Meet Herbal Medicine Practitioner Dana Hutchinson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Hutchinson.

Dana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune condition called, Lichen Sclerosis, when I was only 21 years old in 2011. This diagnosis came after receiving news of my mother’s terminal brain cancer diagnosis and living an unhealthy lifestyle filled with processed food, alcohol consumption, a myriad of stress, little exercise, and very little sleep. Lichen sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that typically affects females assigned at birth’s vaginal tissues. It usually causes extreme itching, aching pain, lesions, cuts, large scaly white patches, complete fusing of both labia, and a guaranteed change of aesthetic makeup in the genital area. This condition also comes with an increase for vaginal skin cancer and mental angst, as most patient’s sexual identity is completely compromised.

This was my first real experience with dealing with the way that the western medical world views and treats disease. After a plethora of attempts at treating my medically-biopsied-confirmed condition with topical steroids and immuno-suppressant drugs, I immediately fell into in a far worse position than I was in originally. Extreme pain became my new normal. This is when I began researching heavily into the natural world on any online forum or herbal textbook I could get my hands on. A few months later, I ended up visiting a Chinese doctor in Sydney, Australia, where I lived for seven years between 2010-2016, where the front of his hole in the wall office had a sign reading, “Don’t tell me what is wrong with you, I will tell you what’s wrong with you;” I was intrigued to say the least. After the Chinese practitioner took my pulse, examined my tongue, looked at my nails, and discerned the vibrancy of my skin, he smiled and said, “You have many imbalances, your immune system is so weak it cannot withstand any normal bacteria overgrowth, your heart (Shen) spirit is destroyed and your mental clarity is non-existent, your liver cannot process the amount of additives you are feeding it, and your blood has no weight, being both stagnant and deficient, this is where we will begin.”

After this experience, I knew that helping people heal was what I was meant to do on this earth. Looking at the vital signs of another human being and determining their imbalances was something I would then dedicate the next nine years of my life towards. I enrolled in the Institute of Chinese Herbalism 3-year program to become a certified Chinese herbalist, I became certified under Paul Berger’s North American Institute of Medical herbalism as a certified medical herbalist, and graduate from the Colorado School of Herbalism as a certified clinical herbalist in May 2020 to complete my herbalism education. I also became a certified flower essence practitioner through the Heart of Herbs Herbalism School, a certified reiki master through Body Mind Energy Center, a certified botanist through the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalist, a certified living food practitioner through the Anne Wigmore Natural Health Institute in Puerto Rico, a certified nutritionist through Cornell University, and a certified yoga teacher RYT 200 from the Cascade School of Yoga.  Healing became my life and purpose, and if I had gotten myself to 95% symptom free without the use of pharmaceuticals, then I was ready to help others achieve the same success.

I opened my own clinical herbalism practice in 2016 called the Wildflower Clinic, located at 3729 W. 32nd Ave in Denver, CO. At the clinic, we specialize in autoimmune conditions, infertility, digestive issues, skin issues, sleep disturbances, and stress, anxiety, trauma, and depression. We seek to heal the entire body from its root issues and balance the energetics of each client with a multitude of customized herbal healing protocols.

Has it been a smooth road?
Gosh, obstacles and challenges are waiting for you behind every minor success. Setting your mind to any goal is almost the easy part. The number of setbacks I received in my health condition, my rigorous schooling, and the opening of my clinical practice are numerous. However, I do think that every set back opened up a new door or way of thinking that ultimately lead to me to adapt to the new obstacle at hand even better. I have been in school my whole life; I received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Sydney before I even started my road to completely change my career and study herbal medicine. That was and has been extremely difficult for me in terms of balancing my work/life balance, as schooling normally always precedes social engagements.

Advice to others?
Sacrifice is going to play a large role in any dream or goal. But this sacrifice will be completely worth it and will ultimately lead you down a path to a new beginning. Trusting the process or a timeline set out is HUGE. Being patient with yourself and remembering to take time for YOU along the journey is the ultimate secret.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Wildflower Clinic – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am a medical herbalist trained in both the Western Clinical setting and the Chinese Eastern setting. I am a flower essence practitioner, a clinical nutritionist, a reiki energy healer, a field botanist, and a yoga teacher. At the wildflower clinic, my personal clinical practice, I see a wide variety of clients with health conditions. We are known for autoimmune conditions, infertility, digestive issues, skin issues, sleep issues, allergies, and emotional trauma including stress, anxiety, and depression.

We assess each client in a 1.5-hour intake, going over a comprehensive health history and taking their pulse, examining their tongue, and looking at their skin and nails. This comprehensive intake and any diagnosed health condition, allows us to create a custom herbal protocol from our on-site apothecary. Our herbs are organic, composted and locally sourced from our partner farmers, unlike the majority of over the counter herbal companies that do not use organic herbs, have low herb to liquid ratios (weaker medicine), and do not release their sourcing of their herbs. We truly believe that health conditions need the oversight of a clinically trained herbalist with a plethora of educational years, as herbs are much stronger than pharmaceuticals and can severely imbalance the body further with self-use or home use from readings and articles on the internet, which can be funded by big Pharma, and often contain very incorrect information.

I also teach retreats around the world for corporate teams and consumers where we explore herbalism, yoga, hiking, vegan nourishing food, and herbal ceremonies. We teach workshops every week at the clinic on a variety of health issues and alternative remedies in our today’s society.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I feel that there has never been more opportunities for females to make a difference in this society. Of course, the struggles are still there, but look at how far we have come! A women can start their own business, they can run for office, they can work their way up in a corporate setting, they can buy homes, they can develop apps, they can start non-profits, they can speak out about their position on climate change, capitalism, and their inherent rights they believe in. I think we have a long way to go in terms of actual “equality,” but it is about seeing the opportunities that ARE possible and building upon that modality.

Pricing:

• Initial Herbal Consultation- 1.5 hours $150 (does not include the cost of formulation and custom herbal protocols
• Client Follow Up- 45 minutes $75 (does not include the cost of herbal products
• Private Herbal Medicine Workshop- $75 pp (must have 4 bookings to go ahead)
• Flower Essence Therapy- 1 hour $99
• Reiki Energy Treatment- 1 hour $99

Contact Info:

• Address: 3729 W. 32nd Ave, Denver, CO 80211
• Website: www.wildflowerclinic.com
• Phone: 949 290 0883
• Email: dana@wildflowerclinic.com
• Instagram: @wildflowerclinic
• Facebook: the wildflower clinic

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