Jennifer Class, April/May 2023

I’ve always been a little bit of a dabbler in plants – making skin and body care items as a teen, tending a small garden of culinary herbs, drinking simple herbal teas to for mild health complaints, and using natural remedies to treat the various ouchies, owwies, and illnesses my children would pick up. Then…

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Kim Goodwin, February 2023

  Well, I’m finally doing what I love; plants, nature, herbs, healing and learning. I’ve been involved in East West for a couple years. My original goal was to heal myself of a debilitating autoimmune disease that kept perplexing medical doctors. While they remained perplexed, I became more sick. My journey started with a wonderful…

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Svetlana E., January 2023

I came from a big family of many siblings, and was born in Lithuania Klaipeda (former Prussia`s Memel, by the shore of the Baltic Sea) while it was part of the Soviet Union. When Soviet Union collapsed, every one in my family took advantage of traveling opportunities and as a result, was spread in the…

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Kareem Charlton, December 2022

My name is Kareem Charlton, and I am from the sunny shores of The Bahamas. I worked many years as a certified lifeguard instructor, helping hundreds of persons from all walks of life and various countries. I always had a love for helping people, plants and nature. As a young boy I witnessed my grandmother…

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Nerija Hopkins, November 2022

I was born in Lithuania while it was part of the Soviet Union. We were a self sustaining family, living and surviving on the labor of our farm. My father’s work as a forester connected me with nature and I developed a great respect of earth’s bounties. Growing up, we used many of nature’s plants…

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Meghane Hernandez, October 2022

I always loved plants, as a little girl I craved to taste the sweetness of honeysuckle and play along with the soft sleeping grass. I first began my pathway to herbalism by working at Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods, assisting customers in the supplements department. This was my first exposure to herbal medicine and I was…

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Kelvin Todosi, August 2022

Plants and nature bring me great joy. Sometimes along the way all this delightful stuff I’ve learned helps brighten others’ days too, and to me that is worth all the while.  Herbalism was not a word or concept to me until my 20’s. The conceptualization that the wilderness around me was intelligent, symbiotic, full of ever-giving…

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Holly Brooks, June 2022

“When I lie flat on the ground with my heart against Mother Earth, I can feel her breathe.” As a young child growing up in rural North Dakota, I began noticing the beautiful wildflowers and prairie grasses, I was drawn to the Earth and what it has to give us. I loved being in the…

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Anjana Bhargava, April Student of the Month

I am an Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner living in Weston, MA. I have a master’s degree in Electronics from India and Bachelor’s in Science and Math. My journey to alternative healing began when my daughter was born with multiple food allergies and eczema. After meeting countless doctors for solutions, I was not able to find much…

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Wayne Lapinski, March 2022

My journey with plants began in grade school after learning about the importance of trees.  As a result I planted a tree annually on Arbor Day.  By the time I left home in my early 20’s, to move to Boston, we had a small orchard on our suburban plot in northern Ohio.  I started college…

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Karin Williams, February 2022

Growing up in England, I have always loved trees, plants and nature walks. I studied Optimum Nutrition in London and that gave me a good background in getting the most out your food. My first interest in Herbalism was when, I was given a Nicholas Culpeper – The Complete Herbal book, I fell in love…

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Tennyson Towl, January 2022

At 50, I’m at a time of reflection with our only son having headed off to college this Fall and my husband and I starting a new life in sunny St. Petersburg, FL. Growing up, I used to travel with my mom from Louisville, KY to Boston, MA so she could get acupuncture and herbs…

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Linda Talbott, December 2021

I grew up in a small town in New England. My soul was at home in the hardwood forests and in the arts, singing, dancing, playing music, sewing, drawing and painting. I moved to Chicago and trained in the visual arts at an amazing museum/school and for years had a tandem career as an exhibiting…

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Bianca Cuellar Arteaga, October 2021

My name is Bianca Cuellar Arteaga. Born in Bolivia, I came to Indiana with my mother when I was a toddler to pursue a more opportunistic life. Although beautiful, our lives were faced with many hardships and traumatic experiences throughout the years. From a young age, I realized the impact that the mind-body-soul connection has…

