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writeyourherbalist@proton.me
Hello and Welcome!
About
There are so many ways to tell a story. Here's one.
The liminal space where plants and people connect has been a constant thread through my life.
I started learning about herbs in the woods of Central Idaho, saying their names every time we met. Over and over. Learning out of necessity, most of us with no insurance, far from hospitals.
Since then, I've gone to school, worked in an herb store, as a street medic and setting up clinics at actions and demonstrations, in free clinics and outreach programs, doing end of life and elder care, and as farmer/community herbalist.
All of this and so much more has informed my practice of herbalism. Even the times when I have laid this work down have brought me so much insight into this practice, like the lessons of grief and finding the depths of nothing to give. The process of finding my way back.
My ancestral knowledge of plants is not direct. It has been broken by colonialism, famine, patriarchy, so many intentional and unintentional breaks. My lineage of herbalism is problematic. A history of colonizers stealing indigenous knowledge and using it for their benefit. Of farmers looking for home. The broken lines through time of queers finding our way.
This is the present I find myself in, what I am navigating. I am, everyday, learning, and looking for my way. How can I as a settler-colonizer on occupied land have a right relationship with the plants? With the land? With myself? Other people? I don't have easy answers, and this is something I will be working with and through in so many ways for my whole life. Questioning, wondering, learning, changing.
Something I love about herbalism is that it is a way to see the world. A lens. There is never an end to learning, to growing. For me, it shapes a holistic view of what health means. That health is inheritently communal, about connection. That in order to work with the health of one person, you must look at the bigger picture. Of society. Systems of oppression. Ways we treat each other and the web we all live in.
Some of my teachers and mentors:
The Plants
My clients and my body
Mo O'brien
Darla Torrez
Su Gregerson
Michael Moore (SW School of Botanical Medicine 2005)
Chuck Garcia
Lindsey Feldpausch, Mel Kasting and Thomas Easley (Eclectic School of Botanical Medicine, 2020)
And so so many more!
Thank you!
Disclaimer: Erika Larsen is a complimentary and alternative health care practitioner and is not licensed by the state of California. There is currently no license available for the services provided. All services and treatments provided are complementary or alternative to health care services provided by health care practitioners currently licensed by the state of California.
Writing
Resources
Articles, Apps, Charts, Videos, etc.
Gossypium spp. (Cotton Root Bark): A Symbol of Herbal Resistance, Karen L. Culpepper https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/sites/americanherbalistsguild.com/files/sample-articles-pdfs/jahg_autumn_2017_cotton_root_culpepper.pdf
Queer Attachment: an anti-oppression toolkit for relational healing, Leah Jo Carnine and Fizz Perkel https://liberationandmedicine.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/queer-attachment-toolkit.pdf
Interacting Layers of Trauma and Healing (Chart) https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OpKVEVEbE2uou4XUWUHapusp5AVyR8O1ynyyujnlNQk/edit#slide=id.g25c6225f6c_0_0
How Pain Works in the Body https://www.painscience.com/articles/pain-is-weird.php
Pain Education and Modulation App (some free and some paid content) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/curable-pain-relief/id1325784379
Iliana Hernandez's Living Document on How to Find a Therapist That Works for You https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Z_I_flXF6mL5FC4gQGQsyVBcTjhgsJuyMefp9Q2Xmc/edit?ts=5dae5179
Going To Therapy As A QTPOC, Without Being Harmed, Erased Or Baffled, Carmen Leah Ascencio http://www.bgdblog.org/2014/12/going-therapy-qtpoc-without-harmed-erased-baffled-therapy-horror-stories-may-heard/
Competent Care for Transgender, GenderQueer and Non-Binary Folks: A Resource for Herbalists and other Practitioners , Vilde Chaya Fenster-Ehrlich and Larken Bunce – https://sites.google.com/vtherbcenter.org/transhealth/home
Other Self Study Resources
How to Critically Read a Research Study, Chris Kresser https://kresserinstitute.com/critically-read-research-study/
Searchable website of some older western herbal books and other writing https://www.henriettes-herb.com
Herbs for Mental Health, Jon Keys https://herbsformentalhealth.com
Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Plant and Article Index https://www.swsbm.com/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.html
Free Access to Michael Moore's recorded lectures https://www.swsbm.com/school/
Occupy Medical Training Documents https://www.occupy-medical.org/documents
Reishi and Roses https://reishiandrosesbotanicals.com
United Plant Savers Journal: free PDF downloads https://unitedplantsavers.org/compendium-journal-of-medicinal-plant-conservation-free-pdfs-now-available/
Herb Rally Monographs https://www.herbrally.com/monographs
American Herbalists Guild free webinars https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/professional-training-webinars
Bot Med Rocks, Eric Yarnell https://www.botmed.rocks/
Practitioners and Clinics
Alanna Whitney (Santa Fe, NM and long distance) mettleandloam.com
