The Traditions Family
Bob Linde, AP, RH(AHG)
School Founder, Clinical Supervisor
Bob Linde took a circuitous route to becoming a Registered Herbalist and Acupuncture Physician.
His career changed many times. Bob has been a commercial lobster and conch diver, treasure hunter, sail and canoe instructor, wilderness youth counselor, long-line fisherman, infantryman in Desert Storm, and GreenPeace worker. Now, he is focused as the owner of Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies, a multi-practitioner/multimodality practice in St. Petersburg Florida, and the Founder and Clinical Supervisor of Traditions School of Herbal Studies.
Bob designed the two-year Chinese and Western Clinical Herbalist Training Programs and supervises a weekly student clinic for both herbalists and acupuncturists in training.
Bob also consults as a product developer for herbal product companies for humans and animals, and enjoys growing many medicinal herbs in his yard.
He serves on the board of directors for the Florida State Oriental Medicine Association (FSOMA). Bob has presented at the FSOMA, Florida Herbal, FL Earth Skills, Good Medicine Confluence, and the American Herbalist Guild conferences.
Bob lectures regularly at colleges and organizations around the US. In addition he is a member of many organizations related to herbalism, alternative medicine, and nature conservation.
Bob has also been an avid traveler and travel writer. He has lived in Europe and traveled to the Amazon, Galapagos, Yukon Territory, Caribbean, and throughout the US.
Recently, Bob has completed 12 episodes for INTI TV, “Sanaciones con Bob Linde”, an exploration of indigenous people’s herbal practices. Also, he has appeared on Animal Planet and a number of other tv shows.
Ruth Glass, MA
Clinical Chinese and Western Herbalist, Traditions Instructor, Clinical Supervisor
Ruth Glass is a clinical and folk herbalist and also an instructor for Traditions School of Herbal Studies.
Ruth holds two degrees in education and she is a graduate of the Traditions School of Herbal Studies. She completed the Chinese Herbal Program and the Western Herbal Program. She fills in as a supervisor for the Western student clinic.
Ruth specializes in teaching herbal medica, herbal medicine making, and herbal first aid as well as bioregional herbalism. Ruth is currently the president of the local chapter of the American Herbalists Guild and is the chapter coordinator of all the American Herbalists Guild chapters.
She offers children’s and elder nature programs as well as herbal creative writing integrating herbalism, writing, and music.
She can be found seeing clients at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies, volunteering with various organizations, handcrafting various herbal and art projects, or hiking the trails around Tampa Bay!
Tricia Streit Perez, MS, CPT
School Director, Clinical Western Herbalist, Traditions Instructor
Tricia is the Director of Traditions School of Herbal Studies, where she has designed and teaches the Anatomy for the Herbalist Class Series and the Physical Assessment for the Herbalist and Acupuncture Intensive. You can also find her helping to teach other classes in the Western Herbalism program when she has the time. In the past, Tricia has taught at Temple University, Florida State University, and Florida International University. Prior to joining the Traditions Family in December of 2020, she taught Anatomy and Health Sciences for the Pinellas County School District.
Tricia completed her Clinical Western Herbalism Certification here at Traditions School of Herbal Studies. She is a Clinical Western Herbalist, Certified Flower Essences Practitioner, Certified Wellness Coach, an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness Specialist, and a licensed teacher.
In her former life, Tricia had a busy career in Sports Medicine. She spent over a decade of her career traveling with and providing medical care for various college sports teams. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Medicine, a Masters Degree in Sports Management/Physical Education, and has completed a year of post-Baccalaureate studies in Biomedical Sciences.
While guiding herself into remission from autoimmune disease through focused changes to her lifestyle, Tricia developed some life-changing herbal products that have supported the healing of herself and her loved ones. From this, Mama’s Essentials was born, where she makes small batch organic herbal products and sees Herbal and Wellness Coaching Clients in her private practice. You can also book an appointment with Tricia directly here!
Tricia really enjoys focusing on educating her clients to be able to make life-long lifestyle changes. Her goal is to empower you to know and love your body, so you can give it what it needs to maximize your own health.
