My path as a healer began with a truth I could no longer ignore: despite my best efforts to “feel better,” something deeper was calling for attention. Depression, anxiety, and complex PTSD were my early teachers, and in seeking relief I discovered not quick fixes, but the slow work of listening, remembering, and returning to connection.

Arasa Root Works is the outgrowth of that journey — a practice dedicated to helping others reclaim wellness through earth-based care, advocacy, and spiritual guidance.

Roots of Arasa

Arasa comes from my Balanta ancestry, where it carries the meaning “the anger of the lion.” It is spoken before someone’s name to mean “Balanta person.” Choosing Arasa Root Works as the name of my practice is a way to feed this connection.

For the Balanta people, the lion is a symbol of integrity, courage, and guardianship of life. That energy lives at the center of my practice as a reminder that healing is not only gentle tending, but also fierce protection of what is sacred. Arasa Root Works seeks to embody the lion’s spirit of protection in service of individual and collective well-being

My Journey

I was raised in the Jehovah’s Witness faith, where questions of mortality and loss felt tightly constrained. When my father became terminally ill, I began studying Tibetan Buddhism, which opened me to new ways of facing grief and impermanence. That path led me to hospice volunteering, and later to training as an end-of-life doula. Leaving a strong faith community, losing a parent, and sitting with death reshaped me into someone who desired to hold space for others navigating grief, disconnection, or transformation.

My professional life brought me into healthcare as a caregiver and researcher. Those years gave me a firsthand view of how easily people fall through the cracks, and the skills to advocate fiercely within rigid and often confusing systems.

Alongside this, I turned to herbalism not only to reconnect with my ancestral roots, but also to return to the shared ancestry of humanity: our deep relationship with the plants and land that sustain us. Through that study and practice, I learned that wellness isn’t found in formulas or institutions alone, but through trust, listening, and reciprocity with the living world.

Teachers and Influences

In addition to extensive coursework through the Herbal Academy and self-study, my path has been shaped and nourished by teachers across lineages:

• Maya Blow, whose farm apprenticeship Deva’s Daughters rooted me in hands-on herbal practice.

• Olatokunboh Obasi, under whom I studied for two years at the Well of Indigenous Wisdom School.

• Alua Arthur, whose Going with Grace program introduced me to end-of-life doula work and a lifelong community of practice.

I’ve also lived for a year off-grid in rural Idaho, immersing myself in wildcrafting, botany, and land stewardship. That time taught me that no matter where I am, I am earth’s child, and its medicine is always present.

Roots and Belonging

Though my practice has evolved, the thread runs back to my grandmother, Annie Lois, who first placed dirt in my hands and aloe in my cup from her garden patch in Eclectic, Alabama. Today, I find myself on Zapotec land in Oaxaca, Mexico where I continue to learn from the plants, people, and traditions that surround me. From here, I serve U.S.-based communities virtually, offering support in both English and Spanish.

My Commitment

As a queer, neurodivergent Black healer, I seek to create spaces that are:

• Trauma-informed

• Gender-affirming

• Accessible and inclusive

• Rooted in advocacy and earth-based wisdom

Beyond the Work

When I’m not supporting others on their path to wellness, I find joy in tending my own. You can find me in the garden, playing with my cat Juju and our resident dog Polka, or working with yarn and hook. Crochet is another gift from my grandmother, one that I’ve cultivated into mastery as a Designated Master Crocheter by the Crochet Guild of America. It delights me to weave new life into this ancestral artform, often incorporating the rich symbolism in the world around me into my textiles.

I also love cooking, sharing meals, and rediscovering the joy of writing. These days, I’ve been chronicling my journey and reflections through my new Substack publication, The Root is the Remedy. If you’d like to stay connected, I warmly invite you to join me there where I share stories and lived reflections on healing, earth wisdom, and everyday ritual.

Explore Pathways of Support at Arasa Root Works