The Herbalist's Path
What if the medicine you need is already growing in your backyard? What if you could be the healer your community is waiting for?
The Herbalist’s Path is a podcast for herbalists, students of herbal medicine, and plant-loving practitioners who are ready to deepen their skills and confidence. Herbalism isn’t just about memorizing plants. It’s about understanding how and why they work, learning to think critically, and applying plant medicine thoughtfully with real people.
Hosted by clinical herbalist and educator Mel Mutterspaugh (Mountain Mel), this show blends traditional plant wisdom with modern clinical understanding, grounded in real-world experience and ethical community care.
You’ll hear solo episodes that break down herbal concepts in a clear, practical way, along with conversations with herbalists, educators, farmers, product makers, and healers who are actively shaping the future of herbal medicine. Together, we explore clinical reasoning, safety, formulation, sustainability, and what it really means to grow into the role of a community herbalist.
Because herbalism isn’t about perfection. It’s about practice, connection, and reclaiming healing knowledge that belongs to all of us.
Whether you’re just getting started or ready to serve as a healer in your community, subscribe and walk your herbal path with intention and confidence.
Learn more at theherbalistspath.com
Episodes
170 episodes
Herbal First Aid Kit Essentials: Natural Remedies for Cuts, Stings, Burns & More
It only takes one accident to regret not being prepared.So let's talk herbal first aid and the essential plants to keep in your kit. From cuts and scrapes to burns, bites, and unexpected whoopsy daisies, these herbs can help you be ready...
Herbalism for Resilience: Ethical Wildcrafting and Connection with Elaine Sheff
What if the way we’re learning herbalism is actually harming the plants we depend on?In this episode, I sit down with herbalist Elaine Shefff from Green Path Herb School to explore ethical wildcrafting, plant stewardship, and what it rea...
Free Medicine in Your Yard: 4 Medicinal Weeds Popping Up Right Now
Spring is here, and that means some of the most powerful medicinal plants on the planet are popping up in your yard, your garden edges, and along your favorite walking paths. And most people are either pulling them out or walking right past...
Grassroots Herbalism: Mutual Aid, Community Care, and Plant Medicine with Ashley Elenbaas
What does herbalism look like when your community actually needs you?In this episode I sit down with clinical herbalist Ashley Elenbaas of Sky House Herbs, who has been doing boots-on-the...
Herbs for Cardiovascular Health: Hawthorn, Garlic, Motherwort, and More
Heart disease is the number one cause of death globally, and nearly 50% of adults in the US have at least one major cardiovascular risk factor. The good news is you likely have herbs in your kitchen and garden that can help.Learn the her...
Holding Space as a Healer: Nervous System Herbs, Trauma & Psilocybin ER Nurse & Herbalist Heather Shelton
What does it really look like to hold space for someone in their most vulnerable moments? Heather Shelton, nurse-turned-herbalist and psilocybin facilitator, shares her journey from medical trauma to healing work with nervous system herbs and p...
Staying Regulated in a Dysregulated World: Nervous System Herbs for Challenging Times
The world feels heavy right now. Many of us are moving through stress, grief, anger, and exhaustion while trying to stay grounded in our lives and communities.In this co-hosted episode of The Herbalist’s Path, Mel and Brittany t...
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Essential Oils for Herbalists with Hana Tisserand: Safety, Quality, and Sustainability
Essential oils are powerful tools, but they’re also some of the most misunderstood substances in modern herbalism. Safety concerns, quality questions, and sustainability issues are real, and sorting through the marketing noise to find reliable ...
Liver Health Herbs - How Herbalists Support Natural Detox Pathways Without “Cleanses”
Your liver is working every minute to filter toxins, balance hormones, metabolize fats, and support over 500 functions in your body. But here's what most people get wrong: your liver doesn't need a "cleanse" or punishing detox. What it needs is...
Slow Herbalism, Mental Health & Ancestral Healing with Herbalist Jo Sesay
What if healing isn't something you rush toward, but something you remember?In this episode, herbalist Jo Sesay shares how her grandmother, mother, and Aunt Jo created their own healing network long before the internet existed.<...
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Learn to Think Like an Herbalist, Not Just Memorize Herbs
There’s a moment in most herbalist’s journey when working with plants stops feeling like a fun curiosity and starts feeling more like responsibility.Your remedies work. People notice. And suddenly, friends, family, and community memb...