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Robert Woolf, September 2021

I was born and raised in Toronto Ontario, Canada. After completing a BSc and DDS at the University of Toronto, I moved west to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I practised dentistry for several years. I then returned to school at the University of Saskatchewan and completed an MD and residency after which I became a full…

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Raine Quinn, August 2021

I live in Perth, Western Australia with a loving husband, son and daughter-in-law, two labradors, two rabbits, two ducks and many visiting birds.  Our wonderful daughter also lives in Perth. Keisha and Noxy, our beautiful labradors, are mother and daughter. Noxy is due to give birth next month.  I am a registered home breeder and…

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Stacie Satery, July 2021

My herbal journey began after the birth of my fourth child and a long episode of overlooked and undiagnosed postpartum depression.  A homeschooling mama of four children, I desperately began seeking alternative health treatment so I could just make it through the day.  At the time, the essential oil business was booming.  I looked into…

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Krista Edwards, June 2021

After graduating in 2002 with a degree in Physical Education and a certification through the American Council on Exercise, I set out with the ambition to try to make the world a healthier place as a personal trainer. It did not take me long to see that diet and exercise were not the silver bullet…

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Panda Hershey, May 2021

I came to appreciate the power of herbs fairly late in life. After working as a postdoctoral researcher in cell biology for several years and then an institutional investor in private equity, venture capital and agriculture for nearly 2 decades, I found my calling as a healer. Through my  Chinese medicine, acupressure and tui na…

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Darcy Ogle, April 2021

One of my earliest memories is of picking and eating raspberries in the backyard. My mother taught me to love plants. I come from a long line of gardeners, and my mom tells me that my great grandmother was an herbalist.  Currently, I grow native herbs and plants and raise backyard chickens. I’ve pursued a…

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Shif Mao Dark Single Whip

Energy Medicine, Movement and Tao

These methods are based on the Ancient Chinese energetic theory that holds that humans are complex energy bodies comprised of an intricate network of energy pathways or channels. There are twelve main organ pathways and eight extraordinary vessels and 360 points that are attributed to individual health functions and benefits.

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Hara Zabraka, March 2021

I come from Greece where the culture of herbs is a continuum of the ancient Greek tradition. Using folk remedies to treat common health conditions is a memory that I have had, which extends beyond the family environment. My foundation studies are Agriculture Science (BSc) and Environmental Politics & Management (MSc). Thus, for over a…

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Darcia Dillard, February 2021

This February, I am thrilled to finally say I am an East West  Intermediate student with plans to be an Advanced student this June. At the age of 16, I stepped into my first health food store.  I can still picture myself walking around that store in Chicago. I purchased three books: Rational Fasting, The Mucusless Diet, and Back…

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Annalisa Nardi, January 2021

I was born (and still live) in Florence, Italy. Growing up in an old city, filled with art and history, birthplace of so many Renaissance geniuses, I naturally became fond of anything that had been created by human ingenuity. I was an extremely shy child, with very limited access to the wild Nature, and not…

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Joshua Samuelsen, December 2020

I grew up in London and then moved to Chico, California in my late teens. I studied International Communications at Chico State. During my Chico time, I also began my yoga journey, did my massage certification and other explored other modalities such Shiatsu and Reiki. I also worked for the weekly college paper, writing and…

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Natalie Morrissey, November 2020

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California and majored in Business Administration at the University of Hawaii because I felt it was a good foundation.  I worked as an accountant in the construction industry for about 20 years and then in the airline industry for about 17.  Sometime in 2015, I…

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Janet Tunjic, October 2020

I reside in the remote city of Perth, Western Australia with a beautiful son, husband and dog named Alby. Coming from Croatian ancestry my mother and aunties often resorted to folk medicine from their home land for all sorts of ailments as a child. This was my early introduction to healing through plants. My love…

