Ashlyn Newcomb
Clinical Herbalist
About Rose & Thorn Botanicals
Connecting People to Plants.
Meet the Herbalist
Ashlyn Newcomb is a Certified Clinical Herbalist & Nutritionist with over 1,300 hours of formal education in clinical herbal medicine and a passion for supporting peoples connection to their own bodies and to nature through the world of plants, herbs, nutrition, and vitalist practices.
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Ashlyn’s passion for herbalism initially began as she was seeking support for her own struggles with anxiety, depression and digestive health as a teen. Her work is inspired by a meaningful sense of connection with nature and her own body that has been facilitated by her decade-long journey of healing with plants, food, and movement practices.
Ashlyn is passionate about the interconnectedness of all aspects of health and wellness, particularly between mental health and digestive health. She believes in a well-rounded approach to holistic health care that addresses all facets and aspects of the human mind and body. Ashlyn hopes to help others feel more connected to the innate intelligence of their body and their own internal wisdom.
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Ashlyn has over 1,300 hours of training from the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, and is a Certified Clinical Herbalist. At CSCH, Ashlyn studied with well-renowned Clinical Herbalists, Teachers, and Naturopathic Doctors such Kat Mackinnon, Paul Bergner, Lisa Ganora, Adrian Mitzmyer, Dr. Cheri King, Dana Hutchinson, and many other amazing teachers. Ashlyn earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Naropa University in Holistic Health and Healing, where she studied topics such as psychology and mindfulness. Before moving to Colorado from her home state of Oregon, Ashlyn became a Certified Yoga Teacher through Radiant Health Yoga, where she studied yoga as a holistic and therapeutic practice to support health in a wide range of populations.
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Ashlyn in currently employed by the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism as the Admissions Coordinator, Apothecary Administrator, and Social Media & Marketing Coordinator.
Education and Certifications
Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism 2021-2023
Certified Clinical Herbalist, 2023
Certificate in Advanced Herbalism, 2022
Certificate in Fundamentals of Medical Herbalism, 2021
Naropa University 2018-2020
Bachelors Degree in Holistic Health & Healing, 2020
Permaculture Institute 2019
Permaculture Design Course Certificate, 2019
Radiant Health Yoga 2016-2017
Certified Yoga Teacher, 2017
Central Oregon Community College 2015-2017
Associate Degree in Health and Wellness Coaching, 2017
The Vitalist Approach
Ashlyn's approach to supporting health is rooted in the fundamentals of vitalism. Vitalism is a way of viewing the body in health & disease that has existed within various traditions for thousands of years. Vitalism recognizes the body as containing an innate wisdom that has the ability to adapt and heal. In Vitalist traditions, disease symptoms are considered to be intelligent expressions of the Vital Energy, manifesting with the purpose of bringing the body back into harmony and balance. Rather than suppressing these symptoms, the Vitalist practitioner looks to them as a source of information about the state of vitality in the body, and supports the natural healing processes that the body is already trying to enact, working with the nature of the body rather than against it.
Working With A Vitalist Practitioner
The goal of the Vitalist practitioner is to empower our clients to strengthen their innate vitality through herbs, nutrition and supportive lifestyle practices. We want our clients to feel better on all levels, and will address both acute and chronic complaints and empower our clients to make lasting and permanent changes to improve their quality of life.
We aim to understand the state of vitality in the client, and to support their full vital expression. We will typically begin our work together by addressing the digestive system and personal nutrition to create a stable and nourished foundation for the development of optimally Vital health and well-being.
Personal Life
Raised in the high-desert mountains of Oregon, Ashlyn has been cultivating a deep love and passion for the wild plant world since early childhood, which has only deepened in her years as an herbalist. Although Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest will always hold a special place in her heart, Ashlyn has called Colorado home for the last six years.
When she isn't working with clients, Ashlyn spends as much time in the mountain sunshine as possible. She loves hiking, wildcrafting, gardening, picnics, camping, dips in river and lakes and soaking in natural springs. She is also an avid reader, and loves curling up with a cup of tea, a good book, and her cat.