Thomas Easley, RH(AHG), Director of ESHM
Thomas is a Traditional Western Herbalist. Though a lover of bioregional herbalism, he use herbs from all over the world, including Ayuveda and TCM. However, he applies them in the Western Tradition. You won’t hear Thomas talk much about Chi, or Prana, or even Doshas. He respects other cultures’ systems of medicine, but chooses to focus on the deep and rich tradition of Western Herbalism. Keeping with that approach, you will hear him talk about humoral imbalances and constitution, Eclectic and Physiomedical approaches to disease, modern Naturopathic therapies, functional blood work ranges, and even the occasional reference to Sheldon’s Somatotypes. Thomas also emphasizes foods as medicine, using intensive diets, stress reduction techniques, nutritional supplements, and exercise to help his clients achieve their health goals. In addition to herbs, diet, supplements, and lifestyle approaches, Thomas also uses drop dose botanicals and the occasional homeopathic remedies or flower essences.
Thomas believes that herbal medicine has the potential to change the world. Unfortunately much of what is taught about herbs and supplements is driven by marketing and not based in tradition or science. His approach draws on his extensive clinical experience, which spans 15 years of full-time practice and over 15,000 clients.
Lindsey Ann Feldpausch
Lindsey is a clinical herbalist, avid medicine maker, and a nature-based mama. Trained in the art of Western Herbalism, she believes in the healing powers of plants and our innate abilities to tap into this knowledge. Inspiring this belief in others and showing people the way of the herbs is one of her life’s objectives. An instructor/medicine maker/program & clinic director at the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine, she teaches Material Medica and medicine making.
Mel Kasting
Mel is a Clinical Herbalist, Freelance Writer, and Assistant Clinic Director for the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine’s student-led free clinic. She told her mother at 8 years old, “I want to be the box car children when I grow up,” and has pretty much lived up to the task. Her passion for plant-based healing, as well as an incurable wanderlust, has taken her from the Columbines School of Botanical Studies in Eugene, OR, to the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine’s mountain haven in Lowgap, NC, and many places in between. She studied primarily botany, wildcrafting, plant ecology, and clinical herbalism. Mel is also the ESHM’s Botany Group Facilitator. When not living the herbal dream, she loves to hike and dance.
Jade Shutes, B.A., Dipl. AT.
Jade holds a Diploma in Holistic Aromatherapy, Holistic Massage, Anatomy and Physiology, and Reflexology from the Raworth College of Natural Medicine in Dorking, UK, and a Diploma in Aromatherapy from the International Therapist Examining board (ITEC). She has studied with Jan Kusmirek of Fragrant Studies and has completed Part One of the Purdue University Advanced Studies of Essential Oils. She has also completed a certificate program for Herbal Medicine with Master Herbalist Erin Groh and a certificate program for Spa Bodywork with Anne Williams.
Jade has been practicing and studying forms of natural healing for over two decades, and was one of the vanguard of professionals who helped introduce aromatherapy to the US. She has been an aromatherapy educator for over 25 years.
She has designed and taught aromatherapy courses for massage and bodywork therapists, estheticians, social workers, nurses, and other healthcare providers. Jade has taught at Bastyr University (Adjunct Faculty), Duke University (Continuing Education), Ashmead College, San Diego Hospice, and at various locations throughout the United States and Canada. She has traveled extensively throughout Canada, the United States, England, and Japan exploring aromatherapy practices and businesses. Jade has played an active role in the setting of standards for aromatherapy education in North America and was the creator of ‘Synergia 97,’ a conference devoted to raising educational standards in North America.
Jade is currently completing her Masters of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She is the Director of Education for The School for Aromatic Studies. www.theida.com / www.aromaticstudies.com
Guest Instructors
Our amazing guest instructors come in for 1-4 weeks during the full time program to share what they are most passionate about!