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Lani Nelson, September 2020

I grew up in the small town of Yuba City, CA. I spent most of my childhood helping do the inventory of my local health food store’s vitamin department. It was one of my favorite things to do as I learned about herbal remedies and all the crazy big names. I used that knowledge as…

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Christina Slotin, August 2020

My name is Christina Q. Slotin and I live in Cocoa Beach Florida with my husband Michael and our two teenagers.  As a child, my family moved from Mexico to a small farm working town in Florida named Immokalee. Plants have always played a role in my life, my childhood includes fond memories of grinding…

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Erica Macrum, July 2020

I grew up with the wet land plants, white oaks, and hickories in Illinois.   My love and connection with plants has been with me my whole life. I remember looking at a beautiful blossoming burdock as a young girl, the vibrant green purple pink of each flower and wondering who is this plant? My family…

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Jennifer Breschini, June 2020

I grew up in Colorado where my family was very focused on gardening. This sparked my love of plants and gardening and wherever I’ve lived, I’ve had a garden, large or small. At my current home here in Indianapolis I’ve transformed most of my suburban yard into a paradise of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. After…

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Darlene Kuhn, May 2020

I am a retired JD (Doctor of Jurisprudence), living in Toronto, Canada. I came to herbs and nutrition from a personal health history of “over-reactivity”: i.e., allergies, hay fever, and the toll they take on vitality. I saw this pattern repeating in my children, associated with nervous effects such as anxiety, ADHD. Western medicine, though…

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Liz Collins, April 2020

My name is Liz Collins.  My first passion in the recognition of physical and spiritual health is the practice of yoga, with over 25 years of teaching and study. I was certified in the Iyengar tradition through the Center for Yoga of Seattle in 1997. In the past 14 years I have immersed myself in the Shadow…

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Evan Silver, March 2020

I grew up in San Francisco, CA, just a short walk from the city’s famous Chinatown neighborhood. As a child, I was fascinated by the interesting ingredients displayed at the herb shops; I had no idea that years later, I would have my own collection of Chinese herbs. I attended college in Burlington, VT and…

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Jen Hyde, February 2020

Kia ora and greetings from the southern hemisphere!  My name is Jen and I first started getting interested in herbalism working as a wilderness guide in the NC Appalachian mountains.  As we hiked, my fellow guides would teach me the plants of the region and we would munch as we walked. We ate rock tripe and sourwood…

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Sarah Ford, January 2020

I am Sarah Ford Thompson.  I began my love affair with plants and plant medicines as a young child.  I spent my first few years on a self-sustaining farm in Kentucky with my family.  We grew our own food and raised goats for milk.  We traded goat milk and homemade goat cheese with the nearest…

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Jennifer McDonnell, December 2019

My fondest childhood memories are making “magic potions” over pretend rock fire circles in the forests of the Green Mountains in VT and the Appalachians in New York, the woods I knew as my back yard.  I’d rock hop barefoot, seeking the head of the stream to obtain water where it bubbled out of the earth.…

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Emily Martin, November 2019

My name is Emily Martin. I’m originally from the small town of Jena, Louisiana but currently live in Alabama. After graduating high school, I earned my BA in Elementary Education. With my husband’s military career and our family moving every 2-3 years we decided I would stay home with our children.  Eventually figuring out that…

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laurel paxton

Laurel Paxton, October 2019

My name is Laurel Paxton, I grew up in the beautiful oceanic community of Santa Cruz, CA. I currently live in South Lake Tahoe, where I spend my days homeschooling my children and studying the healing arts. I love studying herbology from around the world and everything around me as much as possible! I have…

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Rebecca Wong, September 2019

Ironically, though I grew up on a dairy farm, surrounded by crops, animals, and nature, I was never exposed to natural health or healing during all that time. Farmers are not necessarily naturalists, and my parents showed little interest in herbal medicine. I never even tried whole wheat bread until I was a teenager and…

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Domini Aalbers, August 2019

Born a sixth generation Montanan, I grew up enjoying the outdoors, hiking, riding horses, camping, fishing and hunting. I love the circle of life and there is no place you can see and experience it more than in the backcountry wilderness. When I worked for an outfitter, my days consisted of hard labor, being in…

