Practitioner Interview Series by the CHA of BC Student Subcommittee member, Ashley Giordano.
Meet Katolen Yardley, MNIMH, RH (AHG) ~ Medical Herbalist
I was thrilled to be paired up with Katolen Yardley for a Meet the Practitioner Interview. Katolen is a Medical Herbalist and member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. She runs her clinical practice out of both South Granville, in Vancouver and Port Moody, which she has done for the past 19 years. Katolen is the current president of the Canadian Counsel of Herbalist Associations (CCHA), the third term president of the CHA of BC, a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and professional member of the American Herbalist Guild.
I chatted with Katolen over the phone for the interview, she in Vancouver, and I in Kelowna. I sipped a homemade brew of peppermint, ginger tea with elderberry syrup, trying to fend off a head cold while we chatted. She sat with her cat in her lap. I first met Katolen in person at the 2017 Herbal Gathering at Innisfree Farm. If you’ve ever met her, she has an amazing head of curly hair and a kind smile that can’t be missed.
Katolen chose Herbalism as a career during her studies in Psychology at the University of Calgary. She explains, “I became disillusioned with the labels placed on individuals with mental health complaints.” Burn-out from the pressure of juggling full-time work and school brought her to the herbal medicine clinic at Wild Rose College. She was fascinated by the effects of herbal medicine and the impact of nutrition on health. Eager to learn more, she chose the School of Phytotherapy in England as her educational launch pad. At the time Dominion Herbal College liaised with the School of Phytotherapy and offered the full program to students in Canada. Katolen completed her clinical training at the School of Phytotherapy in UK, with the respected herbalist Christopher Hedley, at the Archway Clinic Middlesex University (also in the UK), and with Chanchal Cabrera and Rowan Hamilton.
When asked about any advice Katolen would offer to a new graduate of herbal medicine, she offered some reflective thoughts. “As herbal medicine students, it can be daunting to take the leap and say yes to opportunities that arise, especially if we don’t feel ready due to a lack of experience.” I loved Katolen’s perspective on this – “simply saying yes to a vision or dream allows us to fill in the how and the why later.” Early on in her adult life she learned the importance of saying yes, even when she didn’t feel ready. While completing her education, Katolen gained valuable experience at as Manager of the Gaia Garden Herbal Dispensary. She taught introductory Herbal Medicine courses at Langara College well before she graduated. For eighteen years, Katolen was featured regularly on the national Global Television Morning news, where she provided alternative options to the public regarding various health problems through lifestyle, nutrition and herbs. Early on she also accepted clients at the Gaia Garden drop-in clinic, while managing the production of the busy herbal company, responsible for developing, overseeing and implementing the good manufacturing procedures of herbal formulations. The collective experience of seeing patients, teaching classes, and educating the public about herbs, health and wellness was instrumental to launching her clinical practice.
It is undeniable that Katolen is a leader in the Herbal Medicine world. In addition to her clinical practice, and very active role in both the CCHA and CHA of BC, she serves as adjunct faculty at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, and instructor and Clinic Supervisor of a Dominion Herbal College-approved Student Training Clinic. In 2016 she wrote The Good Living Guide to Natural and Herbal Remedies.
Katolen acknowledges that there are many people of influence in the herbal medicine world, but there is a need for many more voices promoting plant medicine. “We need a continuation of leaders in the herbal medicine realm, to continue on the path our elders have worked really, really long and hard hours for, ensuring access to medicinal plants and our right to practice in Canada using valuable traditional medicine. We need graduates settled in their profession and stepping up, ready to take the horns for future generations.” I asked Katolen what qualities, in her view, make an effective leader. “I view a leader as anyone that shows up and is willing to do the arduous work that needs to be done. Someone who is willing to ensure that this profession and plant wisdom is available for the future generations.” This extends to students and new practitioners as well. “Do the things that nobody wants to do. Volunteer and take a role representing a practitioner of herbal medicine, one who understands the value of medicinal plants and is educated to share this knowledge with others. Take the extra mile to be a leader in the community. All of these things will hone your skills in becoming a practitioner.”
Involvement in the herbal medicine community is a great way to gain knowledge and experience. Katolen suggests checking out local herbal medicine talks, conferences, herbal gatherings and plant communities. This community is a large part of where she draws her inspiration from. “I experience huge regeneration after spending time at herbal medicine conferences. Laughing, connecting, and sharing knowledge with like-minded people while spending time in nature with plants, healthy music and food. It’s win-win; a form of self-care while also sharing my experiences with others.”
Self-care is an important aspect of herbal practice. Katolen acknowledges that computer work takes up much of her time and she understands that life-work balance is crucial. She incorporates regular yoga and running into her schedule. “Running is good for ruminations,” she laughs. Spending time in green spaces also helps Katolen feel balanced. She lives near Stanley Park (a perfect place to lace up those runners!) and her South Granville office has a community garden across the street, in which she conducts herb walks in the summer. She teaches at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens – a place where you can “smell the freshness of the plants.” She also values spending time at Innisfree Farm, owned by one of her long-term mentors, Chanchal Cabrera, located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.
Community is important in the herbal medicine world, but also on a broader scale. Katolen shared her thoughts with me about the impact of herbal research on isolated constituents. “We need to return to the wisdom of the whole plant, not get caught up in the marketing and Hollywood hype on isolated constituents. Whole herbs have been used for a very long time, many with milder and slower action and longer-term safety (fewer side effects) than pharmaceutical or prescription medication. Whole herbs buffer more potent chemicals. While understanding isolated chemicals is important, it is also essential to consider how whole plants work on a real person, not a test tube or in an unfortunate animal study.” She compared the trend towards using isolated constituents to our modern society in general – increasingly isolated. The general urban population tends toward living in isolation, disconnected from their community, with increased incidences of depression and mental health complaints. The importance of community, connection, synergy and teamwork cannot be understated. Katolen emphasized the importance of holism, using herbal teas, gardens, and spending time in nature or forest bathing.
Holism is just one part of Katolen’s vision for the future of herbal medicine. She dreams that in the future, “plant medicine will be respected for the valuable healing tool that it is” and looks forward to the time when integrative medicine will be valued alongside allopathic medicine, and subsequently both used for the client’s health and best interest. She envisions lower health care costs and fewer hospitalizations due to herbal medicine being a first resort for many health issues. She hopes that one day herbal medicine will be used for the first and second stages of health conditions and holds gratitude that hospital care and surgery are available when in emergencies and after exhausting both nutrition, diet, lifestyle and herbal medicine options. This isn’t just a dream for Katolen, but a reality. “There is enough research out there on the effectiveness of plant medicine that this vision is completely possible. It just requires a paradigm shift of how things are currently run in our society.”
http://www.katolenyardley.com/
Port Moody Clinic: 201-2615 St John’s Street, Port Moody BC, V3H 2B5 • tel.: 604.939.4325
Vancouver Clinic: Suite 207-2190 Fir Street (at W 6 Ave), Vancouver, BC V6J 3B5 • tel.: 604.683.2298
Email: info@katolenyardley.com
FB: Katolen Yardley, Medical Herbalist
About the Author:
Ashley Giordano is the current Student Representative of the CHA of BC. She studied Phytotherapy at Pacific Rim College, is continuing her studies at Wild Rose College, and is in the midst of completing Aviva Romm’s Herbal Medicine for Women course. Ashley obtained her Registered Holistic Nutritionist diploma from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2012. In her past life (aka prior to her studies) she worked as a personal injury Paralegal in downtown Vancouver. She currently calls Canmore, Alberta home and enjoys spending time in the Rocky Mountains.
