The Healing Power of Herbalism: How It Changed Cayce Wheaton's Mental Health & Business

Cayce-Wheaton-SWIHA-blog

“My life before SWIHA was…. A LOT of daily crippling anxiety and waves of depression. Not to sound dramatic, because that’s really how it was. During COVID salons shut down, so I couldn’t do hair which had been my main source of income for the 6 years prior. I started making soaps and learning about essential oils I could include for depression and anxiety. This led me to research what else plants could do for my mental health.”

SWIHA Great Graduate, Cayce Wheaton, started her journey of working with plants when she found herself in a difficult situation with her mental health. Having experienced such a positive outcome when working with plants, the door to curiosity was opened for Cayce - which landed her at SWIHA, enrolling in the Western Herbalism Program. Cayce shares, “I stopped drinking alcohol and caffeine and switched them out for herbal teas. This brought so much relief to my mental health, shortly afterward I discovered the Western Herbalism program at SWIHA and almost immediately enrolled. I am EXTREMELY passionate about this modality because it completely changed my life and gave me control over my mental health which I had struggled with my whole life. Now, I’m a practicing clinical herbalist building my client base and helping people heal. I feel more fulfilled than I ever have.”

Already having an established career as a Hairstylist, Cayce was pursuing an education in herbalism out of true passion and sincerity. During her time at SWIHA, Cayce was soaking up every moment of it! Cayce even claims, “Not to sound silly.. every moment of every class at SWIHA was a defining moment for me. I soaked up all the information like a sponge and loved every minute of it. That’s how I knew I was on the right path. Graduating with a 3.8 also was a defining moment. I hadn’t ever been a great student in high school or college, I’d skate by with Cs. So it meant a lot to me that I did so well in the program, it made me feel like I was where I was meant to be.”

Another stand-out moment for Cayce when she was in her program, was when she actually had a chance to use what she was learning and apply it to help someone else!

“There was one time when I formulated and compounded a tincture for one of my SWIHA Instructors because she had a ticklish cough that wouldn’t go away for weeks. This was the first time I had done this since being in the herbalism program and when she said it ACTUALLY worked for her and stopped her cough I remember feeling so validated and happy I could help. It proved that these herbs can help heal someone other than me” asserts Cayce. Having this experience really showed her that she was in the right place and that this holistic modality could change her life as well as the lives of others.

To say that life for Cayce has changed since completing her program is an understatement! Cayce sees herself as a completely different person! Cayce elaborates, “I had started to change and better myself before I found SWIHA however SWIHA helped give me tools to continue to facilitate that growth. I eat better, I take care of myself better, I’m not drinking alcohol every single night of my life, and continuing to make choices to better myself because now that my anxiety and depression are under control, I feel like I have the energy and knowledge to do so.”

Having completed the Western Herbalism program, Cayce is still working as a Hairdresser and renting her own salon suite. However, Cayce has been able to incorporate what she learned from SWIHA and now also offers Herbal Consultations, serves herbal tea, and sells her very own handmade herbal bath and body line of products! Cayce’s business is called Desert Moon Apothecary & Salon. Cayce explains, “I offer hair services like color, cut, and styles as well as custom herbalism consultations. I then formulate and compound custom herbal tinctures for my clients and help them progress toward their health goals. I also make herbal lotions, scrubs, bath salts, bath bombs and soaps. I’m not sure how I powerfully impact clients, however, I feel like my own personal mental health struggles help my clients deal with similar things and feel heard and understood.”

“SWIHA taught me to believe in myself in a way I never had before. I really proved to myself that I was capable of so much more than I had originally thought. Working from 10 am-5 pm and going to school Monday through Friday 6-11 pm while also completing an externship for 15 months was a huge transformative challenge I’ll never forget.”