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, even after 25 years of studying, teaching, formulating, running a product line, and guiding thousands of people with plant medicine, that nasty imposter syndrome still gets me.

You'll hear some beautiful moments from my students, the lessons my teachers passed down to me, and what it truly looks like to own your role as a healer in your community.

If you've ever wondered whether you "know enough" to call yourself an herbalist… this episode is for you.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript:
https://theherbalistspath.com/am-i-herbalist-enough-imposter-syndrome

If you're feeling the nudge to step more fully into your role as an herbalist and community healer, I'd love to welcome you into the Community Herbalist Certification & Mentorship program. You can start your studies now and join our next live cohort when it begins. Learn more: https://www.theherbalistspath.com/community-herbalist-certification 

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome To The Herbalist Path
• 1:14 Am I Herbalist Enough
• 3:00 Imposter Syndrome Takes Hold
• 4:17 A Teacher’s Words That Stuck
• 6:10 Shrinking Versus Sharing Your Work
• 7:46 From Product Maker To Educator
• 9:22 Wins, Doubts, And A New Role
• 10:45 Student Feedback And Confidence
• 12:52 What Skilled Herbalism Really Involves
• 15:04 Lifestyle First, Not Quick Fixes
• 17:09 Rant, Tears, And Real Talk
• 18:44 Balancing A New Job And Business
• 20:08 Bringing Another Herbalist Onboard
• 24:47 System-By-System Deep Dives
• 26:36 Protocols, Formulas, And Confidence
• 28:02 Start Small And Know Your Scope
• 29:00 Many Perspectives, Guest Teachers
• 30:02 Closing Gratitude And Final Reminders

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

Welcome to the Herbalist Path, a podcast that's all about helping herbalism spread like wildflowers. I'm Mel, a clinical herbalist, environmental educator, and a mama who's been walking this path for well over 20 years. I created this show to help you feel confident with herbal medicine. You're gonna get a blend of how-to episodes, incredible guest experts sharing their wisdom, and real talk about using herbs every day. All to help you care for your family naturally, take better care of our precious planet, and maybe even become the trusted herbalist in your own community. You see, this work isn't just about the herbs, it's about healing ourselves. It's about caring for each other, and it's about living in deeper connection with the earth. So whether you're blending your first tea, making your first tincture, or feeling called to be the go-to herbalist in your community, welcome. You belong here. You are right on time, and you are on the herbalist path. Hello, hello, and welcome back to another episode here on the herbalist path. Today's episode is for you. If you've ever had this inner wondering, maybe it's really deep for you, maybe it's not so deep, but this thought of, am I herbalist enough? I know it sounds kind of funny, and I may get pretty deep and vulnerable in this lesson, but I have a hunch that you or someone you know may be able to relate to some of the things I want to share with you in this episode. And it really stems from that oh so popular term or feeling of imposter syndrome. And that is straight up a bitch. I don't know if you've ever felt it, but I certainly have. And I'm not sure if right now what I'm going through is a part of my age. I'm 47 years old. Maybe it's just this stage in life. Maybe it's the way that our world is being shaken up on the daily. Or I don't know. I know that I have been going through a lot of transformation and deep healing inner work throughout this entire year. And, you know, if I reflect deeply enough, it's really this entire life in some way, shape, or form. But this year has been some really, really heavy, deep work. And one of the things I've been battling is imposter syndrome. And it feels straight whack for shizzle, if you ask me. Like, I've been doing this herbalism work for quite some time. Like I started dabbling in herbs. I mean, post-play playing in the, you know, the fields and mud pies and things like that as a young child, but really consciously recognizing that herbs and natural healing were a way of life since I was a teenager and I'm 47. So that's a really, really long time. And I've actually been in the herbal world for over 25 years. And I still get this imposter syndrome crap. And there's a lot of reason behind it. Like, don't get me wrong, there is a lot to understand as an herbalist, especially if you are making products for other people to consume or put on top of their skin, right? That's a big liability. That's other people's health. If you're working with people one-on-one, like there is a lot to understand about how the body works and how the herbs work with the body. So there's a lot that goes into that. And I think for me, this imposter syndrome has been a battle in the world of herbalism. And I'm gonna credit one of my absolute favorite teachers I ever had in the beginnings of my clinical studies. His name is Paul Bergner. If you don't know of him, he's amazing, phenomenal teacher, absolutely brilliant, been doing it for so long, and I love him. But he said one thing in the beginning of my studies with him that has stuck with me for so long. And he was just being helpful and insightful, right? But what he said was something to the effect, it's not an exact quote, but he had been studying herbalism for over 40 years. And he figured, or the other words were like, and I figure I've got about 95 more years to go before I'm actually a master herbalist. Right? 