We recently connected with Deanna Holbrook and have shared our conversation below.
Deanna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
A risk I’ve taken is beginning to share my knowledge and practices when it comes to spirituality and wellness. I come from a line of indigenous peoples on my fathers side and a line of healers on my mothers side so I have holistic and intuitive knowledge running through my blood. My maternal lineage is of Italian descent where the witch trials were held hundreds of years ago. Knowledge of herbs, flowers and foods as medicine has been passed down through my family. As you know Western medicine is the number one healing modality and a lot of people these days shun or laugh at any kind of talk regarding healing ailments through herbs. Within the last three years, I’ve really begun connecting with my intuition and ancestry and have been able to not only grow plants and herbs with ease but also use them as medicine. I have healed my not only my own but also my children and close family and friends illnesses through a steady practice of prayer and intuition, It was a scary thought to step out and risk the judgement from others but also the silence of the social media fact checkers where I post about my remedies and spiritual knowledge. I decided to take the risk though because I know there is medicine all around us, even growing in our own backyards at times. These remedies provide benefits and much less side effects than your typical prescription medicine. I have heard some judgement by taking this risk but mostly from people who I know in person. I have gained an organic following on social media because people truly believe in what I do and see the results. There is a whole community out there that want healing without the harsh side effects,
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Deanna and I’m a devoted mom to four children. For about 15 years of my life I was on strong medication for panic disorder and anxiety. About 6 years ago I decided it was time to looking into alternatives due to the withdrawal symptoms I would encounter when missing a dose of the pill I was prescribed which greatly affected my life. I didn’t want to depend on it anymore as my main focus was my job and my children. I successfully weaned myself off of the medication with CBD, a clean diet and a supportive mental health practice. I learned about and taught myself meditation and it really made me in tune with my intuition. In 2020 when the pandemic started I really honed into my craft when I began growing food and herbs and delving into psychology as well as prayer. When my daughter was born in 2021 I decided to leave my job at the school system where I supported children who were diagnosed with learning disabilities in their learning and emotional health. Through my own self healing and the support I provided to my students as well as my own children I realized how important self care and love was to succeeding. Since then I have been offering tarot readings and what I call venting sessions in order to support others with their mental and emotional health. I also create and sell self care products that are made with non toxic ingredients like herbs, flowers and salts to support the mind, body, soul connection. The things I make give you a moment to yourself, and bring the attention back to the body. What I’m most proud of is the example I set for my children. Through my work I show them how important the love they cultivate for themselves is. I also show others that we don’t need to depend on the powers that be for everything. We can try to help our communities through our own unique experiences and knowledge.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Other than training/knowledge I think the ability to trust yourself and empathy are both helpful for succeeding in my field. It’s important to trust your intuition because sometimes you can just have an idea about herbs that may work together or for a specific ailment, they end up being successful. I think it’s also important to trust yourself and be confident in the work that I do because it shows others that what I do is beneficial. When you believe in yourself people are more likely to try your remedies and learn to trust themselves as well. Empathy is helpful because without it, it would be difficult to work with others and support them through their challenging moments. Also through our own suffering or struggling we know how that feels and it makes it easier to want to help others.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
My most effective strategy is being vulnerable and open about what works for me. By sharing my own stories and the stories of those before me it lets people know that I’m relatable and can easily empathize with others. I believe this really puts my desire to be of service to others on display. I also like to share recipes that are simple and effective for others to make and try for free. I think this empowers others to look for more from me to try and also to possibly do the same things for themselves and those they care about.
Contact Info:
- Website: snipfeed.co/stregarose
- Instagram: @strega_rose
- Other: https://flugelhorn-wisteria-lw28.squarespace.com