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STELLER BOTANICAL HEALTH



About  &

CREDENTIALS

Gustavus, Alaska

My Story

For more than 25 years my husband and I have lived a subsistence oriented lifestyle in Alaska growing and wild-harvesting vegetables, berries, fruits, fish and game. In 2012 we moved from one of the coldest valleys in the Fairbanks area to the relatively temperate coast of Southeast of Alaska. We have been expanding and improving our market vegetable and medicinal herb gardens since then.

I have had the same struggles that many women have -- overdoing, overwhelmed, working hard to make by business successful while ignoring my own self care. I have been fortunate that I have spent years pursuing my dreams and living my ideal life -- unfortunately trading balance for some other future time.

Then in January 2025 I got a cancer diagnosis. Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer or a serious illness knows the darkness and fear that accompany this moment. I felt like everyone else was on the highway of life, while my life had detoured down some dark off-ramp.

Western medicine saved my life, I have a great oncologist team. I have so much gratitude. This has been my first deep personal encounter with the western medical system. It is amazing at dealing with a health crisis. Amazing disease care.

However, I quickly realized that my ongoing concerns for cancer prevention cannot be met by this system.

Being catapulted from health care provider to patient has increased my compassion for people's fears, anxieties, and the pressures and vulnerability of one's vitality being compromised. My story involves incredible good fortune. Due to new knowledge in genetic testing my oncologist detected a gene mutation that is so far my "gold card". My oncologist went from recommending chemo and radiation NOW -due to the aggressive nature of my cancer -to allowing me to be part of a study of women opting out of chemo or radiation because in the end my body really is wise and doing its best to protect me ! And that is my firm belief...

Cancer is the unmistakeable elephant in the room bellowing this is your opportunity for change. Cancer is the brakes being applied full stop. It's the universes mandate for self care and growth.. and I want to share all that I have learned with you.

Jenspruce roots

Harvesting spruce roots for crafts

American Herbalist Guild
CTNC
NCCAOM

Published articles: Fragrant Fragrances. An exploration of the sustainability of Essential Oils in the Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation, 2015.

Credentials & Steller Botanicals


I originally opened my practice in 2004 as Robins' song for Robin London, L.AC. I was so blessed to intern with Robin, an incredible acupuncturist, herbalist and teacher. Robin put her whole heart into every interaction. Shortly before I opened my practice, Robin passed away due to cancer. Her memory remains an inspiration and role model. I so wish she could see how far I have come since my time as here student. As time and locales have changed my practice has been renamed Steller Botanical Health.

I am trained as a Clinical Herbalist, which means that I have years of supervised practice working with clients one-on-one with herb, nutrition and lifestyle protocols. I am a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild(RH, AHG). A graduate from the East West School of Herbology. I enhanced my studies by completing clinical internships with Herbalist Acupuncturists- Robin London, L.Ac and Lesley Tierra, L.Ac back in 2003-2004.

I am a graduate of the Institute for Transformational Nutrition (ITN). Transformational Nutrition is a coaching method that uses revolutionary, modern methods to help clients achieve nourishment and balance for body-mind-and spirit. Nourishment is about food...AND so much more! Our emotions, our mental health and our connection to spirit color so much of how we perceive ourselves and what unfolds around us--and what we perpetuate in our lives. As a coach my goal is to help you find new positive ways to accept what was and to create the fully nourishing life you want for yourself.  I am also a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P).

I schedule local clients and visitor for consultations or bodywork sessions. I am an Asian Bodywork Therapist, credentials AOBTA-CP and Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM). I studied Acu-Oncology with Isabel Adkins and received extensive training with Ashiatsu Master Edward Spencer.

Steller Botanicals is powered by small community scale hydropower

High quality herbs are emphasized, organically grown or harvested in a sustainable manner. We have an expanding herb garden of about 50 herbs, nourished by the clean air and soil of Glacier Bay and I am surrounded by healthy forests and beaches from which to wild-gather. Herbal products are extracted with organic ingredients. I believe that each step closer to home that an item can be sourced enables greater familiarity and assurances of ethical, social, and environmental practices as well as overall quality.

Falls Creek hydro

Falls Creek Dam, photo by Jim Mackovjack- Gustavus.

flowers

ORGANIC IS NOT ALWAYS SUSTAINABLE

Habitat destruction, a lack of quality accountability, heavy metal contamination, cheap labor, excess packaging, and a large carbon footprint are increasingly common flaws with organic products in our global economy.

Alaska provides fantastic moments, most of which I have not captured. Most of the images on this site are my own photography.  Please respect my images and do not copy them from the site.