95 more years on top of his 40 plus years already. And that struck me. And it struck me hard. And it took me to like, oh my gosh, I'm not enough of an herbalist to do these things. I'm not enough of an herbalist to share my knowledge and my experience and my guidance as an herbalist, a medicine maker, a healer, a teacher. And it stuck with me. It stuck with me hard. And like mega props to Paul. Like, he's got a valid point. This herbalism stuff is a forever learning journey. But how long do I sit behind in the trenches, afraid of sharing my knowledge and wisdom and experience with people before? Oh my gosh, how do I say that? I just lost myself. But, anyways, point being is like, do I really have to stay small just because I haven't got that 145 years of experience as an herbalist? I don't. I don't have to stay that small. And so I bring it up because this also has stuck with me even when I had my herbal product line, Mountain Mouse. Like I was having so much fun formulating. I got into that not to start a business. As a matter of fact, so much of that time, I was like, I'm not a business person. I'm just an herbalist. And I'm just here to save the planet with herbal medicine because I truly believe that the more people that use herbal medicine in this world, the better off our planet will be. Awesome. I kept doing that. And I kept having this little thought in the back of my mind of, oh, I'm not a businesswoman. And I'm shifting that thought because clearly I am. Like I got that brand into incredible stores. I did amazing things with it, right? I uh now am at this point of like, ooh, am I herbalist enough to be the teacher that I am? And while I've been teaching herbalism since, I don't know, my first class was probably around 2011. And sure, it was a simple firesider kitchen medicine class, but that's really important. And back then, that wasn't so known by so many. And if you really want to get deep, like my background prior to that was in environmental and experiential education. Like I love to teach. I love that hands-on piece. And still, as I build out my community herbalist certification program, I get these like, oh my gosh, I'm not enoughness. And is it being a woman? Is that what it is? Is it is it our society teaching us that we always have to have more, more, more, more, more? Is that what it is? I mean, I ran that product line. It was successful. It sold in health food stores across the country. It sold in REI. Like, I did epic stuff with it. I ran an herbal apothecary tea and smoothie shop where people came into my shop for help for their health and well-being. I got to formulate for so many people, specifically for them. I worked with people one-on-one. I have been teaching these classes for so darn long. And you know what's really cool right now? Like I'm kind, I almost feel like I'm coming out of this imposter syndrome thing. And a huge piece of it now is that I have a company that I love and respect deeply and have always looked up to, who has just brought me on to be their herbal educator and to be their community relations manager. And it's eclectic herb, by the way, if you're wondering. Um, they've been around since 1982. They were founded by a man who was a pharmacist and saw that people kept coming back to him for the same medicines. They never truly got healed. And that triggered his brain. And he went on to become a naturopathic physician and develop eclectic herb at the Naturopathic College here in Portland, Oregon. They're an amazing company. I love, love, love, love, love them, always have. And something about them saying, hey, you, we really like you and the way you teach. We really like the way you talk about herbs. Can you come talk about herbs with us? Oh my gosh. Like, that is the most beautiful feeling. Like that is so darn cool and such an honor. And it's just kind of caused me to wake up to this imposter syndrome, right? To this, like, I don't know enough yet, or I'm not ready, or I need to know more before I can teach you how to become the herbalist that your community needs. And the other funny thing is like that it took eclectic to do that for me to wake up out of this crap. Like, and yes, I know I've talked about the community herbalist program, but like the subconscious beliefs is where I'm I'm really digging into here. And I can think about the things that my students say. One of my students is amazing. Uh, her name is Lissa. So, Lissa, if you're listening, thank you. I want you to know that your words have meant a lot to me. She's been studying to get, I believe, her master's in horticulture. She has studied with other herbalists. She's done the herbal academies program. And some of the things that she said to me resonated so hard. One of them was during one of our live sessions inside of the program. And she's like, I'm excited. Your course has given me the confidence to actually call myself an herbalist and not just an herbal student. And I cannot express to you how much joy that little comment meant to me. It took me back to the beginning days where I was already running mountain mills. I was already sharing herbal remedies with people. I was making the salves and the teas and going to the farmers' markets and doing what it took. And that is exactly what I wanted to feel in that time. I was still so afraid to claim the title of an herbalist. And I think a lot of that, it definitely stems from Paul's awesome piece of wisdom in the beginning days, right? But I also knew the responsibility that goes into being a skilled herbalist. I knew the responsibility that goes into guiding others, to the respect of the plants and the planet, to the ongoing learning. I knew all of that. But to see that I had helped somebody else, I'm also, I'm like, I'm almost crying here. But to know that I had helped somebody else feel that level of confidence, even though this woman is brilliant and has been studying for so