Verdant Way's Mission

“I’ve come to the conclusion that no one can teach anyone else anything.” – Carl Rogers

Carl Rogers grew up among cattle, shaped by agriculture, and brought that grounded approach into the field of psychology. I come from a different background; trained in liberal arts and traditional herbal medicine, I’ve found my own approach to foraging, preserving, tasting, and making. I’ve come to know herbs – not just as remedies, but as companions.

Over more than a decade of clinical practice, I learned that healing is a sacred journey, not a shortcut. Herbal medicine can support that journey, but it can’t replace the walk itself. By holding what I’ve seen and felt up to the light of traditional knowledge and modern research, I share my craft openly and trust others to decide what’s useful for their own path.

At Verdant Way, the land is the teacher, the herbs are the curriculum, and the learner is already enough. Herbal medicine is learned through living relationship between human and nature, in a place where curiosity, craft, and care meet.

Verdant Way is an invitation. All preparations—teas, tinctures, and other seasonal remedies—are crafted to demonstrate the presence and possibilities of herbs, so you can feel the difference a plant can make. I honor my region, remember my friends’ requests, and let the land shape what I make.

Core Principles

☯️ Extracts come from Whole Plants. While research may discuss compounds present in plants that may have effects on certain diseases, herbal knowledge is prepared, tested and shared with the whole plant (or its medicinal parts) in mind - as opposed to a synthetic derivative.

👃 Sensory Experience Heals. Essential oils and other herbal therapies have proven for centuries that humans were meant to interact with herbal medicines. In the Way, people experience healing from a relational, intuitive sensation, rather than a defined and jarring external adjustment.

🌿 Herbal Products Only. Animal and insect byproducts cause ethical issues and fundamentally change the energetics and intentions of traditional medicines. In modern times, it's even less popular to use animal byproducts because of a more civilized humane mandate.

🛟 Safety is Paramount. Some herbs have been used out of context and gained a profile of toxicity. Using herbs properly, in a purpose that aligns with the whole plant profile, will prevent toxicology-related events. Side effects and toxicity are indicators of misuse that can be resolved with a better understanding of herbal medicine strategies.

🔁 Herbalism is Relational. Even though we learn to distinguish one plant from many others, herbs grow and work together naturally. Verdant Way promotes understanding of plan medicines in relationship to one another as well as herbal formula combinations. Herbal medicine operates as part of our ecosystem, in contrast to the isolation and reduction of pharmaceutical medicine.

My Role

I’m trained as a clinical herbalist and a master naturalist. I’ve preserved food, foraged plants, and listened to landscapes long enough to know that knowledge arrives in conversation between the plants and our curiosity.

The information provided on Verdant Way is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. Please consult your primary care physician before exploring herbal medicines and remedies to address a medical condition.