Alissa Perrigo RN, HTP, AHN-BC
Clinical Western Herbalist, Community Class Instructor
Alissa completed her herbal training here at Traditions School of Herbal Studies.
She is a Board Certified Advanced Holistic Nurse with a Master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University. Alissa is also a Clinical Western Herbalist, and Certified Flower Essence Practitioner.
Alissa believes that keeping the body in balance is the key to living a healthier and more vibrant life.
When Alissa visits with clients she centers her work on formulated herbal teas, tinctures, flower essences, recommended adjustments to diets, as well as applied energy balancing and spiritual cleansing. You can find her and book an appointment with her at Acu Herbals.
Alissa also teaches the Flower Essence Community Class Series.
Gray Dean
Ayurveda Community Class Instructor, Chinese Herbalism Student
“My initial love of plants was sparked by countless walks in my Grandma’s garden and through wandering the woods of northeast Georgia as a child.
I completed a 2 year program and clinical practicum at the Florida Academy of Ayurveda, I enjoy sharing my knowledge & the beautiful tools of this ancient Indian medicine through my class offerings at Traditions School of Herbal Studies & by offering one-on-one consultations.
I am currently enrolled in the Chinese Herbalism program at Traditions and am enjoying blending the powerful tools of Ayurveda, Western Herbalism & Traditional Chinese Medicine to impact change in my clients’ lives.”
Gray teaches the Ayurvedic series at Traditions once a month!
To book a service with Gray, and explore more of her offerings check out her website here!
Mike Leonard
Garden Manager
“My name is Michael Leonard. I am the garden manager at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies. Five time self awarded winner of The Gardener of the Month title, I am a dedicated plantsman with skills that include, but are not limited to, watering the garden just before the plants die of thirst, picking endless amounts of renegade volunteers that find their way into beds and pots they don’t belong in, capturing juvenile seedlings as they try to escape the confines of their parents nursery and selling their bodies for profit, lifting heavy objects in and out of vehicles, and many more important activities deemed necessary by my superiors. I am a lover of the arts, music, cycling and my family. If you’re lucky enough to see me around, please don’t hesitate to stop and say hello!”
Angeline Padron
Acu Herbals Office Manager, Clinical Western Herbalist, Chinese Herbalism Student
Angeline Padron is the Office Manager at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies. She is a graduate of the Clinical Western Herbalism Program as well as a current student in the Clinical Chinese Herbalism Program.
Her true love and passions are working with four-legged friends at the clinic, herbal medicine making, and practicing plant magic.
On her own time, you will find her out in nature, near the ocean reading books, or walking in the woods; most likely identifying and taking photographs of our native plants.
Christie Rainbeau
Education Assistant for Traditions School of Herbal Studies
Christie Rainbeau is the Education Assistant for Traditions School of Herbal Studies. She is a retired high school science teacher who taught mostly Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry for over 25 years in Hillsborough County Public Schools. In the midst of a midlife crisis, she decided to go back to school at her alma mater, USF, and pursue a Masters in Social Work. She has always had an interest in alternative medicine but did not have the confidence to pursue it until.....she got an awesome job at Traditions Herbal School! Now she is a student in the Chinese Herbalism program, with the hope that she can combine her budding counseling skills with herbalism. She enjoys napping, karaoke and anything unhealthy.
Salua Rivero
Apothecary Manager at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies
Salua is an herbalist, ceremonialist, menstrual health educator, and cyclical lifestyle advocate. She graduated with her Bachelors in Environmental Studies with a focus on ethnobotany from New College of Florida.
Before working at Traditions, she was working at a plant nursery selling and installing native plants throughout the Tampa Bay area. She has been gardening, farming, and landscaping for the last few years and loves to be outside growing food and herbs that she can make delicious healthy food or medicine with.
She loves anything that has to do with nature, such as camping, going on walks, going to the beach and gardening.