long. She wrote it in another comment, too, that I just want to share with you. She was like, your classes don't just teach content in an easily digestible way. They teach us to have the confidence to actually use that knowledge in the real world. There's no greater gift than faith in one's own abilities. Like that, that to me, as an educator, as a teacher, as a mentor, as a guide, is one of the greatest honors. And she's not the only one that says, says those kinds of things to me. Just yesterday, I was in the DMs with another student. Her name is Corey, by the way. Corey, if you're listening, thank you. Your words mean a ton to me. Um, and we're just chatting back and forth. Corey is this beautiful human who I really love her energy and vibe with. She is a yoga instructor. She is certified in aromatherapy. She's run her own yoga studio. She is a mother. She's amazing. And she's working towards being more of kind of like a connected coach in the health and well-being space, but not your like typical cheesy coach, like somebody that actually has knowledge and wisdom. Anyways, you know, we're just kind of back and forth in the DMs. And she's like, you know, you really have a gift as a teacher. Like, I see it in you. And that is what you do so well. You really, really shine in that way. And like hearing those pieces, seeing the evidence from my students that go from like, hey, I hate tea, to like now everybody in their community is coming to them for their remedies. And she's always attentive, making sure that there's no contraindications or other things that they need to be wary of when she's recommending herbs from them. Like hearing these things, seeing these things in action is beautiful and it's amazing in my silly subconscious mind. It's like, oh, cool, I love this. 25 minutes later, still that imposter syndrome comes back like a beast. So I don't know. I'm I'm getting like mushy and gushy in all of this, but I really wanted to bring it up because I think that other people feel this as well. And I understand. I get it. I understand what it's like to feel like you don't have enough knowledge to be called an herbalist or to be that healer in your community. Because again, it is a big responsibility. There is a lot to know. There is never-ending learning on this subject matter, and there's so many ways to practice as an herbalist. There's so many things to understand, especially understanding the human body on a holistic perspective. And how when you're working with a client, you are not just thinking, what herbs am I going to give this client? You develop this intuitive gift to draw their story out of them, to go beyond the checkbox that you know you might get at the doctor's office whether you have glaucoma or your uncle did, right? But to like ask them the questions that get them to tell you more, to tell you more, to tell you more. And that whole time you're putting the pieces of the puzzle together. What's going on in their lives? What's causing them stress? Is it at work? Is it their relationship? Is it their family? What's going on and how can you support them? Also, what is their capacity? Like so much of herbalism is all about guiding people in lifestyle shifts and not just herbalism, right? Helping them get more exercise. Maybe it's more time in nature to ease that stress they're going through. Maybe they need to make some shifts in their diet, right? I recently worked with a client who eats only once a day, and her idea of protein was just sausage and cheese and beef. Yes, those are high protein, but can we get some colors in the diet? But the thing is, this person didn't have the capacity to cook big meals for just herself and to do that prep. She had a very small kitchen. And so as an herbalist and as that guide, as that teacher, as that mentor, because that's what you're doing when you're working one-on-one. You're teaching your people, right? It becomes your job to find out what is within their capacity. And how can you get creative? Because not everybody can just start to buy all the supplements. Not everybody has time to make all of their medicine. Not everybody has time to cook for themselves or even the space to cook for themselves and get these healthy meals. So, how can you help them, right? So you think about those things. And you also think about well, what can I give them right now that can help them understand that I can help them? And this is perhaps a long-term journey, right? This is not an instant fix pill. That's a whole nother beast, right? Getting over this or helping your clients understand that herbal medicine is not an instant fix pill because there are so many people flocking to this world of herbalism. And I that's absolutely beautiful. But so many of them are so deeply entrenched in the world of allopathic medicine, where we are taught to take a pill for what ails us, right? And so the immediate question is like, what herb do I take for this problem? But yet, if you're hearing me and what I'm talking about and working with these clients, we're not just throwing an herb at them. We're suggesting a complete shift in lifestyle in a sustainable fashion. Not everybody or anybody can just shift right away, right? That's that's darn near impossible. But when they start seeing the results nice and early, they feel that, like, oh my gosh, this is working. Great. Okay, I can keep doing this. I can add on another shift. I can bring in another thing into my life that is really feeling good and working for me and my unique body. Right? I'm ranting in this episode. I'm crying, I'm ranting, I'm letting you know I have imposter syndrome, and um, that sometimes I feel like I'm not herbalist enough, even after 25 years, even after having students say the most kind and amazing things about the way I