The Herbal Tarot Deck was my gateway into the East West Course. I am an artist and am working on a tarot deck. I pulled out my Herbal Tarot Deck as an inspiration and started wondering who the creator was. Thanks to the Internet, I discovered Michael Tierra and The East West program. I had been looking at herbal programs for some time and when I found Michael and Lesley’s course, I saw it as a sign and enrolled. So here I am three years later, excited about my future, and I am closing in on my last months of the professional herbalist course. I intend to plow ahead and work towards my clinical herbalist degree as soon as I complete all 36 lessons. I have been mentoring with K.P. Khalsa for the past year, and will continue until I become a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.
As a Gemini, I always seem to have two distinct focuses. I have a two Master degrees, one in art and one in counseling. For the past 25 years I have worked in social services, most recently as a deputy director for a large non-profit helping people out of poverty. A few years ago, I realized that I was spinning my wheels. I quit my job last year with the goal of teaching people how they could heal themselves. Currently, I formulate herbal products that I market through stores, fairs, etc. I teach herbal courses through our community college, senior center and retirement centers, etc. Most recently I got a job as a community garden coordinator for Central Oregon, with a focus on obesity prevention. I am an avid gardener and specialize in growing medicinal herbs.
When not working, I ski, hike, camp, go to Burning Man and otherwise dream of traveling to far away places. The East West program has been everything that I could ask for. The weekly chats with Susan Kramer are invaluable, the seminar is exhausting and stimulating, but most importantly, Lesley and Michael have paved the way for those of us who aspire to become clinical herbalists to achieve our dreams.