Today we’d like to introduce you to Gigi Risberg Stafne.
Hi Gigi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
What a journey this has been along the winding, meandering medicine trail in life!
I began my path as a practitioner of natural and botanical medicine 3+ decades ago, but prior to natural and botanical medicine, I worked passionately in anti-violence, fromm crisis intervention roles to shaping public policy. Shifting from that work to prevention medicine was a major transition and life changing. It was a radical shift since I been law school and health and human services administration bound.
“I am passionate about people, plants, and this precious planet.” ~Gigi Risberg Stafne
In my work there have been significant health, environmental, social justice, and entrepreneurial experiences along the way. I try to integrate these into the natural and botanical medicine courses I teach in North America. After natural medicine, herbalism education, and clinicals in Boulder, Colorado, I made my way back to the Midwest US and created one of the early CAM, Complementary Alternative Medicine clinics, not far from Minneapolis. That was the Center for Healing Arts (Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine is a subsidiary of that original business). I gathered a gifted team of twelve skilled practitioners to work on board. After the urging of Midwest plant enthusiasts, I founded an affiliated botanical medicine school which to date is one of the few in the Upper Midwest and Lake Superior regions that offers a professional track, the Advanced Master Herbalism Program.
Another important part of my path was starting a United Plant Savers (UpS) Partners in Education project, and the first UpS Botanical Sanctuary. I lived and taught on the land that phase in Northern Wisconsin. My farm/sanctuary team and I worked hard on sundry projects there including protecting and reintroducing plants at risk such as North American Ginseng, Goldenseal, Lady Slipper, among others. This resulted in the 2007 North American Plant Conservation Award related to medicinal plant conservation, research, and education.
The next phase of my plant medicine trail was starting an international non-profit organization in 2006-2007, Herbalists Without Borders International. Around that time I was officially appointed as Executive Director and served in that capacity for another decade, growing our collective work from 7 projects to 73 national and international chapters. The vision and purpose of this organization is health justice, specifically in natural and botanical medicine. In 2017 the American Herbalists Guild honored our work with the “National Community Service Award” for health justice volunteerism. Among the projects included were Trauma Trainings and Free Peoples Clinics. These organizations and our school are still going strong. It is an honor to teach at numerous Midwest and national venues, including Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine, North House Folk School, Duluth Folk School, Women’s Environmental Institute, among others. I really love this work!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
“Being a Clinical Herbalist is not for the faint of heart.”
That’s what early graduates and alumni say about the work we do.
It definitely has not been an easy path or smooth sailing during the past 3+ decades. I began doing this work at a time when, for the most part, people were skeptical and critical of natural medicine. Some of the challenges I have witnessed and felt first-hand have included our work being on the fringes of society and the health care systems, economic marginalization, and now the AI phase of what I call ‘internet herbalism’ which has both advantages and disadvantages for consumers and the public. These are simply several of the challenges, but I remain steadfast and committed to this work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Thank you for asking.
I specialize in Natural and Botanical Medicine, education and training for the public to health professionals.
I am most proud of being a part of creating and sustaining clinics, Free Peoples Clinics, Trauma Trainings, a national school, and several non-profit projects that have sustained through many decades of changes, from business survival during COVID to turbulent current societal, economic and political times.
Again, what truly motivates me is my passion for people, plants, and this precious planet.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The Natural and Botanical Medicine profession occupies a unique space that involves intuition, art, clinical, and scientific realms.
Honor and integrate all of these to be truly effective. Spend time in nature. Listen to your intuition. Yet, also continue solid education.
Human beings are not as they once were. There are more complications, contraindications, chronic diseases, and medications than ever. This means natural medicine and herbalism can offer solutions, but it also means caution must be exercised.
If you are considering a business, continue your education within that realm. This will continue to be imperative. We are one of the schools in North America that offers free monthly seminars to certificate programs in CAM and botanical business. If you are new in natural and botanical medicine, speak with others who have at least one decade of experience to learn how we weather the storms, past and present. You truly must be passionate about what you do because this work requires a tremendous amount of personal energy and resources. It is well worth it though.
See you along the meandering medicine trail in life!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.greenwisdom.weebly.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwisdomschool/
