I am a clinical herbalist, herbal educator, medicine maker, gardener, nature lover and community organiser committed to providing accessible and empowering herbal care, and experience-based herbal education. I live on the unceded lands of the Mi’kmaq people, on the North Mountain of the Annapolis Valley in so-called Hampton, Nova Scotia, Canada. I am a queer, gender non-binary settler of Greek and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. I am a Registered Herbal Practitioner with the Herbalist Association of Nova Scotia (HANS). 

I want to live in a world where rivers run freely, where lands are stewarded in sacred relationships, where people learn to live in harmony with each other and this earth, where everyone can access a dignified life, where empowering, holistic, integrative community healthcare is the norm, and where part of being a health care provider means being committed to actually addressing the root causes of illness and disease. I see herbal medicine as being a crucial part of resilient communities, of mutual aid and webs of care.

Herbal medicine is a holistic approach to healing, rooted in connection with nature and the belief that the human body is resilient and intelligent with an underlying ability to move towards balance, healing, and vitality. Humans and plants have evolved together in symbiosis - we need plants for nourishment and to strengthen our ability to adapt to the world we live in. We are exposed to so many challenges to our health every day – from stress and trauma to exposure to toxins, to our various habits to help us cope with difficulties in our lives. Plants support us on the level of our physiologic body: repairing tissues, reducing inflammation, repairing genes, regulating body systems, improving function of organ systems. Plants support us on the level of our emotional mind-body: shifting our perception to stress, releasing held tensions, and moving through difficult times. Plants support us on the level of our spirit: the wisdom and memory that plants carry is passed through their bodies, reminding us of our own innate wisdom. The practice of herbalism is one small step towards repairing a deeply wounded, profoundly needed relationship between humans and the earth.

I began formal study of herbal medicine in 2009 at the Living Earth School of Herbalism in Ontario with Michael Vertolli, and graduated from the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism (VCIH) Clinical Herbalist training program in 2014, studying mainly under Larken Bunce, Betzy Bancroft and Guido Masé. I gained extensive clinical experience working full-time for two years at the BC Compassion Club Society Wellness Center in Vancouver, offering accessible sliding-scale herbal care to people with complex chronic illness and cancer. Following this, I taught for five years at VCIH in the Family Herbalist and Clinical Herbalist training programs as well as the American Herbalists Guild Symposium, the Canadian Herb Conference, the Dandelion Seed Conference, The Herbal Academy, The Wild Seed School of Herbal Studies, The Elderberry Academy, Wintergreen Botanicals, Emery Herbals, and Camille Freeman’s deep dive classes.

I am deeply inspired by the stories that the land tells of living with human communities, and stories of community resistance and resilience. I am an eternal student of the earth, the plants, my clients and students; forever deepening and growing my base of herbal skills and knowledge.