About Ashley
Ashley Bissonnette-Murphy is a clinical herbalist and the founder of HW Apothicaire, located in Connecticut, USA. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and a professor of public health at Eastern Connecticut State University. Currently, she studies clinical herbalism with CommonWealth Holistic Herbalism (2021–present) and specializes in holistic women’s healthcare.
Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Medical Anthropology, a Master's in Public Health, and a Ph.D. in Humanities, focusing on Indigenous health and medicine. From 2007 to 2019, she served as a Senior Researcher, archaeologist, and community garden organizer at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center. Additionally, she is a contributing author to Drawdown: The Liberty Dilemma (New York University, 2016) and the editor and a contributing author of Historical Memory, Archaeology, and the Social Experience of Battlefields (Florida University Press, 2023). Her work examines the lasting impacts of colonial conflicts on Indigenous medicine and intergenerational trauma.
Her insights and expertise have been recognized in various publications, including The International Witches Magazine, Witch Way Magazine, the CommonWealth Herbs Podcast, the Brave Daughters of Providence, VisualMag, and the Boston Women's Market. Ashley’s contributions are significantly shaping the landscape of holistic health practices, facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of their implementation and efficacy in contemporary settings.
Education & Experience
CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism 2021-present
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Community & Clinical Herbalism
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center 2007-2019
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Senior Researcher. Indigenous medicine; ethnobotany; community gardening
Certified Health Education Specialist 2022
Salve Regina University 2014-2016
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Ph.D. Ethnomedicine; food sovereignty; intergenerational trauma; retrospective epidemiology
Eastern Connecticut State University 2013-present
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Professor of Public Health; Indigenous healthcare; alternative medicine; health policy; public health
Southern Connecticut State University 2009-2012
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MPH. Public health; dietary supplement regulation; advocacy
HW Tenets of Herbalism
Herbal remedies are effective – and life-changing when done alongside holistic health strategies. Herbalism is the art and science of using plants to care for our mind, body, and soul. Herbal remedies are made for people, not diseases. Herbs provide the support needed for one's body to heal itself.
An herbalist carefully crafts an herbal plan of what, how, and when to use herbal remedies suited for the unique person. The potency of plants is fully realized if matched to the person and used correctly.
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Medicinal plants are not for diseases or conditions – they are for people;
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I do not diagnose or treat disease – nor do I need to. I work with you to address your symptoms and come up with a plan that supports your body to do the healing work;
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Herbalism is not a "hit-and-miss" or "pop-the-pill" boilerplate approach like we see in conventional medicine or even mainstream herbal marketing campaigns. HW Herbal plans are tailored to each individual's uniqueness and include lifestyle intervention to address root causes of illness;
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Herbalism has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, people around the world turn to herbal remedies as cost-effective and safe alternatives to over-the-counter medications.