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The ESHM Blog
Letters from Thomas
Depression and Burnout Series
Start the Series Here – Why Mental Health Isn’t Just About “Chemical Imbalances”
When we talk about depression and mental health, it’s easy to get caught between two extremes. You’ve probably heard depression described as a “chemical imbalance” that just needs to be fixed with medication. Or maybe you’ve encountered the opposite view – that psychiatric diagnoses are just labels that pathologize normal human experiences. The truth, as with most things in healthcare, lives in the more nuanced space between these extremes. Today, I want to share a different way of thinking about mental health….
Learning Herbalism Isn’t All About Memorizing Herbs
By Mel Kasting, RH (AHG) When I meet folks in my classes or out in the wild who are new to herbalism, or “Herb Curious” as I like to call it, one of the...
Your Brain on Burnout
The rest of this series will be released via our newsletter. If you want to sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know what's happening at ESHM, you...
Let’s Talk About Burnout
The rest of this series will be released via our newsletter. If you want to sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know what's happening at ESHM, you...
How to Use AI for Health (Without Making Your Clinician’s Eye Twitch Uncontrollably)
AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are everywhere now, and a lot of people are using them to ask questions about their health. I’m seeing this regularly now in...
Big Life Updates from the School
Dear Friends, Some of you may have seen that last year Terrie Ann and I put our 500-acre property that houses ESHM, on the market. I’ve got some big and...
Study Analyzer Prompt
One of the hardest things for herbalists to learn is how to evaluate new research. It's not just the statistics and study methodology you have to learn - it's...
Thomas on Herbs with Rosalee!
Did you hear? Thomas joined his friend Rosalee de la Foret on her podcast, Herbs with Rosalee, to discuss (among many other topics!) his clinical beginnings,...
Part 13: Herbal Antidepressants Part 3: Understanding Stimulants and Executive Function
In our previous discussions, we've explored how depression affects various brain networks - how it can lock us into repetitive negative thoughts through the...
Part 12: Herbal Antidepressants Part 2: When Anxiety and Depression Dance Together
In our last post, we explored serotonergic herbs and their gentle way of "inclining the spirit towards joy." Today, I want to talk about something I see often...
An Analysis of Unaccredited Degree Use in Alternative Medicine
Introduction This article presents a thorough examination of unaccredited degrees in alternative medicine, with a particular focus on herbal medicine. While...
Part 11: Herbal Antidepressants Part 1: Understanding Serotonergic Support
As we step into 2025, I find myself reflecting on the nature of change and healing. The turning of the year offers us a powerful metaphor - like the Earth...
Part 10: Depression’s Deep Roots: An Evolutionary Perspective
In our last post, we explored how social conditions shape depression. Today, I want to ask, and try to answer a fascinating question: Why does depression...
Part 9: Depression Isn’t About Personal Failing – Let’s Talk About Why
I hope you found some moments of peace during the holiday season. As we emerge from what can be an emotionally complex time - whether it brought joy, stress,...
Part 8: How Mental Illness Became Medical
When we talk about depression today, we often take for granted that it's a medical condition, especially in its most severe manifestations. But how did mental...
When Joy Is Expected: Managing Mood During the Holidays
Dear friends, I'm taking a brief detour from our exploration of depression's history to talk about something timely - how the holiday season affects our...
Part 7: Neurasthenia
In our last post, we explored Avicenna's sophisticated understanding of mental health. Today, I want to start tracing how we got from his nuanced holistic...
Part 6: Avicenna’s Understanding of Mental Health
When we talk about depression today, we often focus on brain chemistry and neural networks. But nearly a thousand years ago, a Persian physician named Abu Ali...
Part 5: Getting Nerdy: Understanding Depression Through Neuroscience
Depression affects 21 million adults in the U.S., yet despite being the leading cause of disability globally, the average person waits 11 years between first...
Part 4: Depression: Why Your Experience Might Look Different From Mine
Over the past couple of posts, I've shared my personal experience with depression - that persistent mental fog, the fatigue, the gradual dimming of joy while...
Part 3: Depression Recovery Is Complicated
Today I want to talk about something that rarely gets discussed in conversations about depression: what recovery actually looks like. Not the sanitized...
Part 2: Depression From the Inside: Understanding the Lived Experience
In our last post, we talked about understanding depression through patterns rather than just chemical imbalances. Today, I want to share something more...
Part 1: Why Mental Health Isn’t Just About “Chemical Imbalances”
When we talk about depression and mental health, it's easy to get caught between two extremes. You've probably heard depression described as a "chemical...
Standalone Class Offerings are BACK! and New Depression Course Opening Soon
Standalone Class Offerings are BACK! Many of you have communicated that you miss being able to sign up for single classes and we heard you! Our single online...
New addition to our full program: the Clinical Practicum
At ESHM, we know what it’s like to take an herbal program and walk away still feeling unprepared to enter clinical practice…because we’ve all been there!...
Building a Winter Wellness Kit
By Mel Kasting, RH (AHG) and the ESHM team Happy Holidays Herbies! Tis’ the season to share delicious food at gatherings with our loved ones. This time of...
Summertime Sleep Disruptions: An In-Depth Look
As we are immersed in the joys of summer, there is an aspect of this season that often goes overlooked - its impact on our sleep patterns. Let’s dive into the...
Summertime Series: Heat Exhaustion
Heat Exhaustion From Thomas Easley, RH For this Summertime Series installment, let's dive deep into heat exhaustion – a serious consequence of exposure to...
Summertime Series: Summer Skin Health
In this edition of our newsletter, we will discuss the effects of summer heat and sun on our skin and provide you with essential tips for maintaining healthy...
Summertime Series: Summertime Heat
Summertime Series: Summertime Heat Welcome to our new newsletter series, where we’ll focus on the health challenges of summertime from a clinical perspective....
AI Hallucinations
The Art of AI Deception: Understanding the Subtlety of Language Models Have you ever found yourself captivated by the seemingly human-like responses of AI...