Meet Patricia Kyritsi Howell | Clinical Herbalist, Author and Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patricia Kyritsi Howell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia Kyritsi, how do you think about risk?
Deciding to become a clinical herbalist was a big risk when I started to identify as an herbalist in the late 1980s. The first time I filed my taxes after a year of practicing herbalism, my tax person advised me to find another career as this one was not ever going to be lucrative. This made me so angry that I actually become even more determined to do this as my life work.

Because I feel that a calling inspired my work as an herbal practitioner, teacher, author, and mentor I started on this path without knowing where it would lead, only that I had to follow it. I was the first person in my family to attend college so I felt a lot of pressure to have a “real job” and studied film and television production in college. For about 5 years after graduation, I worked in the music business as a sound engineer before realizing that the call of the herbs was too strong to ignore. So I took a big risk, quit my “real job” and never looked back.

Now, so many years later, I still feel like I am taking risks in my work, but now I see it as just part of having a job that doesn’t comply with the values and goals of careers recognized by the dominant culture.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career as an herbalist began when I started seeing clients for health assessments in 1990. For many years I was devoted to clinical practice as an herbalist. My clients taught me how to be a good communicator, how to listen, and how to meet people where they are in the moment. I would say my path has required an immense amount of work and determination. There have been times I have really doubted my decision. But the thread that has held it all together is my belief that healing is possible without toxic drugs and invasive medical procedures, and that the Earth provides us with what we need to be healthy.
I think that herbal healing offers much more than just symptom relief. Instead, it offers the very real possibility that no matter what challenges you’ve faced in your life and how that has impacted your spiritual, emotional, and physical health, the possibility for healing exists. And be clear that healing and curing are two different outcomes. I may not be able to cure a life-long, chronic health issue but I can offer herbs to increase vitality, make it possible to experience restorative sleep, and have the energy needed to be fully present for your own life. And that is revolutionary,

My brand is that as a teacher and practitioner, I seek to empower my students and clients to make good decisions. I do this by educating them about their choices and what small or large steps they can take to move towards healing. I also have a wicked, dry sense of humor that seems to help!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I don’t live in Atlanta so not sure what to reply here. If I was to think about this with regard to Atlanta, I would say that the Atlanta Botanical Garden is one of the best in the country so we’d have to go there. I recently walked on the Highline Trail (I think that’s what it is called) which was lovely as you felt like you were outside of the hubbub of the city. I live about 100 miles northeast of Atlanta, in Rabun County. I moved here 23 years ago as the county is 80% National Forest land and in the Southern Appalachians, one of the most botanically diverse regions in North America. Here I have many favorite trails -the Tennesse Rock Trail at Black Rock State Park, Warwoman Dell, and the Bartram Trail – all lush with native medicinal herbs. Of course, the wild and scenic Chattooga River is the heartbeat of this area, and THE place be on a hot summer day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My many teachers along the way started with the herbs that chose me to work as a gatekeeper into the world of herbal healing.

I first attended the California School of Herbal Studies and was inspired by David Hoffmann, Amanda McQuade Crawford and Tim Blakely, some of my teachers at CSHS.

I was mentored for many years by Althea Northage-Orr, an

herbalist/acupuncturist in Chicago. Under her guidance, I built my clinical skills and learned to integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine into my practice.

These days I am most inspired by those I mentor as they begin practicing as herbalists. The next generation of practitioners are so brilliant and energetic, they give me great hope that herbs will continue to be an essential part of how we define health care in the is country.

Website: https://wildhealingherbs.com

Instagram: @botanologos

Linkedin: Patricia Kyritsi Howell

Facebook: BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies AND Patricia Kyritsi Howell

Image Credits
Charlie Watts