Herbal Roots with Carrie: Nurturing Wellness from the Ground Up

09/02/2026

I am so excited to share that yesterday, I received my Professional Registered Herbalist (RH) designation with the Alberta Herbalists Association!

Being a Registered Herbalist is not for the faint of heart. It is not a backyard hobby, an Instagram aesthetic, or simply knowing a few herbs.

It represents years of study, thousands of hours of education, hundreds of hours of clinical experience and the highest professional standards of competency, accountability, ethics, and a commitment to ongoing learning.

I cannot tell you how honoured, proud and grateful I am to be here today!

I want to touch on something because there is this misguided misconception that what I do is “hokey,” “witch doctor-y,” “snake oil,” or just plain “hippy.”
And while you can bring a horse to water, you just can't make it drink…
I do, however, want the horse to know I'll still be here when it gets thirsty. 😊

In the meantime, I want to share what the title of Professional Registered Herbalist means to me.

🌿 Western Herbalism has a long and important history within Western healthcare.
For generations, medicinal plants were a fundamental part of healthcare, studied alongside anatomy, physiology and pathology. As modern medicine evolved, pharmaceutical approaches became dominant, pushing much of traditional herbal practice to the margins.
That shift doesn't make herbalism “quackery”—and my education is not based on guesswork.

My 7 years of study and 2,500+ hours of education included:
🌿Anatomy, physiology, pathology & pathophysiology
🌿 Biochemistry, phytochemistry, pharmacology & pharmacognosy
🌿 Botany, plant identification & materia medica
🌿 Herbal energetics
🌿 Clinical assessment & reasoning
🌿 Herb–drug & herb–supplement interactions
🌿 Contraindications, safety, dosage & preparation
🌿 Formulation principles & nutrition
🌿 Research methodology & scientific literature
🌿 Professional ethics & scope of practice
🌿 A completed thesis & multiple clinical case studies

And then there are the 400+ hours of clinical experience with clients—something I am especially grateful for.

These aren't theoretical hours. They are real people, real stories, real health concerns, real formulations and real follow-ups—and the opportunity to see firsthand how helpful herbalism can be when practiced thoughtfully, responsibly and appropriately.
Thank you to every client who trusted me enough to be part of that learning.

What does being a Registered Herbalist mean to me?
🌿 It means knowing how to support my family when the world gets a little crazy.
When there are medication shortages (remember Tylenol?) and supply disruptions, I have the knowledge—and a full dispensary of medicinal plants—to draw from.
🌿 It means helping people become empowered in their own health.
Helping people understand their bodies and make informed choices, rather than feeling completely dependent on “the big machine.”
🌿 It means understanding the relationship between plants and modern pharmacology.
Many medicines originated from natural compounds, and understanding plant constituents, extraction, preparation, dosing and interactions is essential. Whole-plant preparations can also work differently—not necessarily less effective—than isolated compounds.
🌿 It means understanding that effectiveness isn't simply about having the “right herb.”
Proper extraction, preparation, dosing, consistency, duration, formulation, overall health and commitment to change all matter.
🌿 It means understanding both the power and responsibility of medicinal plants.
Natural does not automatically mean safe. Knowing contraindications, interactions and appropriate dosing is not optional. It also means respecting the strengths and limitations of herbalism—not replacing modern medicine but recognizing its legitimate place in the scheme of things.
🌿 It means continuing to learn.
The more I study, the more I realize how much there is still to learn.

So that is where you’ll find me - seeing clients, teaching, researching and learning as I go.

And for now, just celebrating this enormous milestone!

09/01/2026

Tomorrow is the Daysland Business Expo, and I can’t wait to share “all the things” with everyone who comes by!

And even if you’ve known me for a while, there are probably things you wouldn’t know from a casual conversation or from seeing me around town.

So, just for fun, here are a few things you might not know:

- I hate fake conversations. I want real connection.
- I notice things other people miss.
- I’m ridiculously curious.
- I’m a lifelong learner—I genuinely love learning and growing.
- I’m not afraid to ask the hard questions—how else would we grow?
- I think deeply—and sometimes I probably think too much.
- My faith is what grounds me. ❤️
- I’m stubborn when I know something matters.
- I’d rather be genuine than impressive.
- I care more than I probably let on.