Bio coming soon…
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Erika is a Medical Herbalist and an ITEC certified Clinical Aromatherapist. She holds a degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of Wales, Cardiff, UK and Scottish School of Herbal Medicine, Glasgow, UK. She is a professional member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK) and Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society in Horticulture (USA). Several years of clinical practice in Glasgow, Scotland provided the platform for a deep and influential understanding of the efficacy of medicinal plants within a clinical environment. It was through this clinical practice that Erika also learned to encourage positive relationships between plants and people. She is a firm believer in celebrating the role humanity plays in the ecology of our landscapes, and that our relationships with the natural world should be based upon reciprocity and exchange. Erika returned to the United States in 2008 to evolve her career as to also encompass a focus on horticulture and native medicinal plant conservation and ecology. Erika is also deeply passionate about the history of botanical medicine in the United States as depicted by the American Botanical Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and has built her clinical philosophy around the principles and practice of Physiomedical and Eclectic traditions. With her dedication to medicinal plants native to Ohio and the Greater Appalachian region, Erika teaches, lectures, and writes on native medicinal plant conservation and applied ecology, propagation, herbalism, and clinical efficacy.
jim mcdonald
jim is an herbalist in southeast Michigan (that cool state that looks like a mitten you can see from space) where he teaches, sees clients, wildharvests, and concocts herbal formulas. His approach to herbalism is a blend of traditional folk and indigenous influences mixed up with a bit of 19th century Eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he tries to blend with a bit of humor and discretionary irreverence so as not to appear to be too serious about life! jim hosts the website www.herbcraft.org on which lists his offerings and conveys his thoughts on plants and herbalism (and if you’ve ever wondered, the lack of capitalization is an homage to e.e. cummings).
jim teaches energetics, humoral theory and foot jenga at ESHM.
Robert has been an herbalist for over forty years and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, where he is presently an assistant clinical professor in Family Medicine. He teaches plant and mushroom medicine, aromatherapy, and flower essences in the Earth Spirit Medicine faculty at the Northern Star College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Robert is past chair of the Alberta Natural Health Agricultural Network and Community Health Council of Capital Health. He is a Fellow of the International College of Nutrition, past-chair of the medicinal mushroom committee of the North American Mycological Association, and on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, and Discovery Phytomedicine.
He is the author of over 40 books on medicinal plants and fungi of the boreal forest, including The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America, A Cree Healer and his Medicine Bundle, and Mushroom Essences: Vibrational Healing from the Kingdom Fungi.
Robert joined our 2016 program for a weekend intensive on medicinal mushrooms. In 2017 he will be making more frequent appearances.
Marc is an ethnobiologist. He has studied the people, plant, mushroom, microbe interconnection intensively while learning to employ the different kingdoms of biology for food, medicine, and beauty. His training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture with a minor in Business from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. He has spent over 15 years working at a multitude of restaurants and various farms. His travels include adventures through 24 countries in North/Central America and Europe and all 50 of the United States. Marc has visited over 150 botanical gardens and research institutions during this process while taking tens of thousands of pictures of representative plants. He is also Executive Director of Plants and Healers International (www.plantsandhealers.org) and on the Board of Directors of the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies. He has taught hundreds of classes and thousands of people about the marvelous world of plants, people, and their interface while working with over 60 organizations in the last few years and online at the website www.botanyeveryday.com. Marc’s greatest hope is that his efforts may help improve our current challenging global ecological situation.
Matthew Wood, RH, (AHG)
Matthew has been a practicing herbalist since 1982. In a period when many authors and lecturers are merely “arm chair herbalists” who offer theories and opinions based on book learning, and others have turned to the exotic traditions of India or China, he has been an active practitioner of Traditional Western Herbalism. He has helped tens of thousands of clients over the years, many with difficult health problems.
While Matthew believes in the virtue of many other healing modalities, he has always been inspired to learn, preserve, and practice the tradition of herbal medicine passed down to us from our European, Anglo-American, and Native American heritage. He is a member of the American Herbalists Guild (RH) and has earned his Masters of Science degree from the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine (accredited by the University of Wales).
Matthew was a full-time instructor in our 2016 program, and will be joining us for extended guest teachings in our programs moving forward.