Kelly McCarthy (Philadelphia) www.atticapothecary.com
Caty Crabb (Vermont) http://catycrabb.com
Stascha Stall (Bay Area, CA and long distance) https://bayherbalist.com
Deia Pauline (Atlanta, GA and long distance)https://grassrootsapothecary.org/consultations
Ami DeGroot (long distance) https://dogtoothbotanica.com/offerings
Renée Camila (Ashland, OR) https://www.layerbabuenaherbs.com/about
Sam Roberts (Ashland, OR) https://www.homeandhearthherbs.com/consultations
Holly Poole-Kavana (Washington D.C. and long distance) http://www.littleredbirdbotanicals.com/herbal-consultations/
BIPOC Herbalist List https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WwsDcxAurAbiUji4s1rLjdWhyDRw4SDL0IDxKH4mY-w/htmlview
Stone Fruit Community Herbalists (Pittsburgh) wildcherries.org/consultations/
Bay HRT Bay Area Herbal Response Team (Bay Area, CA) https://bayhrt.weebly.com/herbalconsults.html
Herbalista Community Clinic (Atlanta, GA) https://herbalista.org/projects/herb-clinic/
American Herbalist Guild Registered Herbalist Directory https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/member-profiles
Berkeley Herbal Center Community Clinic (Berkeley, CA and long distance)
Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism Community Clinics (Montpelier, VT) https://vtherbcenter.org/community-herbal-clinics/
Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine Free Clinic (Lowgap, NC and long distance) www.eclecticschoolofherbalmedicine.com/clinic/
Evergreen Center Clinic (Lafayette, CO) clinicalherbalism.com/about/the-clinic-evergreen-center/
Acorn School of Herbal Medicine Community Free Clinic (Nevada City, CA and long distance) www.acornherbschool.com/clinic.html
Mni Wiconi Clinic and Farm https://www.mniwiconiclinicandfarm.org
Generative Somatics Practitioner Directory generativesomatics.org/resources/find-practitioner/
Ayana Therapy App https://www.ayanatherapy.com
Schools, Classes, Apprenticeships and Mentorships
Wild Seed School of Herbal Studies (Salt Spring Island, BC) https://www.wildseedschool.com
La Mala Yerba BIPOC Herbal Immersion, other classes, clinic and more (various locations) http://www.lamalayerba.com
Ancestral Apothecary School of Herbal, Folk and Indigenous Medicine (Oakland, CA) https://ancestralapothecaryschool.com
Wild Ginger Community Herbal Center (Maryland, Costa Rica, and online (http://www.wildgingerherbalcenter.com)
The Arctos School of Herbal and Botanical Studies (Portland, OR) https://arctosschool.org
Well of Indigenous Wisdom School (Mayaguez, PR) https://www.wellofindigenouswisdom.com/classes
Seed Seva Seasonal Mentroship (online) http://sierraseeds.org/seed-seva/
Samara School of Community Herbalism (New Orleans) https://samaraherbschool.com
Terra Sylva (Marshall, NC) https://terrasylvaschool.com
Commonwealth Center for Holistic Herbalism (Boston, MA) https://commonwealthherbs.com
Seed Soil and Spirit School (currently online) http://www.skyworldapothecary.com/seed-soil-spirit
Curanderismo (free online or in person course through the University of New Mexico) http://curanderismo.unm.edu
NCB School of Herbalism and Holistic Health (Online and TN) https://naturalchoicesbotanica.com
Sacred Journey School of Herbalism (Austin, TX) https://gingerwebb.com/sacred-journey-school-herbalism/
Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine (Austin, TX and online) https://wildflowerherbschool.com/about/
Tierona Lowdog (Pecos, NM) https://drlowdog.com/study-with-tieraona/
Native Roots School of Ancestral, Folk and Herbal Medicine (Taos, NM and online) https://nativerootshealing.com
The People's Medicine School (upstate NY and online) https://www.rootworkherbals.com/herbalism-school
Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism https://vtherbcenter.org/training-programs/
American Herbalist Guild Mentor Directory https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/mentors
Collectives, Organizations, Movements, Projects and Related Resources
K'É Infoshop http://keinfoshop.org/index.htm
The Red Nation http://therednation.org
Tewa Women United http://tewawomenunited.org
Southerners on New Ground https://southernersonnewground.org
Solidarity Apothecary https://solidarityapothecary.org/about/
Overcoming Burnout https://solidarityapothecary.org/category/overcoming-burnout/
Black Permaculture Project http://www.blackpermaculturenetwork.org/about-us
LA Spoonie Collective https://www.spooniecollective.org
Herbs, Preparations, Seeds, Plants
3 lists of regional herb farms https://www.suntrap.co/post/bulkherbsfromsmallfarms
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/resources/local-herb-growers
https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/Herb-Farms-Wildcrafters.html
PacificBotanicals (fresh herbs are grown on their farm, check dry herbs for source) https://www.pacificbotanicals.com
Texas Medicinals https://gingerwebb.com/texas-medicinals/
Medicinal and Edible Plant and Seed Locator Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/327813930606438/
Flack Family Farm http://www.flackfamilyfarm.com/medicinals.html
Somoma County Herb Exchange https://www.sonomaherbs.org/herb-exchange
Wolfberry Apothecary https://wolfberryapothecary.bigcartel.com
Edgewood Nursery https://edgewood-nursery.com/shop
Prairie Moon Nursery https://www.prairiemoon.com
Grand Prismatic Seed https://www.grandprismaticseed.com
Tooley's Trees https://tooleystrees.com
Contact
Please get in touch with me to schedule a consult or with any questions at SapelloHerbalist@gmail.com