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Karen Wentlandt

Karen Wentlandt, July 2019

I currently live in Colorado with my husband. Our three boys are grown and finding their way in this world, just as we continue to find ours. I always believed my calling was to be writer. I pursued that calling as an undergraduate and graduate student. I wrote short stories. I worked on several books,…

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Pascale Richalet, June 2019

Born and raised in France, I came to Boston with my family about twenty years ago to pursue a scientific education in biochemistry and biophysics. An avid Aikido student for many years, I have always been attracted to Eastern philosophies. While working my first science job, I took evening classes and earned a Zen Shiatsu…

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Beth White Mountain, May 2019

I have been a massage therapist, gardener, wildcrafter and lover of herbs for over 20 years. I grew up in Florida and started my herbal journey in 1992, when I was 22, working part-time at an herbal apothecary and part-time for a master gardener doing landscape gardening. The combination of these two jobs helped me…

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Carmen Portner, April 2019

I was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I grew up in a culture where native plants were used everyday in food, medicine and limpias. My mother used to believe that negative spirits can cause disease; so when I would fall “mysteriously” ill, she would take me to the medicine woman to perform cleansing ceremonies…

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Joshua Kuhn, March 2019

My name is Josh Kuhn. I am an Ohio native and have for as long as I can remember felt a deep kinship with the natural world. Over the years I have worn many hats (bicycle builder, found object sculptor, mime) but have always come back to the land. In 2011 my wife Bix and…

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Jodi Martin, February 2019

Hi, my name is Jodi Martin.  I have been a student with East West since 11/2013.   I am from upstate New York but have been living on the Island of Kauai in Hawaii since 2011. I am a mother of three amazing daughters and most recently find myself with an empty nest.  While living in…

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Mark Shanagher, January 2019

I was lucky, though having been born in London, to have spent much time in Nature as a young boy. My mum who’s Polish also brought us up on natural foods and medicines at home and by the time I was a young student I was talking peoples ears off about natural being the best!…

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Shelby Heinzer, December 2018

This school has been such a transformative experience. My interest in alternative medicine started with my high school boyfriend’s mom of all places. With herbs, homeopathy, and so much love she helped me tackle health problems that Western medicine seemed to only make worse. That seemingly impossible success led me on an investigation in alternative…

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gabriela gioacchini

Gabriela Gioacchini, November 2018

I grew up in the heart of Europe, in the Czech Republic (former Czechoslovakia) during the times of repression and Communist era. During these times it was second nature to grow or forage for food; this is simply what people did. Having a vegetable garden with fruit trees and a few chickens was the norm,…

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Herb teacher 7Song

7Song

I have been studying plants, people and herbal medicine for over 20 years now. My interest first started as a youngster with a fascination for things natural, beginning with astronomy, moving into herpetology and later into plants and medicine. And all of this in the suburbs of Long Island, NY In my twenties, I began…

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David Winston

David Winston, RH (AHG)

David Winston is an Herbalist and Ethnobotanist with 51 years of training in Chinese, Western/Eclectic and Southeastern herbal traditions. He has been in clinical practice for over 40 years and is an herbal consultant to physicians, herbalists and researchers throughout the USA, Europe and Canada. David is the founder/director of the Herbal Therapeutics Research Library and the dean of David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies, a two-year training program in clinical herbal medicine. He is an internationally known lecturer and frequently teaches at medical schools, professional symposia and herb conferences. He is the president of Herbalist & Alchemist, Inc. a manufacturer that produces herbal products that blend the art and science of the world’s great herbal traditions.