She is passionate about building relationships with the Earth and its cycles, ancestral healing, connecting with plant/nature spirits, and incorporating ceremony and ritual into everyday life. She hosts red tent circles, women's circles, educational workshops on herbs and womb healing, and facilitates cacao and other plant medicine connections. Her intention is to invite people to return to a more cyclical lifestyle through relationship with nature, people and their bodies alike.
She desires to have her own practice focusing primarily on womb health, pregnancy, and menstrual health to help women and people with wombs return to the magical powers of the womb and the Earth.
If you would like to join her monthly red tent circles, join future womb healing related classes or stay in touch in anyway you can follow her on instagram:
:: Salua :: (@serpentinesalua) •Instagram photos and videos .
Emily Sedwick
Apothecary Assistant at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies
My name is Emily Sedwick and I am the Apothecary Assistant at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies! I am a Florida native; I spent my childhood in Orlando and have moved throughout Florida since. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing with a minor in Psychology from Elon University in North Carolina. After graduating mid-pandemic in 2020, I moved to Gainesville, Florida where I worked with children with Autism as a Registered Behavioral Therapist. I also have experience working with people in recovery for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders as a case manager. My experience in the healthcare field solidified my passion for counseling and helping others. I moved to Clearwater in 2022 to begin my Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Nova Southeastern University.
I discovered my passion for herbal medicine like many other people do- by wanting to take charge of my health and heal myself! I struggled with migraines and UTI's for many years, and found little help from "traditional" Western doctors. After many rounds of antibiotics and no luck solving the root of my issues, I turned to acupuncture. I fell in love with the practice and saw a significant decrease in my symptoms with the added help of herbs. I have also struggled with anxiety and depression for much of my young life, and found that healing my physical body has allowed me to start healing my mind as well. My interest in acupuncture and herbalism turned into a full blown calling when I found the Traditions community and started taking community classes and attending full moon drum circles.
In my free time I love to ride my bike, rollerblade, listen to live music, go to the beach, read fantasy books, garden, spend time with my family/friends, and love on my 2 kitties.
After completing my Master's and becoming a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, I plan to turn my studies to herbalism and complete the Advanced Western and Chinese programs at Traditions so that I can treat my future clients holistically. I am also interested in completing a program in acupuncture in the future. I believe that knowledge is the greatest form of riches and see myself as a forever student. I am so grateful to have a job where I am surrounded by beautiful plants and beautiful people!
Alicia Kais
Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies Office Assistant
Western Herbalism Student
Alicia Kais is the Office Manager Assistant at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies. She is currently studying in the Western Herbalism program at Traditions. She grew up with her hands in the dirt in Waukesha, Wisconsin until the ocean waves and warmth called her south. She has been here for fourteen years now and has the niche for becoming a canine herbalist. She has a background in pet nutrition and is passionate about uniting plants and dogs for a better quality of life for them and their owners. She is dedicated to growing and guiding herself down a path of full learning, sharing, and healing.
Gianna Fiola(Gee)
Western Herbalism Student, Web Designer/ Web Manager
Gianna designed and manages this beautiful website! She is currently studying in the Advanced Western Herbalism program at Traditions. She is currently seeing clients at the Tuesday Student Clinic at Acupuncture and Herbal Therapies!
Gee is the creatrix of Gaia Compassion Collective, her own business officially since 2020; combining her great passion for working with the wisdom of Earth, and all of her other skills.
Gee’s core mission in life is tending to Mother Earth's needs, and humans needs through the modality of herbal medicine, all while incorporating a deep gratitude and reciprocity for Earth’s wisdom. Her other manifesto is to continuing to learn from momma Gaia every day.
Gee incorporates environmentally sustainable packaging for all of her products, composts her discarded materials, and sources local and sustainable ingredients to create her offerings.
Recently launched, Earth Wisdom Bontanica Gee has been crafting away at her herbal creations. Her most popular and passion project is “Girl Bluntz” pre-rolled botanical sacred smokes! Check her out on Instagram, or her Website! She loves to capture beautiful photos of her journey, especially on her days off where she is likely found in the woods, hanging out with her dog Daisy, cooking, medicine making, or probably at a kava bar studying!