about waterdaughter

WaterDaughter is a multi-faceted project and business created by Sarah Adams in Western North Carolina. Sarah has been studying astrology, tarot, alchemy and medieval studies for 7+ years. Her interest in herbalism began in 2013, with a lot of self study with herb books. She formally began studying herbal medicine in 2022, her first course being Herbalism for Grief Support with Mara June of Motherwort & Rose. Sarah is on track to become a professional clinical herbalist with a focus in emotional support, mental health balance, stress management, chronic disease management, immune system support and maintenence, respiratory health, holistic nutrient supplementation, reproductive health, and digestive system balance.

Sarah received her certificate in Medicine Making from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine in 2024, which was earned by completing over 150 hours of education and training. She learned a wide range of uses and applications of herbal medicine as well as how to identify and forage native and invasive plants. She is also studying the Foraging Course with the Chestnut School as well. Her studies were slightly delayed after the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024. Many foraging sites were damaged or inaccessible, soil health was polluted and some areas are no longer a viable source of plants. As recovery efforts have pushed forward, so too has the recovery of nature. She’s finding new sites, but now relies on herb farms, farmers and gardeners (and only those with organic growing practices).

Sarah went on to complete another course in 2025, Botanical Constellations: Medical Astrology and Herbalism, with the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. Sarah is currently studying to gain another 200+ hours of Clinical Herbalism training and education with that school as well. She is also studying foraging in person Spring 2026 with the Wander School.


Sarah has BA in Fine Arts from UNCA (2015)

Herbalism Credentials and Certifications

Sarah answers questions about herbalism:

Have a question for Sarah? Fill out her contact form and she’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

  • Herbal medicine has transformed my personal health and the lives of the people I have worked with. Plant medicine is the original medicine- what the pharmaceutical companies originally drew inspiration from. It is my highest belief that healing from plants works. Further- as humans, generation by generation, our overall population has become more and more sick with new modern illnesses caused by the way we live. We as a species are overall more unhealthy and run down by the demands of capitalism and the gaps that modern medicine leaves. The answer to these problems are a complex web of solutions that extend far beyond simply using plants for medicinal purposes, but that is certainly an important piece.

  • Western Medicine is critically important, that is an undeniable truth. We will always need the benefits of that technology and science. For example, when I fractured my hand in a car accident, I absolutely needed ER care. However, if you ever been to a doctor or a hospital, it’s likely you experienced long wait times, huge medical expenses, and gaps in your care. My 4 hour ER visit totaled over $15k. If you’ve been to the doctor for fatigue, pain, or discomfort, you may have left without any answers or solutions to your main concerns. The rising costs of health care are unattainable to most people. We need more than the limitations of what current health care systems provide. And to be clear- these systems limit very capable medical providers from doing their jobs. they are also underpaid and overworked due to for-profit hospital models. My mistrust is not explicitly with doctors, but the way the whole system works. This is complex topic and this is only a morsel of my thoughts.

  • Great question- My mission is this: I feel compelled to use what I know to help as many people as I can. I am motivated to be educated and knowledgable to make that possible and safe. There is so much pain and suffering in this life, and there have been many times where plant medicine and herbalism help alleviate that suffering for so many individuals. For certain conditions, herbs are much more effective than over the counter drugs. Also, certain herbs can complement and improve the effectiveness of certain medications.

    On trust- Listening to people and taking their health seriosuly is how we build trust. That means knowing where my limitations are. That means that sometimes you need an antibiotic and not an herb. Overall, it means knowing when herbs can help and when they aren’t the best option for your treatment. Safety is paramount.
    Another part of that equation is following the treatment protocol. If you don’t use the herbs as directed, they may not work. A lot of folks write off herbs as ineffective but never really tried them the way they are supposed to be used. They never feel the intended effects or healing as a result. Trust and compliance are important to herbal medicine effectiveness.

    And please, ask questions!