My Journey to Plant Medicine
People often ask me how I became interested in plant medicine. It wasn’t until I had been in conventional medicine for over fifty years that I stumbled across a flyer for the Medicines of the Earth conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina. At the end of the first day there I shed tears of joy, knowing I had found what I had been searching for my entire career… a gentle, yet effective form of healing that does no harm.
In 2012, my formal herbal studies began with Rosemary Gladstar, founder of the California School of Herbal Studies and of the Sage Mountain Retreat in Vermont. Out of her concern for the sustainability of at-risk plants, she founded the United Plant Savers. She has authored several books and is a respected herbal educator. I earned my second herbal certification with Holly Bellebuono, through the School of Herbal Medicine in Martha’s Vineyard.
After completing my formal herbal education, I was fortunate to have two extraordinary mentors for my two-year clinical training. Paul Bergner is the founder and clinical director of the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism and Director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism; he is an accomplished author and educator. Geo Derick Giordano is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and founder of The Sanctuary Wellness Center in Virginia.
Alongside my clinical training, I began my herbal practice, and was accepted as a Registered Clinical Herbalist of the American Herbalist Guild, which promotes the highest level of professional and ethical practice.
My Journey to Bach
My study of Bach Flowers consumed my life for most of 2020. Finding myself stranded in a remote part of Costa Rica, the pandemic having closed the country’s borders, I at least had adequate Wi-Fi, and the world of Flower Essences then opened up to me.
While casting about for something related to plant medicine to occupy my days, I discovered a 6-week Introduction to the Bach Flower Remedies. I was so enthralled by what I learned that I harvested beach blossoms by the Pacific Ocean and made my own tropical remedies, but I had no idea of what energetic properties they had or if they could be harmful. Clearly I needed more Bach education!
I did further research and discovered a Bach Level 1 course was being offered in November 2020, which would be right after my return from Costa Rica. The teacher introduced me to the woman who was to become my mentor: Elisabeth Wiley, with over forty-five years of experience as a Bach Flower practitioner and teacher. I have yet to meet an experienced American Bach teacher or practitioner who has not been taught by Elisabeth.
Over the last two years I have continued to immerse myself in the learning and practice of the Bach Flower Remedies. I have now completed all the course work required by the Bach Centre in England, and am now registered internationally as a Bach Flower Practitioner. I continue to consult with Elisabeth about my client caseload, and I also meet regularly with a group of senior practitioners to discuss cases and advanced care topics. This group is moderated by Angela Davies, another experienced Bach teacher who lives in England. The deeper I absorb myself in this remarkable discipline, the more I can see that Dr. Bach has developed a complete healing system, which addresses the full range of human emotional and psychological suffering. My work now is to continue learning and helping others to use these remedies to realize a full and balanced life.
