Student Mentorship​

Katolen’s student clinics are a jam-packed week that truly ignites and accelerates student learning. After each student clinic I felt that I gained 1000 more hours of experience! As a person and mentor, Katolen is extremely supportive as well as someone who can challenge you and hold you accountable to your desire to grow as a clinician. Katolen is extremely professional, and her communication is excellent. I highly recommend Katolen as a mentor and her student clinic experiences are one of a kind. You will be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable, professional, and supportive mentor to work with.

I am honored to write a testimonial on my experience mentoring with Katolen Yardley and her fabulous student clinic. Katolen is what every herbalist aspires to be. Katolen has the ability to meet students where they are at, whether that is a beginning plant walk at Van Dusen gardens (which is how I initially met Katolen) or an advanced student who is just about to graduate from a professional herbalist program. Katolen is able to tailor the learning to the student’s interests and push students to learn and grow as herbalists and clinicians. One of Katolen’s strengths is her vast knowledge and thirst for learning. Katolen continues to study and bring new and cutting-edge research and knowledge to her student clinic and mentees. Katolen has a collaborative and supportive approach and makes students feel welcomed even when in the awkward skill building phase. A couple of highlights from my time at student clinic was the emphasis on mastering physical examination skills which I believe really sets Katolen’s student clinic apart and the blend of client experience and formulating. Katolen is highly skilled at formulating and this is one of the areas that I was able to master while working under Katolen's guidance at student clinic. 

 I just want to say what a lovely experience it has been spending some online time with you - wish I could have attended a person-to-person training session. I always left with a feeling that questions that I had been carrying along for some time got answered. What I so much enjoyed, is the way that you get everybody involved, making it a lively, interacative and truly valuable learning experience. Much of what I have learnt from you will be applied in my clinic soon! Thank you so much.

Excellent instructor, very knowledgeable, personable, courteous with excellent people skills, she presented an excellent mini course on herbal medicine.

Katolen addressed the class with a type of eloquence not possessed by enough teachers. Helpful with questions and eager to provide information. Knew her knowledge of herbal medicine and clearly has a passion for herbal medicine, this is truly inspiring.

I have learned a so much in the past year and a half that I’ve spent apprenticing under Katolen, and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a safe and natural approach to health and healing, either as a patient or a student.

After being in the clinic with Katolen, I saw how the traditional approach of herbal tinctures and teas that she uses as the major form of administering herbal medicines, is truly the most effective method. The speed and rate of success with these forms proved great results with her clients, however mild or severe the condition. This gave me a lot of confidence as a newly graduated herbalist, in the powerful effect of healing with herbal medicines.

She provides a wealth of reading material to her clients in relation to their personal needs, in order to educate anyone who is interested and to allow them to be even more interactive and responsible in their own health care. She also has a gift at being able to answer questions in ways that patients can better understand, and in a timely fashion. Her approach with clients is always very compassionate and open- minded. She quickly gets to the root of the problem with careful observation and skill-full questioning.

Katolen Yardley has proven to be not only a successful herbalist, but also a fabulous teacher in many respects. What I have learned most with her, as an apprentice, is how to create personal formulas for each client to meet their individual needs, while treating all affected systems proportionately. I have also learned first hand how to continually update and follow up on each protocol as the health of the patient evolves.

The student clinic week was extremely beneficial to my learning journey as a Herbalist. I gained hands on experience in clinical examinations and how to properly conduct client consultations. Katolen is a great teacher; she encouraged us to expand on our already growing skill set and provided so much knowledge to all of our questions. I thoroughly enjoyed the week and meeting other Herbalists.

Katolen holds a space of clarity and open-mindedness for her students, making her clinic a great learning environment. She delivers information in a concise manner and is thorough in answering questions from students and clients. I had my first practicum experience there and she was gracefully patient and encouraging the whole time.