Dr. Erin Stokes, ND - Naturopathic Doctor and Medical Director

Bio: As a Naturopathic Doctor who has been on the forefront of innovative education for over 20 years, I’m passionate about people transforming their lives through the healing power of plants.

I’ve always been drawn to immersing myself in the natural world, planting my first herb garden in high school. I was also concurrently surrounded by medicine my entire life, as both my dad and grandfather were surgeons. Ultimately, I chose a unique career path as a Naturopathic Doctor, that beautifully blends science and nature, while honoring the inner capability that we all have to heal. As a Naturopathic Doctor since 2001, I stay close to the primary principles of naturopathic medicine - the healing power of nature, treating the whole person, and doctor as teacher.

I came to realize early in my career that I love to educate! Shortly after beginning my naturopathic medical practice, I became an instructor at Southwest Acupuncture College, teaching Western Pathology and Psychology of Healing. I also did one-on-one health consultations during my time as Lead Practitioner at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy. More recently, in my roles as Director of Education and Medical Director over the last 12 years, I’ve developed a unique ability to translate technical knowledge with an engaging personal style to support education with strategic partners, retailers, media and consumers.

As Medical Director at WishGarden, I’m energized about finding new and effective ways to help share the power of herbalism through WishGarden’s platforms, and to reach the growing number of people who are seeking to own their health with the power of herbs.

What Herb Started your Journey? Hawthorn, a flowering tree that is part of the rose family. Early in my botanical medicine training, an herbalist was teaching me about the properties of hawthorn as an antioxidant, heart tonic and more. She then said something I’ll never forget, “Hawthorn is about opening your heart while simultaneously keeping it protected. You can see this by the beautiful flower which becomes a berry, found alongside the thorns on its stem. This is a plant ally.”

What is your favorite WishGarden Herbs Formula? Emotional Ally is an herbal formula that’s been there for me during various challenging times in my life. I love the combination of some of my favorite grounding and centering herbs - milky oats, passionflower, and motherwort. When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, Emotional Ally is my go-to!

What is your favorite herb book? There are too many favorite herb books for me to choose one, so I’m going to go back to my earliest days of learning about herbs when I always had Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Healing for Women (published in 1993) close by. Rosemary did such a beautiful job educating about the plants while also bringing them to life. I happily remember referring to it often as a trusted resource!