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Dawn Bertram

Dawn Bertram, October 2018

I live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, in the Greater Victoria area (North Saanich). I have lived between Vancouver and Vancouver Island most of my life, and have developed a love for our mountains, oceans and old growth forests. We’re so fortunate to be surrounded by this magnificent beauty which offers so much opportunity for…

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Take the home herbalist course

Carlie Newlander, September 2018

I am a California gal, born in Long Beach but I’ve spent most my life in the northern part of the state. I currently reside in the beautiful mountains of Santa Cruz where my passion for plants and the healing arts has taken root and the local, like-minded community has embraced me with such loving…

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Raven Ioneh, August 2018

I am a Northern Californian, born in Oakland, California where I currently reside. I grew up in Berkeley, California, but also in the woods of the Pacific Northwest and on the rocky beaches of California’s northern coast.   As a teenager, I developed a sense that people came to me with their injuries and ailments for…

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Herbalist James

Jeremy O’Leary, June 2018

I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for most of my life, with short stints in Minnesota, Montana and Idaho.  The plan out of college was to work as botanist, but the Bush Administration happened, and after attempting to get work with something of the naturalist flavor, I figured it was best to separate my vocation from…

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Rachael Witt, May 2018

Rachael Witt, May 2018

Hello! My name is Rachael Witt. I am a land-steward, herbalist, and teacher of ancestral skills. I grew up amidst the Oak woodlands in the foothills of the Sierras. As I explored the world around me, studying plant ecology and ethnobotany, opportunities led me to the small town of Duvall, Washington, where I am currently…

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How We Protect Your Information

Planet Herbs implements multiple security methods to prevent fraud and to protect your payment information. Encryption Planetherbs.com uses the COMODO SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate to encrypt information end to end. Everything you send through our website is encrypted. Only our website and our payment provider can decrypt the information. Credit Card Security We request…

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Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

East West School of Planetary Herbology Terms of Service Effective and Modification Dates Our Privacy Policy was posted on April 24, 2018 and last updated on April 24, 2018. It governs the privacy terms of our Website, located at planetherbs.com. Terms By accessing the website at https://planetherbs.com, you are agreeing to be bound by these…

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Herbal student Shannon Hobson

Shannon Hobson, April 2018

Where can I say my journey into East West began….  I wasn’t much into natural medicine growing up, but I have always loved nature. I didn’t become interested in natural medicine until I travelled to Vietnam many years later, where I, unfortunately, picked up something nasty.  Upon my return to Australia (where I was living…

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Brian Weissbuch

Brian Kie Weissbuch L.Ac.

Brian Kie Weissbuch L.Ac. is an herbalist and acupuncturist in private practice in Northern California since 1991. Cofounder of KW Botanicals Inc, San Anselmo, CA, he has 42 years experience as a botanist, western herbalist, and formulator of proprietary extracts for Eastern and Western practitioners.

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Sherri Hawn

Sheri Hawn, March 2018

My name is Sheri Hawn and I am currently an Advanced Student here at East West. What a journey of learning and self-discovery this has been. I grew up in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and spent many hours, as a child, wandering the land, picking plants and flowers and “making medicine”, which I usually fed to the dog! I come from a line of healers and nature lovers; I am grateful to my elders for helping me to see beyond what eyes can see in both people and nature. …

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Ben Zappin, EWCH

Benjamin Zappin, EWCH

Ben is an herbalist and Licensed Acupuncturist in practice in San Francisco, California. He utilizes his training in both Chinese and western herbal traditions along with modern medical perspectives on herbs and nutritional healing to his work with clients. Ben enjoys integrating herbs into the catering he does and tries to spend a good chunk of each year wildcrafting herbs in the wild spaces of the western United States for his pharmacy. Ben’s training includes a 4-year apprenticeship with Michael Tierra, studies at Five Branches Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, studies at Zhejiang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hangzhou, China. He is director of Sylvan School of Botanical Medicine in Oakland, Ca., on the faculty of the East/West School of Herbology, and is a professional member of American Herbalists Guild.

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Rachael Witt, EWCH

Rachael Witt, EWCH

Rachael is an herbal educator and clinical herbalist based in the Pacific Northwest. She is the founder of Wildness Within; an herbal business that offers consultations, hand-made formulas and products, classes, workshops and an (in-person) apprenticeship program. Rachael’s practice is rooted in seasonal living; incorporating the interconnectedness of natural cycles, energetics and the Five Elements with our health and well-being. She uses Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostics to create herbal treatment plans that include Western, Chinese, Ayurvedic and regional herbs.

