Naturopathica was born on a farm, and so was our founder Barbara Close. Growing up on 500 acres in rural Virginia, Barbara developed a passion and respect for the natural world.

Barbara was first introduced to holistic healing through trips with her aunt, the American expatriot and society maverick Eleanor Post, whose craving for adventure and deep love of art in many forms were soon passed on to her niece. Eleanor believed that true beauty was an expression of living an authentic, healthy, and vibrant life. In the summers, she encouraged a teenage Barbara to immerse herself in the healing rituals of nature visiting mineral baths and thermal spas. “Back then, it was called ‘taking the waters,’” Barbara explains, and included hot springs soaks followed by herbal wraps and steaming cups of linden tea. Eleanor would also take Barbara to herbal apothecaries across Europe, where tinctures, essential oils, and balms were prized for their natural healing properties.“I didn’t know it then, but I was learning the basics of naturopathic healing from the ground up.

”That education became even more crucial to Barbara when her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. “I was awakened to the healing potential of lemon-balm tea to ease her anxiety, homemade calendula salve to help with radiation burns and dry skin, and aromatherapy massages to soothe pain. That’s when sharing the power and effectiveness of traditional healing arts really became my life’s work.”