If you've ever sat with your herb books, sipping a cup of tea, wondering whether you're actually doing this herbalist thing right, you're in good company. 

Every herbalist hits that moment. The moment where you realize you can study herbs for years, read all the books, memorize the properties, binge the videos… but none of it replaces working with real people. None of it builds your intuition the way practice does. And it definitely doesn't come from AI.

In this week's episode of The Herbalist's Path, I sat down with clinical herbalist and educator Brittany Williams of Eudemonia Herbs, and wow, did we get into the heart of what makes herbalism real.

This is the episode that will make your shoulders drop. Your nervous system unclench. And your herbal confidence grow in all the right ways.

The Apothecary That Changed Everything

Like many herbalists, Brittany's journey started with a single magical moment. For her, it was walking into Smile Herb Shop near the University of Maryland over 25 years ago. Think creaky wood floors, jars lining every wall, that unmistakable earthy smell. The kind of place that pulls you in and whispers, "You belong here."

"It was like walking into Professor McGonagall's office," she laughs.

That shop visit cracked the door open to a whole new world. She started buying books (her falling-apart copy of 20,000 Secrets of Tea and Earthly Bodies, Heavenly Hair were game-changers), experimenting, and slowly building what would become a lifelong practice.

In true herbalist fashion, she started with body butters, salves, and topical remedies because she was honestly scared to use herbs internally at first. Then came pregnancy, motherhood, and the shift into internal medicine.

What I love about Brittany's origin story is how it mirrors so many of ours. There's that moment when the plants call to you, and you just know you have to learn more.

The Friends, Family, and Fools Phase

We've all been there, right? That stage where you're learning, experimenting, and your brave loved ones are willing to be your guinea pigs. Brittany calls this her "friends, family, and fools" phase, and it's such an important part of the journey.

This is where you build confidence. Where you learn what works, what doesn't, and how to truly listen to what someone needs. It's messy and imperfect, and it's exactly how it should be.

The Difference Between Learning Herbs and Doing Herbalism

This was the golden thread of our whole conversation.

You can read everything under the sun. You can learn the properties of every herb on the planet. You can memorize every cool fact.

But none of that actually makes you a practicing herbalist.

Real herbal skills come from:

• asking good questions
• hearing real stories from real people
• practicing on willing volunteers
• making mistakes and learning from them
• figuring out why something worked once and not again
• noticing patterns
• trusting your intuition
• and growing your confidence through experience

That's the part no one gets from books alone.

It's also the part AI will never replicate. A chatbot cannot assess someone's constitution. It cannot see how tired someone looks or sense the overwhelm in their voice. It cannot guide you through the nuance of the whole human in front of you.

Herbalism is relational. Herbalism is human. Herbalism is practice.

The Core Truth: Herbs Work (With Nuance)

When I asked Brittany for one piece of wisdom from her 30-plus years with plants, her answer was beautifully simple:

"Herbs work. Not always in the way you think they're going to work."

This is so important. Herbs aren't pharmaceuticals. They won't stop a heart attack mid-crisis. But they absolutely support symptoms, address root causes, and help the body find balance.

And there are times when herbs don't work the way people expect. Here's why:

Quality matters. A box of generic chamomile tea dust isn't the same as whole flowers properly prepared.

Dosage matters. A weak cup of tea isn't the same as a strong infusion or well-dosed tincture.

Matching matters. The wrong herb for the person or situation won't help, no matter how potent it is.

But here's the line that stuck with me:

"Starting somewhere is better than starting nowhere."

If all someone has access to right now is a box of grocery-store tea, we can teach them how to use it in a way that's more supportive. We meet people where they are. That's the heart of community herbalism.

The Ripple Effect

Twenty-five plus years later, Brittany is teaching budding herbalists in her community, running her own product line, supporting clients, and now mentoring students inside The Herbalist's Path programs.

And when those students go on to help their communities, and those communities discover the power of plant medicine… that's how herbalism spreads like wildflowers.

I feel this so deeply. Getting messages from students who are helping real people with remedies they created is the next level of giddiness for me. It's the magic of this work rippling outward.

Your Invitation to Learn

If Brittany's passion, knowledge, and grounded teaching style resonates with you, good news. She's officially part of The Herbalist's Path team, supporting students inside the Community Herbalist Certification and Mentorship Program and joining me for weekly live mentorship sessions.

If you're looking for trustworthy, human-written herbal books, I've curated a collection at Bookshop.org that supports real authors, real herbalists, and independent bookstores.

Final Thoughts

This conversation reminded me why I do this work. Why I believe so fiercely in making herbalism accessible. Why the lineage of wise women, root doctors, curanderas, and folk healers matters so much.

Herbs work. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to know everything. You just have to start somewhere.

And if you're already on this path, keep going. Your community needs you.

Learn more about the Community Herbalist Certification and Mentorship Program where herbalists are spreading plant medicine like wildflowers.