teach and um the way I guide them, the way I help them feel confident in their skills as an herbalist, to understand what the herbs are doing to the body, to understand the different lifestyle shifts that are necessary, to understand where we might want to add in some supplementation, to see other ways that we can guide these people, right? It's a big, big deal. It's a big, big deal. And that's so much of what we do in the community herbalist program. And this is another thing that's really cool. So a little more like behind the scenes, what's going on in my world. So I mentioned I'm working part-time with eclectic herb, which is amazing. I absolutely love it. I love that I'm their herbal educator and community relations manager because I love bringing people together. I love connection, I love community. And if you didn't gather, I love talking about herbs. So beautiful, perfect fit, but it's also taken some time away from me and my business, which is a big blessing, honestly, because it's forcing me to be a little bit more structured with my time and more intentional with my time. And now I am bringing on another herbalist onto my team. I'll share more about it as we get going, but this particular woman is amazing. She has also been an herbalist for 20 years. She works with people one-on-one. She has run and still does run her own herbal product line. And she's absolutely amazing. I love the way she teaches. She's super fun. She's got great energy. And she's skilled in the avenues of small business running on the back end that I have the skills for, but I absolutely hate doing. So I'm able to work with her to where she can do those parts of the business. And she will soon, in 2026, at some point, start coming in and being another teacher and support for our students in the community herbalist program, which is so rad. And just the other day we were having this conversation. I was showing her like the back end of what's in the community herbalist program. And she's like, Mel, my God, like this is amazing. And in her words, it was so cool to hear. Cause again, she's like been doing this for 20 years too. And she was like, I have been in at least five other online programs, and I can firmly say that none of them go to the depth that you do in this program. Like this is amazing. And just that was that was really cool to hear. So, anyways, um, I'm really excited to bring her on. And if you are interested in having that support, helping you finally feel confident in calling yourself an herbalist and being there to support your community with skill and knowledge and depth and intuition and all of the good things that it means to help your people to make and formulate amazing medicine and to understand what that stuff is gonna do to an individual's body, then I definitely would love to invite you into the community herbalist program. If you join us before the end of 2025, we are doing a multi-day herbal business workshop in the beginning of Q1. You will get to be a part of that. And then there's plans in the work, still more details to come, but I think we are going to do a live cohort of this community herbalist program in the spring of 2026. But if you decide to join us before the end of this year, we've got 15 spots for this. If you decide to come in, you can get started on your studies right away, like immediately. And then when we do that live cohort, you will be invited to that as well. And I think that's really going to advance your herbal learning. We're talking about bringing a couple of other amazing clinicians and herbalists that are absolutely brilliant to support you on this journey, having loads of time to ask your questions, to get that support, to make sure that you are really building out your herbal career in a way that's going to be fruitful for you and your family, and also honor those in your community with the skills that you absolutely need. So that's what we do in the Community Herbalist Program. The first month, we start with like the herbal medicine foundations and what it means to be an herbalist in your community. We dive into the history of Western herbal medicine and how we got to where we are today and now. We do a whole module on medicines in your kitchen because this is so important. It's a great way to meet your people where they're at. They're familiar with culinary herbs, so it's not so scary. And it's a great way to blow their mind with how powerful these foods that they know really are as medicine. And of course, we talk about cautions and contraindications and things like that with each of those. We also talk about the liabilities and the importance in that and practitioner skills, like what can you do to draw those questions out? We talk about the paperwork and the documentation and all those details. Okay, so that's the first month. It's like laying the foundation of the program. And then beyond that, we dive into one body system each month, and you will get all of your lessons dripped out on a weekly basis. And then in those months with the body system, so we start with the anatomy and physiology from a holistic perspective so that by the time you get to the end of the program, you're seeing how the liver impacts the skin and the gut and how your stress response can impact that and so on and so forth. So start with anatomy and physiology from a holistic perspective. The next week we dive into the different herbs and herbal actions and categories you might want to know for that particular body system. And we break it down real well for you and give you many herbs in that category to choose from. And then we dive a little bit deeper on like three to five herbs in that category and ways that you can interchange them, mix and match, and you know, kind of put them in their places according