We were lucky to catch up with Allie Armstrong recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Allie, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
I’ve been highly sensitive since I was a child. I could feel other people’s emotions as if they were my own, and could quickly pick up on what was going on with the person I was with, or easily tune into the energy of a group dynamic. But at the time, I didn’t have language for any of this, and I didn’t know what to do with this sensitivity. It wasn’t until I developed an illness in my late teens which initiated my healing journey that I began to realize that my sensitivity to others’ emotions and strong empathic ability could be used to help other people feel seen and heard. The illness has given me much more empathy and compassion for the trials and tribulations that people face every day dealing with chronic illness, and it has allowed me to support the clients I work with on a much deeper level than would have otherwise been possible.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As an herbalist and functional medicine health coach, I work with individuals and groups to facilitate reconnection with the earth and with our own bodies. Using herbal medicine, nutrition and lifestyle coaching, and intuitive guidance, I assist clients in discovering the root causes of their dis-ease, and support them in bringing mind, body, and spirit into harmony and balance.
I’ve always had a connection with the plants and an innate pull towards the healing arts, but it wasn’t until I found myself on an eight year journey with chronic illness that I knew I wanted to support people on their own healing journeys. When I first got sick, I initially turned to the allopathic medical world to try to figure out what was causing my symptoms. It’s all I knew at the time. When I received no answers or help from the conventional system, I took it into my own hands and began researching various nutritional protocols, supplements, herbs, and eventually found my way to incredible holistic practitioners to help me along my way, including an acupuncturist, herbalist, lymphatic drainage practitioner, osteopath, shamanic practitioner, and intuitive. Through the lengthy process of rebalancing my system and clearing tick-borne illnesses and mold toxicity, I became more and more passionate about the healing path and supporting others to live in a state of vibrant health and vitality. Because of my personal experience, I can easily relate to clients who are in the throws of overwhelm, pain, and frustration as they travel with illness, and I can walk the path with them to compassionately shine light on areas that need illumination. I now see my illness as having been one of my greatest teachers in life, and I use what I’ve learned on my journey to help others.
The medicinal plants have been my teachers as well. I am in constant relationship with them, and they guide me on a daily basis. As an herbalist, while I love working one on one with clients, I get so excited to be a bridge between the plants and people through teaching classes. I offer herbal workshops such as elderberry syrup making workshops and plant walks, as well as longer series classes and group apprenticeships in coastal Maine. I am currently teaching a 6 month in person class called Plant Allies & Practices to Nourish the Nervous System.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities that stand out to me and that have helped me the most on my personal journey of healing and stepping onto my path as a practitioner are curiosity, perseverance, and trust. I’m always curious about the world around me, the people I meet, and I want to learn from whatever teachers present themselves whether these are human teachers, plants and the natural world, or hardships such as illness. Perseverance has helped me to get through some really difficult times that felt never ending, and then there’s trust. To trust in the process of life can sometimes feel like the hardest thing to do during a challenging time, but to have an underlying sense of trust despite challenges feels extremely impactful. Trust that everything is happening for a reason, and that you are always on your path. Trust allows for a sense of safety and comfort no matter the situation.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
In the holistic health community, it is often said that practitioners attract clients who are dealing with challenges that the practitioner has personally experienced. So that said, I tend to work with clients who are not receiving the help they need from the mainstream medical system, and are ready to dive deep within themselves to uncover the root causes of their dis-ease and find healing and ease using holistic modalities. I work with a lot of clients navigating chronic digestive issues, insomnia and nervous system dysregulation, environmental illnesses including tick-borne illness and mold toxicity, and “mystery symptoms.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alliearmstrongwellness.com
- Instagram: @alliearmstrongwellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliearmstrongwellness
