Meet Your Instructors
Candice has been traveling the plant path since 2004, beginning formal training in 2008 alongside founder Kris Vaughan, and stepping into roles as clinical herbalist and educator in 2009. With clients she works to support emotional, cognitive, and spiritual health through her practice Psyche and Soul.
Throughout her time as a clinician, medicine maker, and educator, she has drawn people from all walks of life who are seeking transformation and renewal through a deeper connection to plants. Often, her clients and students find themselves in pursuit of knowledge through formal training so that they too can become herbalists, healers, and knowers of plant wisdom.
She is thrilled to take these next steps on her own journey as the new program director and owner of Herbal Wisdom Institute, and can’t wait to be there as you begin or continue your own adventure with us.
Candice is a member of United Plant Savers and The American Herbalist's Guild.
Kris began teaching classes in herbal medicine in 2011 and officially founded Herbal Wisdom Institute in 2016. Kris has taught herbal medicine and trained herbalists and physicians from around the country. She has also taught for various professional organizations in order to raise awareness of the philosophies and skills of nature cure as a medicine system.
Kris resides in Arizona and has a deep love for the diversity of medicine in the Arizona desert. She is dedicated to the values and mission of Herbal Wisdom Institute and the opportunities to bring herbal education to all who seek it.
Kris is the owner of Vaya Botanicals, a botanical product company offering prescriptive botanical solutions for healthcare practitioners working in women's health.
A dreamer and adventurer with an insatiable curiosity, Rachel Alm has dedicated much of her life to the study of botanical medicine. From peace and comfort to a rich array of food and medicine, not to mention the endless awe and wonder of it all, nature has been a constant provider in Rachel's life. With the wild and rugged Sacramento mountains as her backdrop, Rae is gathering, growing, making, and teaching all things herbalism.
As the Lead Instructor for the Herbal Wisdom Institute, Rae combines her Masters degrees in Medical Herbalism and Education to proudly offer herbal education for plant lovers of all kinds. Follow her @openroadbotanicals
Dr. Nishek is a North Dakota native. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UND in 2006, a
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Southwest College of
Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences in 2010 and her CLEC
Certification from the University of San Diego Extension in 2015. Dr.
Nishek offers naturopathic consultations to all ages and genders.
Her passions are helping couples overcome infertility, managing PCOS and other hormonal/menstrual cycle irregularities, from
puberty through menopause. She also provides acupuncture treatments and a
number of functional laboratory testing options to help navigate
hormone issues, digestive dysfunction, mood disorders, sleep disorders
and more.
Dr. Nishek is the mother of two wild and free children. Follow her at holisticndlife.com
Before turning her focus to herbal medicine, she spent 30 years in corporate Information Technology and served in the U.S. Army. Those experiences continue to shape the practical, organized, and systems-minded way she teaches. She completed her Western Herbalism training at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts under JoAnn Sanchez, RH, AHG, and continues her education through mentorship, travel, fieldwork, and direct observation of plants where they grow.
With home bases in the Phoenix area and Northern Arizona, she works closely with native plants of the Sonoran Desert and Arizona’s mountain regions while also studying traditional and medicinal plants in other parts of the world, including Hawaii and Australia. Whether teaching herbal medicine, leading plant walks, or making small-batch remedies, she helps students build a more grounded, hands-on relationship with plants and the natural world.
She is an associate member of the American Herbalists Guild, a member of the American Botanical Council and United Plant Savers. Follow her work @desertmoonbotanicals.
Based in the Arizona desert, she specializes in growing in challenging climates, seed saving, and transforming plants into meaningful, usable medicine, blending practical skill with a deep respect for the land.
Natalija’s professional modalities include clinical herbalism, herbal medicine education and formulation, yoga and meditation instruction, Reiki Master/Teacher training, nutritional support, and facilitation of private ceremonies and guided journeys. She brings extensive experience in both clinical practice and teaching, with a strong emphasis on plant medicine, embodied healing, and whole-person care.
With a background in sustainability and agriculture, she is focused on creating a platform that encourages more herb farmers and growers, protects native and endemic plant species, and teaches about the deep connection and relationships possible when growing and preparing herbal plants.
She is the creator of VOCA, a devotional exploration that supports womyn in deepening their relationship with their voices. She believes life is a school for the soul and authentic expression helps every being remember the Love that they are.
