Lauren Cooper (she/her) ~ Registered Herbalist, American Herbalists Guild RH(AHG)

I Am A Lifelong Student of the Plants

I have been serving my locality as a farmer and community herbalist for more than 30 years now. My personal journey with plant medicines started long before that when I was introduced to and pursued a self-education in the medicinal and mind expanding effects of tobacco, cannabis, psychedelic mushrooms, coffee, and cocaine as a teenager and young adult. Through my intense relationships with these powerful plants, I gained among other things, a deep awareness of the spirit of plants, animals, and the land. At around the age of 28 I turned seriously to the gentler medicinal weeds around me to heal myself from years of excessive recreational and pharmaceutical drug use, and from a variety of physical, spiritual and emotional traumas.

In the 1990’s I was lucky enough to be able to assist at-home births with a small group of lay midwives working in our locality. I learned so much from these amazing brave women about birth, children's health, herbs, homeopathy, and countless other things.

I am primarily a self taught herbalist and a lifelong student; my practice is growing, foraging, preparing, and working with medicinal plants. Over the past 30 years, I have learned from and worked closely with a large variety of mostly common, abundant, weedy, locally-available medicinal plants. My apothecary and Materia Medica now consists of hundreds of plants. Most of them I grow or forage with the help of my family and apprentices on or nearby our farm in the Southern Appalachian mountains of Southwest Virginia. We are always adding new species to our gardens and wild tending the land here at Greenstar Farm and Apothecary.

Being a Clinical Herbalist

In 2016 after a lengthy vetting process, I was accepted as registered clinical herbalist with the American Herbalist Guild. As a clinical herbalist I serve my community by offering free, barter, and reasonably-priced consultations to those who seek me out. I approach work with each client individually depending on their belief system and what they are seeking from herbs. I have many clients who I have been working with for years, and it has been a wonderful privilege to watch folks grow, heal, and learn about the powerful magic of plant medicine. I also have long-studied and worked with homeopathic remedies, flower essences, and tarot. I can offer these tools to interested clients.

Some of the health issues I have had success helping clients of all ages and gender identities work through are: Wound healing, Lyme disease, Depression, Anxiety, Grief, Viral infections including COVID-19, Yeast infections, Bacterial infections, Pediatric health concerns, Prenatal and Postnatal health concerns, Substance abuse issues, Digestive complaints, Insomnia, Urinary tract infections, Multiple chemical sensitivity, Allergies, Asthma, Respiratory problems, PMS, Eating disorders, PTSD, Autoimmunity, Joint Pain, and Establishing a nutritious diet on a low budget.

As a medicine maker, I stock a large apothecary consisting of teas, decoctions, single and compound formula tinctures, infused oils, salves, syrups, lotions, hydrosols, soap, and more. These herbal preparations are available locally for sale directly from me, at our local farmers market, and in some retail outlets. I also donate my medicines to folks who need them and are not in a position to pay for them.

My Commitments to Land and Community

My main interests as an herbalist revolve around sustainable growing of healthy food and medicines: Sustainable foraging and production practices, Holistic deep nourishment, Helping folks eat healthy on a limited budget, Encouraging clients to take charge of their health, Land tending and regeneration, Working with non-toxic common weedy plants, Working beyond binary thinking, and Working with food as medicine.

Educating myself around social justice and how it pertains to access to the health care services, particularly an herbalist’s care, is important. As a white cisgendered settler herbalist who has benefited from a lot of unearned privilege, I am very interested in and committed to supporting and uplifting  BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. I believe is is crucial to support all folks who may experience barriers when it comes to accessing health care, housing, education, and quality food.