Clinical Herbalism + Education

My Experience

I am a clinical herbalist, certified aromatherapist, photographer, writer, designer, artist, hydrosol distiller, and organic gardener. In addition to my aromatherapy certification and herbalism credits, I also have an extensive list of continuing education and courses in herbalism, botany, aromatherapy, hydrosols, biology, physiology, women's health, first aid, mental health first aid, disaster response, and natural nutrition. I am also a medicinal herb grower, and grows hundreds of types of herbs and plants on our herb farmette & homestead, Lunar Hollow Farm.

Experience

Herbalists Without Borders 2017-present
Executive Director
Manage all vision and day to day of an international nonprofit organization including membership, policy, website, volunteers, programs and projects, free clinics, disaster relief, donations and fundraising, grant writing, budgets, design, communications, and more. Manage US Community Apothecary of donations for free clinics throughout the US. Host an ongoing podcast.

Veterans Resiliency Holistic Clinic 2017-present
Volunteer Clinical Herbalist
Volunteer as a Clinical Herbalists working with vets who are suffering from the symptoms of PTSD in our all volunteer monthly clinic. Help organize clinic resources, herbal shipments, support the clinic in offering help with special events, and more.

Owner, Wholly Rooted, LLC, Current
Offering herbal consultations, writing about herbal health and aromatherapy for many print and online magazines. Grow medicinal herbs & work to develop educational programs for medicinal herb growing, plant walks, and plant sustainability.

Owner, Lunar Hollow Farm
We grow almost 500 varieties of herbs, fruit, vegetables, natives, and trees. Lunar Hollow is a Botanical Sanctuary and Certified Wildlife Habitat. We work to preserve and restore endangered and at-risk medicinal plants.

Creative Director, Illustrator, Photographer, Marketing, 1999-2021
Creative Director, Art Director, Interactive Creative Director for direct marketing, print advertising & design, magazine design, website design, branding, identity, packaging and retail design, POP, billboards, and interactive marketing. I have over 30 years of experience in end to end production from concepts and storyboarding to final production and launch. My work has spanned from fortune 50 to small local businesses. I like to help small eco-minded businesses leverage their brands to compete in the market.

Magazine Writing
See my editing and writing experience here.

EDUCATION
Columbia College, Chicago. BA
Arts Management with minors in Fine Art/Design & Audio Engineering
Studied music, fine art, design, arts management, audio engineering. Focus on arts & entertainment business, nonprofits, and arts organizations.

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Professional Nonprofit Management

Grantsmanship Training Program, The Grantsmanship Center

Brief Bio:

Denise Cusack (she/her) is a practicing herbalist, medicinal herb grower & conservationist, writer, and artist. Denise volunteers as Executive Director of Herbalists Without Borders, volunteers with the Veterans Resiliency Holistic Clinic, and currently serves on the AHG Governing Council as Secretary. Denise is the caretaker of Lunar Hollow Farm (a UpS Botanical Sanctuary) where she grows and preserves medicinal plants and endangered natives. Lunar Hollow is also where Denise manages a large US Community Apothecary serving free clinics, manages a seed library, grows food for her family, and creates resources for the herbal community. Denise is on the Board of Directors for IM4US.

In her spare time Denise homeschools her teenagers, spends time with her family, forages her land, paints her favorite medicinals, cans and preserves food, putters in the garden, and always continues learning.

Volunteer Work

Herbalists Without Borders,
Veterans Resiliency Holistic Clinic 2017-present

American Herbalists Guild, Governing Council Member, Secretary & Assistant Chair 2019-present, Assistant Chair 2020-Present. Co-Chair Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee & Ethics Review Advisory Committee, Governance Committee

IM4US, Board of Directors & Co-Chair Membership Committee

#happyflowerproject 2016
Grew flowers and herbs for the local food pantry all summer, delivered bouquets weekly and bulk herbs as harvested.

Moms in Madison 2003-2017
MPNA, 2006-2012
Madison Wellness Collective 2016-2017

Herbal Education

Permaculture, Seeds

I have thousands of hours of education in nonprofit management, herbalism, permaculture, aromatherapy, plant conservation, environmental education, design, health justice, diversity and inclusion, crisis management, first aid, CPR, psychological first aid, international aid, and more. This listing is just a few.

Women's Health Educator, Aviva Romm Herbal Medicine for Women*
Master Herbalist: Jessie Hawkins School of Vintage Remedies
Family Herbalist: Jessie Hawkins School of Vintage Remedies
Hydrosols: The School of Aromatic Studies & Cathy Skipper
Flower Essences: Floracopeia
Certified Aromatherapist: Aromahead Institute
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Natural Nutrition Program
AHG Clinical Mentorship, 2017-2021

Mental Health, First Aid, Disaster Relief, Diversity & Equity, Trauma, and other Continuing Ed (this is general short list sampling)
Certified CPR/AED, First Aid
Certified Mental Health First Aider
Hard Conversations: Whiteness, Race, and Social Justice (Cohort 34)
Psychological First Aid, John Hopkins
Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)
Structural Competency: A Framework to Analyze & Address Health Inequities
How Promotorxs & Community Health Workers can Promote Mental Health in Agricultural Communities
Mental Health First Aider Certificate
Ergos Institute, Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior
Managing Conflicts on Program and Projects with Cultural and Emotional Intelligence
Introduction to Restorative Justice Training

This Is just a few. I have over 23 years and over 4,500 additional hours of continuing education in hydrosols, herbalism, aromatherapy, aromatic medicine, holistic nutrition/natural nutrition, whole foods, trauma, holistic health, youth education, permaculture, humanitarian aid, CPR/AED certified, first aid training, clinical experience, and more. I am usually enrolled in a few classes at a time, and am always on a quest to learn more.

If you are interested in a full CV listing of completed coursework, schools of herbal and aromatherapy education, and experience hours, please email me.

-Seed Seva Mentorship
-Women's Permaculture Guild Permaculture Design Certificate*
-Social Permaculture Frameworks
-Women's Permaculture Guild Permaculture Year Course
-Forest Therapy - How to Create a Medicinal Forest
-Sanctuary from Seed to Fruition
-Seed Processing
-Bud Grafting
-Vegetative Propagation
-Seed Rematriation
-Biodynamic Agrictultu
-Social Permaculture and Healing Justice
-Social Permaculture Teacher Training
-Organic Seed Production

Various Nutrition/Food:
Nutrition In Clinical Practice
Herbalist's Guide to Fermentation
Optimize Digestive Health
Herbal Superfoods
Tsukemono
CSNN Courses

2020, 2021 Conferences:
2021 Integrative Pain Management Conference, University of VT
AHG Conference, 2018, 2019, 2020 (online, online intensives)
International Herbal Conference, 2021
IM4US 2020 Conference
Seed Library Summit 2021
Biodynamic Association Conference 2020
Slow Seed Summit 2020
Forum for Migrant and Community Health 2021
Resistance and Reimagination: Gender, Change, and The Arts, UW-Madison
Florida Herbal Conference
Prioritizing Equity in Public Health Leadership Summit