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Craig Williams, EWCH

Craig Williams, EWCH

Craig Williams has studied the Vedic tradition in depth including Ayurvedic Medicine, Vedic Astrology, and the spiritual side of Yoga and Vedanta. In addition, he possesses an excellent knowledge of herbology, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.

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Roy Upton, EWCH

Roy Upton, EWCH

Roy Upton, Registered Herbalist, Executive Director, American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Vice-President, American Herbalists Guild Herbal Educational Services (800) 252-0688 Roy Upton is the Executive Director and Editor of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of quality control standards for botanical products. The AHP monographs have been regarded by many as being…

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Adrienne Totino, EWCH

Adrienne Totino, EWCH

Adrienne Totino is a clinical herbalist, yoga and meditation teacher. She operates Wellness With Adrienne in Pittsburgh, PA. Adrienne offers consultations to those looking for holistic ways to prevent and treat health issues. She gives advice in three parts: herbal medicine, dietary, and lifestyle recommendations. All recommendations are custom, based on the individual needs of the client.

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Alan Tillotson EWCH

Alan Keith Tillotson, Registered Herbalst, EWCH

Alan Keith Tillotson, Registered Herbalist, (AHG), Ph.D Chrysalis Natural Medicine Clinic (302) 994-0565 1008 Milltown Road, Wilmington, DE, 19808, United States https://www.chrysalisnaturalmedicine.com/ “I began my study of herbal medicine when I got sick in Afghanistan in 1976, and ended up at the clinic of famed Ayurvedic doctor Vaidya Mana Bajra Bajracharya, who saved my life.…

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John Smith, EWCH

John Smith, EWCH

John Smith, B.A. (Hons) M; URHP C.H. BodyTonix 35 Dunkerry Road, Windmill Hill, Bristol, Avon, 0117 96316, UK     “My background is in a blend of Ayurvedic, Chinese and Western Herbalism – (Tierra trained) my current studies include Unani Tibb (with particular emphasis on the Attars of Avicenna) and Alchemical Spagyrics (currently studying with…

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Ron Teeguarden

Ron Teeguarden

Ron Teeguarden is the cofounder, with his wife Yanlin, and leader of Dragon Herbs. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost herbalists in America. Ron has been a professional practitioner and te …

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Aviva Romm, EWCH

Aviva Romm, M.D.

Aviva Romm, MD, is referred to as “the face of natural medicine in the 21st century by Prevention Magazine” and named one of the 100 Women to Watch in Wellness by Mind Body Green. She has bridged the …

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Efrem Korngold

Efrem Korngold

Efrem Korngold, LAC, OMD. has pioneered the practice of Chinese medicine in America for nearly 40 years as an educator, writer, and practitioner. He co-authored the best-selling Between Heaven and Ear …

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Nathan Shannon EWCH

Nathan Shannon, EWCH

480-707-2060 My introduction into natural healing came from being exposed to herbal folk remedies, homeopathy and Chiropractic care by my mother and grandparents while growing up in rural central Wisconsin. My inherent love for nature and seeing the world around me in a way that I would later learn is called animism, piqued my interest…

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Nicholas Schnell, EWCH

Nicholas Schnell, EWCH

Nicholas Schnell, RD, LMNT, RH (AHG) Four Winds Natural Healing Center, LLC (402) 933-6444 316 North 115th Street, Omaha, NE, 68154, United States “At the ripe age of twelve, after having a calling to be an herbalist, my grandmother took me under her wing and showed me all her home remedies. Each day my passion…

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Barbara Scavotto, EWCH

autumntideherbals@gmail.com 860-837-1588 www.autumntideherbalwellness.com I own and run AutumnTide Herbal Wellness where I am a clinical herbalist specializing in Traditional Chinese and Western herbal medicine. I see clients with the goal of improving their health and wellness using strategies and herbs from Traditional Chinese medicine, and herbs from the Western Herbal tradition. I am trained to…

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