I started studying herbs while in graduate school at Western Carolina University located in the North Carolina Appalachian mountains. I was fascinated by the knowledge that the locals shared on plant medicine and plants as food. My first herb book was Earl Mindell’s Herb Bible.  I started playing around with cayenne pepper, goldenseal, peppermint and various other simples. When I became pregnant, I bought Susan Weed’s Herbal for The Childbearing Year, which was invaluable. I read about herbs and used them at home for 16 years before starting the East West School of Planetary Herbology program.

In August 2009, after nine years in corporate America, I lost my job due to economy problems. My best friend convinced me it was time to follow my passion. I enrolled in East West in October 2009 and began studying the moment my books arrived. By the time the May seminar rolled around, I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the program, so I did not go to the seminar. I got another full-time job and kept studying. I attended the seminar in 2011 and was inspired. I attended the seminar in 2012 and was not only inspired more deeply than before, but was empowered and saw my path unfolding in front of me. I began making plans on the plane trip home. Within a month I had created Emerald Coast Herbalist, LLC and had scheduled herbal medicine making classes at a local café. The classes were well received and I have been asked to continue teaching weekly classes each month. I have eight case studies that have developed from these classes and the word seems to be spreading. I have a DIY website that needs work but is up and running:  www.emeraldcoastherbalist.com. I have recently been asked to write an article for an online magazine about herbs and vitamins to help people stay healthy through the holidays.

I will be at the 2013 seminar ready to graduate and will be working toward acceptance into the American Herbalists Guild as a Registered Herbalist. I will continue teaching and may expand to the local community college. Clinical herbalism will be part-time for now. I hope to be able to do it full-time one day, but if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is to let the universe deliver what it will. I love sharing my knowledge and feel it is VERY important to let people know there are alternatives available.

In my (rare) free time I garden, go camping, hiking and go the beach. I go back to the mountains three or four times a year – a magical place full of beautiful and bountiful herbs.  I love making medicine and have a closet full of ‘stuff’ I have made over the last three years. Enrolling in East West was one of the best decisions I have ever made… Thanks universe!