If you know me personally, you know that over time I have become very open and willing to talk to the people around me about my journey to find optimal health and wellness in all facets of my life. This is because it has been a long and challenging road! Sharing helps me reflect on what I have been through, and hopefully gives hope to others that they can find their own solutions as well.
After facing many medical and mental health challenges (including a transition off of hormonal birth control, appendicitis, severe anxiety, extreme menstrual cramps, ovulation pain, multiple burst ovarian cysts, gastritis, fatigue and depression) I was feeling pretty fed up with the lack of care I was receiving from medical doctors. No one was willing to listen to my full history or look at my big picture health, how my conditions and symptoms interacted with each other or how they might be connected. Even my GYN was incapable of exploring a diagnosis or treatment besides telling me to get back on hormonal birth control (which I had clearly explained was NOT possible for me as it caused depression, anxiety, loss of libido and was also masking and hiding symptoms in my menstrual cycle that needed to be addressed), or telling me cruelly, inaccurately and without compassion to start freezing my eggs if I ever wanted hope of having children.
The lack of empathy, lack of solutions, and in some cases emotional harm and trauma I experienced at the hands of medical doctors and staff left me feeling hopeless about ever feeling well again. I was exhausted and burned out from trying to research and educate myself without any guidance from experts. I read books that taught me so much, but I needed more help.
I started to explore solutions outside the usual western medical approach. I have spent the last five years trying to understand and heal my body, and more specifically find a healthy balanced menstrual cycle. My explorations led me to the Clinical Herbalist Sarah Corbett at Rowan + Sage. I will be forever grateful to Sarah for all the wisdom, solutions, and healing she has introduced into my life. Before working with her one on one, I had used yoga, psychotherapy and somatic experience therapy, dietary changes, herbal teas, research and educating myself about the female reproductive system and hormone cycle, and vaginal steaming to address some of the challenges I was facing. But it wasn't enough. I needed someone who could look at the whole picture, my medical and emotional history, as well as my lifestyle habits and biggest wellness challenge: my menstrual cycle.
Sarah spent the time to get to know both my history and me personally as we set up a protocol for taking action. She took the time to pause and acknowledge my challenging journey, and showed true care and understanding for the trauma I experienced. She immediately identified some major nutritional imbalances and deficiencies that were easily addressed through supplements. Within two weeks I was already feeling energized and dramatically more capable of meeting my everyday schedule commitments with the physical enthusiasm I had been feeling on the inside, but not strong enough to manifest outwardly. The daily herbal tea we customized for my temperament and physical symptoms is now my favorite blend! It is tailored to my needs. I felt my mood shift from worry and anxiety about big life changes and decisions I was making - to excitement and impatience to keep moving forward. Similar to when I first starting practicing yoga regularly, it felt as if a fog was lifting.
Sarah also customized a menstrual cycle tincture for both daily use to address some hormonal imbalances, as well as a rescue tincture for when my cramping or ovulation pain became debilitating. I have been able to stop taking NSAIDs for menstrual cycle pain with a few exceptions here and there - whereas before working with her I was dosing at least 800mg of ibuprofen in the morning just to be able to get out of bed and meet commitments. The rescue tincture really has rescued me! Combined with CBD oil and reduced stress in my lifestyle, I am finally on my way to a pain free cycle. Seeing dramatic results in just 3 months of working with Sarah gives me great hope that in the next 6-8 months I will be pain free. But I know healing isn’t linear and does take time, so staying patient and compassionate with my body has been my top priority.
I have been so impressed by her professionalism, thoroughness, and overall attention and care to find solutions that work for me as an individual. With multiple visits over several months, we have been able to respond in real time to the changes in my body, and decide which herbal allies work, and let go of the ones that don't. Her expertise on both the physical healing properties and the energetic and spiritual qualities of the herbs make me feel safe, and more in tune with plant medicine.
The experience of working with a clinical herbalist has made me finally feel I can trust in my caregiver. This feels like a miracle because that has not been possible for me in many years of working with western medical doctors who never seem to have the time or solutions that have long term impact, and in some cases have done harm. I can honestly say that working with Sarah has addressed every one of my symptoms in some way, and some of them dramatically in a short time.
I now believe all people should have the right, access and financial resources to work with clinical herbalists. My experience with Sarah has inspired me and set me down a path of healing that will be reflected in the choices I make for the rest of my life. It is my true joy to stand behind this testimonial for Sarah and her business. I also hope that in reading this you are inspired to find a clinical herbalist to help you with whatever you might be experiencing in your physical and mental health.
We all deserve the individual, holistic care and attention to find our optimal wellness as complete human beings. I encourage all my friends, family and clients to reach out to me if they identify with this struggle. I am here to listen, to offer advice if requested, and to share as much as I can about my journey to wellness so that others can see there is hope and a path forward, no matter what your circumstances are in the present moment.
If you are interested in working with Sarah, you can contact her through her website https://rowanandsage.com/
Warmly,
Rachel
(photo by Amanda Fochtman Photography)