Do Herbs Really Work? Clinical Herbalist Brittany Williams' Honest Answer After 25+ Years
You can study herbs for years, read all the books, memorize the properties… but none of it replaces working with real people. None of it builds your intuition the way practice does, and it definitely doesn't come from AI.If you've ever w...
Am I Herbalist Enough? Real Talk For Herbalists Experiencing Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever felt like you're not quite herbalist enough? If so, you're not alone, and neither am I. In this episode, we're talking about imposter syndrome in the herbal world and sharing the very human side of growing as an herbalist. And yes...
Community Herbalism in Action: Accessible Ways to Share Plant Medicine & Support Your Neighbors
When healthcare becomes unaffordable, food insecurity rises, and communities are struggling, herbalists have a unique power to help. But how do you actually show up without burning out or giving everything away?In this episode, you'll di...
Adaptogens & Nervines: My Go-To Herbs for Stress, Anxiety & Immune Support
If your nervous system has been feeling fried lately — you’re not alone.In this episode of The Herbalist’s Path, I’m sharing the herbal allies that have truly carried me through this season of uncertainty and overwhelm.We’ll...
Medicine from the Land: Bioregional Herbalism with Logan Keister
What happens when you grow up foraging mushrooms and picking wild berries in the forests of western Oregon?In this episode, I chat with clinical herbalist Logan Keister of Noti Botanica about his journey into bioregional herbalism, growi...
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Natural First Aid for Sprains & Strains—Is Your Herbal Medicine Cabinet Ready?
When my daughter sprained her ankle during a softball game, I was grateful to have Comfrey growing in the garden and some Arnica oil stashed in the van. But as I reached for what I had on hand, I realized most of my oils were past their prime.<...
Life On The Farm; Wisdom & Tips On Growing The Best Herbal Medicine with Elise Higley of Oshala Farm
Ever wonder what it really takes to grow potent, high-quality herbal medicine—from the ground up? In this inspiring conversation with Elise Higley of Oshala Farm, we explore the art, science, and soul of regenerative organic herb farming.
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What Functional Medicine Misses—and How Herbalism Fills the Gaps: A Candid Talk with Dr. Nikki DiNezza
Is functional medicine really the answer for gut health? Or are we just trading one pill-for-every-ill model for another—this time with supplements?In this candid episode of The Herbalist’s Path, I’m joined by Dr. Nikki DiNezza—chiroprac...
From Herbal Medicine Dabbler to Community Herbalist: How to Know You’re Ready
What if your herbal dabbling was never just dabbling… but the beginning of something much deeper?In this episode, I’m speaking to you—the mama, the maker, the plant-loving human who’s magically become the go-to herbalist in your world. F...
Connecting with Plants, Trusting Your Intuition, and Finding Healing with Lauren Almquist
What if the plants around you are trying to talk to you—and all you need to do is trust yourself enough to listen?In this heart-centered episode of The Herbalist’s Path, I chat with Lauren Almquist of
🌿Root Cause Medicine: How Herbalists Heal What Others Mask
Herbalists don’t just treat symptoms—they listen, personalize, and heal at the root.In this episode, we explore what makes herbal medicine uniquely powerful compared to conventional healthcare. Mel shares why herbalists take the time...
Herbs, Womb Wisdom, and a 20-Year Herbal Journey with Clinical Herbalist Kay'aleya Hunnybee
🌿 What if the plants around you could completely transform your health and life? In this episode of The Herbalist’s Path, clinical herbalist Kay’aleya Hunnybee shares her 20-year journey with herbs, from her first transformati...
Stress Less: Herbal Remedies for Calm, Resilience, and Gut Health
Feeling overwhelmed by stress? Learn how to embrace the power of herbal remedies to support your body and mind during life’s toughest challenges. In this episode, we explore the stress-cortisol connection, the gut-brain axis, and lifestyle stra...
From Chamomile to Tulsi: Brittany Williams on Raising Kids with Herbs and Advocating for Holistic Health
Ready to embrace the power of plants with your family?In this episode of The Herbalist’s Path, I had the joy of chatting with Brittany Williams of Eudaimonia Herbs—a passionate clinical herbalist, educator, and all-around plant-...
