Interview with Holistic Health Expert Elyse Williams

In a room of ivy-wrapped walls, with shelves full of books containing different types of holistic medicine literature, 44-year-old herbal specialist Elyse Williams sits at her desk carefully measuring out specific blends of mushrooms for her patients. Williams utilizes non-hallucinogenic mushrooms in combination with various forms of therapeutic strategies to promote healing and empowerment for her patients.

Growing up in Media, Pennsylvania, Williams remembers her mother made time for the outdoors and taught her to observe the complexity of nature. She remembers going to a bookstore at the age of ten and reading a book on Shamanism, which sparked her interest in the connection between humans and the natural world. While at a small liberal arts college, Williams's previous interest influenced her to study environmental law. One summer she decided to work for the U.S Fish and Wildlife in a secluded part of Alaska which would alter the trajectory of her life.

During a six-week portion of her time in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Williams was tasked with counting the salmon population of an isolated stream, completely alone. After a few weeks, Williams felt a shift and began to feel more in tune with the world around her. Willams said, “I had this epiphany that I didn't want to study law but study nature and healing with nature.” Throughout the rest of her time in Alaska, she meditated and felt like she could hear a part of herself in nature, that she couldn't hear when she was surrounded by people. “I was in this deep inner process within myself that was really honest … I think that aligned me with who I am and what I wanted,” she recalls. During this time she decided to begin her journey toward becoming a herbal specialist.

 After returning from Alaska, Williams pursued a master's program in herbal medicine and other alternative methods. She later became certified in treatment using spiritual, emotional, and, mental therapeutic techniques.

Williams has continued to further her understanding of holistic health by attending local classes and spending time outdoors deepening her connection with nature and finding new ways to empower her patients.