to what your clients actually need. And then the third week is all about suggested protocols. So we'll dive into more of the chronic health ish issues. So um I've got the naturally healed uh herbal remedies for the whole family. That's for you if like you just want to like fill your medicine cabinet with the stuff that you would normally buy over the counter. This program, we dive a lot deeper in the community herbalist program where we can support people with more chronic health issues. So we dive into like what that ailment really is so that you understand when it's time to suggest different lifestyle suggestions, recommendations, and different herbs or supplements and things like that. So we dive into all of that. We talk about the different herbs you might want for that particular disease state or ailment. And um, yeah, and then you get recipes to choose from. But ideally, you are becoming really competent in formulating your own remedies. So absolutely start with my formulas because they're really, really good. But my intention as an educator is to help you feel confident formulating your own. And with that, so with that, you also get access to our Medicine Make and Mamas program, which breaks down both the science and more traditional ways of making herbal remedies. So you will be fully competent in all of that stuff. And the best way to really get to that level of confidence is to start now. And that means, just like me in 2011, if you're just starting by teaching people in your community how to make fire cider, amazing. That's really, really important. And then the other really strong gift that also my teacher, Paul Bergner, really instilled in me is to say, I don't know. That's outside of my scope of practice. It's so important. Please use those words. I don't know how to help you right now. That's outside of my scope of practice. And then build your network of people that do understand those things so you can have people to refer out to. We definitely dive into that and in month one as well. Anyways, that's just like the nutshell of the community herbalist program. Yeah, I put a lot into it. And I'm putting more into it. And I'm bringing in other amazing teachers. We have guest teachers every month. One of the best things I ever had in my herbal education was access to many different perspectives on how to practice herbalism. And that is so incredibly valuable. That's what I bring to my students as well. So if you are feeling that call, come join us before the end of the year. I will put a link in the show notes. We'd love, love, love to have you. Um, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me and ask them. You can find me at the Herbalist Path on all social media platforms. You can email me at budding herbalist at the herbalistpath. And if you want to dive deeper on our sales page for the community herbalist program, there is an opportunity to schedule a call with me where we can really dive deep and discuss like, is this the right program for you? Am I the right guide and mentor for you? Are the people I'm bringing in the right guides and mentors for you? And is it, you know, is this your next step? So there's no doubt that we definitely need more competent, knowledgeable healers out in the world today. I'm talking beyond the calendula salve for the rash. Instead, I want you to be like, hey, yeah, here's your calendula sal for right now to help ease the itch, but let's make it so that rash doesn't come back six months from now. That's the level of verbalism you're gonna learn inside of this program. So, anyways, that was a lot. That was a lot of me rambling. That was a lot of me getting all emotional, that was a lot of me uh being really vulnerable. And I would love to hear if you have ever felt that imposter syndrome around your herbal wisdom and knowledge and skill set. Have you ever felt I'm not herbalist enough for lack of a better term? Please reach out to me and let me know if I'm alone on this or if you. Can relate to. I would love, love, love, love to hear from you. I am so grateful for you. I'm so grateful for all of my herbal educators, even Paul, who helped me with this imposter syndrome. I love him so much. And I totally know where he's coming from on that. Hey, I need another 95 years before I can do this. But, you know, after running a product line, after working with people one-on-one, after opening an herbal apothecary, after being a teacher for so many years, after all of that, it's time I step into that role with confidence and with love and with grace and with humility and with honor and with all of that. So I'm down for it. I hope you are too. And I hope that you have an absolutely amazing rest of your week. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others too. Bye. Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of the Herbalist Path. If you're loving this journey and learning all about the various aspects of herbal medicine, be sure to follow and review the show. It helps more people find their own path with herbal medicine. And if you have a friend or know a mama or another budding herbalist who could use this kind of support, please share this episode with them. And that way, we can keep making herbalism spread like wildflowers. And a gentle reminder: nothing shared on this podcast is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. All the information is for educational purposes only. And yeah, we throw in some entertainment too. But what it is not is a substitute for personalized care from a qualified health practitioner. Always do your own research. Listen to your body. And when needed, partner with a trusted professional who honors both your intuition and your health. Until next time, take care, stay curious, and keep walking down the herbalist path.