That’s a little more of me than you’ll probably get to know tomorrow - but looking forward to seeing you there just the same! ❤️

08/28/2026

Here is the visual I referenced in my video.🌱

My new Care Pathway, all in one place 🤩

08/25/2026

*reposting - hopefully the sound quality is a little better!

One of the things I always strive for is to make Herbal Care accessible. I’m really excited about this new Care Pathway and how it may help with that!

Thanks for putting up with my wonky videos 🤩

08/19/2026

These case studies are just a little glimpse into what I’ll be sharing at Daysland’s upcoming Business Expo on September 1st.

I’m looking forward to sharing what I do and how I work with clients through clinical herbalism. 🌿

I’ll also be offering a “Shen Men” ear seeds demo as part of my auriculotherapy services, new this fall.

If you’re curious about adding this kind of nervous system support to your wellness plan, stop by and give it a try!

Looking forward to this amazing event!

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease or medical conditions, or to provide medical advice or individualized herbal recommendations. Individual herbal support is developed through an appropriate consultation and assessment.

08/14/2026

🌿 TCM Pattern Cards — Liver Qi Stagnation

Here’s the second card in my series looking at some of the patterns described in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Liver Qi Stagnation is a pattern that often has a strong connection between emotional stress and physical symptoms.

You might see things like tension or tightness, digestive changes, headaches, PMS or cycle-related symptoms, and symptoms that seem to come and go with stress.

There can also be a sense of feeling “stuck” — along with frustration, irritability, moodiness or emotional tension.

One of the interesting things about pattern-based assessment is that the same symptom can show up for very different reasons. TCM looks at the collection of signs and symptoms and how they relate to the individual, rather than simply looking at one symptom on its own.

This gives herbalists another lens to consider when assessing a client and deciding what kind of support may be appropriate.

Find this interesting? Please like and share and help me share what I do! ❤️

08/13/2026

One of the things I really enjoy about incorporating TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) assessment, is learning to look at the bigger picture.

Instead of looking at one symptom on its own, TCM looks at how different signs and symptoms fit together to identify a pattern.

I’ve put together a series of simple TCM pattern cards to share some of these common patterns and how they can help inform my approach when supporting a client.

First up is Spleen Qi Deficiency.

This pattern can show up with things like:

• fatigue, especially after eating
• poor appetite or digestive weakness
• bloating or loose stools
• feeling heavy or sluggish
• worry, overthinking or mental fatigue

In TCM, the Spleen plays an important role in digestion and transforming food into nourishment and Qi. When Spleen Qi is weakened, digestive symptoms and low energy can often appear together.

The important part is that we aren't just looking at one of these symptoms. We're looking at the whole pattern and the individual in front of us.

That's one of the things I love about herbalism — matching the approach to the person rather than simply matching an herb to a symptom. 🌿

I'll be sharing more of these pattern cards over the coming days.

08/10/2026

A small but mighty harvest so far ❤️ Just a taste of what’s to come as I dry, process and extract these beauties over the next few weeks - potent, effective and real, just like it was supposed to be ❤️

08/05/2026

Someone called a Consultant Medical Herbalist (aka - me) a “witch doctor & charlatan.”

Fine. Let’s be precise.

A Consultant Medical Herbalist is not an Instagram aesthetic.

Proper training looks like years of study. On a NIMH-accredited pathway such as Heartwood, that means roughly 4–6 years, around 3,600 academic hours plus 500 clinical hours. Anatomy. Physiology. Pathophysiology. Pharmacognosy. Phytochemistry. Materia medica. Clinical examination. Differential diagnosis. Manufacturing. A final clinical exam. Traditionally an apprentice herbalist would train for 14 years. There was nothing basic about the demands placed on them.

In the UK, Schedule 20 law exists for a reason. Some potent herbs are restricted to one-to-one practitioner consultation. That is regulation, not vibes. Only professional herbalists are permitted to use them in practice.

And “unregulated”? The National Institute of Medical Herbalists has professional lineage back to 1864. Codes of practice. A register. A complaints process.

Calling trained clinicians quacks protects a monopoly narrative. Actual quackery is untrained advice sold with commercial certainty and zero clinical grounding.

If you are choosing care, ask the boring questions:
What is the qualification?
Are they on a professional register?
How many supervised clinical hours?
Do they take a proper case history and examine you?
Not anyone is a Consultant Medical Herbalist. Further, not everyone should be.

07/08/2026