presenting.

Great Herbalists treat people, not diseases. As long as you are chained to the paradigm that this herb is good for that disease, you will never be as successful using plant medicines as you could be. As an herbalist we look at the underlying energetics (of the plants and person we work with), the symptom picture, the pathophysiology (what is causing the illness), rather than just the disease “entity”. So in my class on treating depression and anxiety, it is imperative to understand what is promoting this condition: neuro-inflammation, blood sugar dysregulation, GI issues, cardiac or circulatory problems, hormonal imbalances, etc. As Hippocrates said more than 2000 years ago, “It is more important to know the person who is ill, than the illness a person has.”

What or who inspires you? (This could be anything from your mentor to your favorite quote)

The plants, who have created some of the most effective, yet relatively safe remedies the world has ever seen. What we know fills libraries, what we still do not know could fill the oceans. I am also inspired by the young people I meet who are passionate, full of energy and are dedicated to making the world a better place.

What personal or professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

I have studied herbal medicine for 52 years, I have been in clinical practice for 45 years and have been teaching my 2 year herb studies program for 41 years. I am a founding member of the American Herbalist Guild (1989). In 2020 I was awarded a DSc degree from the National University of Natural Medicine, Portland, OR in recognition for the more than a half century of teaching, clinical practice, writing and formulating herbal products. I hope to have a few more decades to share what I have learned and to keep learning more.