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When did you first take David's course, and what impact did it have on you?
I opened my shop in 1994 so it had to have been in 1992. I took the two year course, and then did two of the advanced one year courses.
David's training has had a huge impact on my career. Not only did I learn about herbal medicine but he taught me so much about how to disseminate accurate information, and how herbalists work together. He has such a deep knowledge base that can help with putting together protocols. People from his classes bounced ideas off of each other. I believe that David has helped professionalize herbalism. And he is one of the best herbalists that I have ever come across.
As former owner and operator of Balance Health, in Lebanon, NJ, how did you incorporate your herbal knowledge in your retail operation?
Well, I used David's formulas and herbs but being able to disseminate information to customers was particularly important. There was a lot of misinformation out there, so we needed to provide accurate information. We never did “herb of the month, latest & greatest” kind of merchandising. We were known for having genuine concern for the health of people and for seeing them healed. Doctors would refer patients to me. It wasn't about the money, although that did come, but it is always enjoyable to see people healed. I established a lot of great relationships there. There are people who are alive today because of what we did, which is a humbling feeling.
Why did you sell the store to concentrate on your practice?
I always worked with individuals. At the store I was booked up three months in advance and I needed to step back to work on some other projects.
What is the focus of your practice?
My focus is the whole person. I don't treat disease; I treat the person. I try to get people feeling better immediately because quality of life is part of healing. If you get them feeling better immediately, they are more likely to stick with the protocol.
The modalities I use include herbals, supplements, prayer, energy medicine, dietary modification, and movement. I am certified for sports nutrition, hypnotherapy, and as a personal trainer. My office is in a health and wellness center.
I work with a lot of people who doctors have given up on. I was trained to look at blood studies the way they do in Germany, which looks at it really differently. I am able to pick up things that other doctors don't see because of how they are trained.
What have you found most rewarding?
I have made good friends doing this. I have worked with a lot of memorable people but perhaps the most unforgettable person, who became my friend, was Rick Rescorla. He and his wife Susan would dance in my shop together. I successfully helped him address some major health issues. He was the head of security for Morgan Stanley and saved literally thousands of people's lives on 9/11, then went back to look for stragglers, and didn't get out. In a way I feel like I helped him meet his date with destiny, and will never forget him. There is a book about him, called The Heart of a Soldier.
Where do you see health care going, or where would you like it to go?
The ultimate health care of the future should have an allopathic doctor and an herbalist in the same office, without egos. We see different things, so could work well together using both modalities. When you are focused on the wellbeing of that patient, and only that, you have health care that can't be beat.
