ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

MY HEALING JOURNEY

Emily Watson

If you’re ready to learn how you can become a healer so you can help yourself and your community in times of need, you’re in the right place!

Over the years, I’ve helped dozens of herbalists heal themselves and put their passions into practice. With over 15 years in the field, I myself have gone through the growing pains of becoming a holistic practitioner that isn’t burned out by their job.

When I first started out, I thought by learning how to heal others, I would feel fulfilled and excited about my life. But that’s not what happened. At all.

I was surprised to discover that despite all my knowledge, I often felt depressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. I was stuck in the cycle of overworking and under-earning in which so many holistic practitioners and budding herbalists find themselves.

I felt I had to appear perfect and know everything, when in reality I was just as flawed as everyone else.

Then I figured out what I’d been missing all along- I had to heal myself first.

My life was NOT meant to be a hamster wheel of exhaustion and disconnection from my own happiness, even as I watched my own clients heal and build happier lives. Healing others at my own expense? Talk about a contradiction!

Over the next few months I decided to prioritize my self care first by:

Stopped overworking (previously I was working 60 hour weeks!)
Quit half of my side jobs so I could focus more on my own herbalist business
Raised my prices
Started focusing on my own business instead of helping everyone else with theirs.
Fired bad, non-compliant clients who were draining the life out of me.
Upped my self care (taking vacations, getting massages, exercising etc…)

Pretty soon I was being paid my true worth as an herbalist, and my body was truly nourished and supported. I stopped feeling exhausted and depressed and started to heal.

And, not surprisingly, my clients started getting even better results, too.

These days, I'm energized by my work instead of drained by it. I am excited that I’m on my path and fulfilling the work I am meant to be doing. I have a lush herb & vegetable garden, and am surrounded by an inspiring & amazing community of herbalists and healers who work together to help our community. I live my life how I want to now.

I want you to know you can create this for yourself, too. I’ve helped dozens of other budding herbalists do the same in the last few years. And the reason my approach WORKS is because it’s unique.

IF YOU ARE READY to start your path as a "healed healer" and become a successful herbalist,

then check out our Herbal Apprentice Program to start your journey!

CONSULTATIONS

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BIOGRAPHY

Emily is a certified plant geek who loves connecting people with their own personal plant allies and their healer within. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, she has been studying holistic health since 2007, from farming apprenticeships in Hawaii and at the Herb Pharm, in Williams, Oregon, to pursuing a more formal education in Boulder, Colorado. Emily studied clinical herbalism & nutrition through a 2 year clinical program at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism (now called the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism). Under Paul Bergner, she learned the importance of teaching from a vitalist perspective, that every body has the ability to heal itself with supportive diet, herbs, and lifestyle practices.

Emily studied massage therapy & medical qigong at the Santa Barbara Body Therapy Institute, where she began her career as an educator. She has taught a variety of subjects there, from Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Nutrition, Business, Swedish & Lymphatic Massage. At the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, Emily has instructed numerous herb walk on native plants, and herbal workshops for the general public. Since 2014, Emily has run her own private practice, where she teaches transformative self-care through massage, nutrition & herbal remedies.

Through her journey of becoming an herbalist, she learned that there is very little support for health practitioners to learn how to run their businesses or truly take car of themselves as healers. Emily has taken numerous classes and business training workshops, including Women's Economic Ventures Self Employment Training. Her hope is to pass on the knowledge of sustainable living with practical entrepreneurial skills, so that herbalists can create thriving practices that fully support themselves, their land, and their community.

Emily's Credentials:

Director & Founder of the Artemisia Academy,

Certified Clinical Herbalist,

Certified Clinical Nutritionist,

Certified Massage Therapist (CAMTC #46037)

You can find Emily online at: