Amina Baker, a licensed clinical herbalist with 10 years’ experience, began her journey as a healer years ago, when she took it upon herself to treat her daughter’s ulcerative colitis. Now her daughter leads a normal life without the use of pharmaceuticals.  

“I went from being an English major to taking a small course in Manhattan to taking a three-year program with David Winston, of David Winston’s Herbal Studies. It changed my whole outlook on life,” Baker says. “I learned how to divide our bodies into organ categories and discover the best herbs for each organ. I learned that each illness could be tackled by a combination of herbs. I learned how to put them together to get the proper remedy, and how to anticipate any side effects. Now I try to do the same with my clients, by looking into their lives, diets and daily habits.”

She offers appointments over Zoom or in person in her Yonkers office, beginning with an hour-long consult to understand the root cause of the client’s condition and to explore the available answers. Baker is also a student of homeopathy, so she recently started incorporating one or two homeopathic remedies to enhance her healing treatments.

“During pandemic season, I used many herbs to combat coughs and flu-like symptoms, and I formulated teas that would ease its manifestations,” she says. “Many of my clients wanted an easier way to deliver herbs into their life, and so I formulated my first two products, and my herbal shop was born.”

Her goal is to help those whose suffering hasn’t been relieved by mainstream doctors. 

“While I can’t promise cures of any kind, I can provide hope, choices, knowledge and information based on thousands of years of herbal teaching. I’ve spent years working with these herbs and plants. I’ve perfected them on myself, my family and friends, and those I’ve met in passing. Each took countless trials and errors. But at the end of the day, it was all worth it.”