Complaint Review: Susun Weed - Saugerties New York

Dear Justine,

I recently attended a workshop at the Wise Woman Center and I left feeling very confused and shell-shocked.

I decided to do some research and came across this article and it explained much of the behavior I witnessed. 

susunweed.com/anger.htm

Is there a reason that the one-time workshop students are not warned and educated regarding the intense behavior they will be included in and the interns are?

A simple link to this article would have saved me much grief. I would have still attended the workshop, but with an educated view of the situation.  Upon payment we are given some rules, which I followed respectfully, why not include the article? (And a complete list of rules, no outside drinks, don't step on the garden bed...)

Thanks.

I have filed a report about my experience as a Shmanic Herbal Apprentice with Susun Weed. I think it would be of interest to those reading your report.

ripoffreport.com/reports/susun-weed/saugretes-new-york/susun-weed-herbalist-saugreties-new-york-1377913

This message is in response to the post by "the real green witch". Sorry for the delay in response, just saw the post now..

Who would know Susun better than her daughter? i am almost 50 years old and i have lived with her "condition" since i can remember, she was dignosed as a small child and my grandmother if she were alive might be a better person to explain that Susun's behaviour is directly attributed to her Asperger's condition which the doctors threw their hands up and said could not be treated...I can say by observation it is what makes her both brilliant and terrible.. to quote a popular nursery rhyme, little miss mufffit sat on her tuffit eating her curds and whey, when she was good she was very very good but when she was bad she was terrible...that too can be said of my mother Susun - she helps so many people, has so much good to share, and many many students are grateful for her teachings, and some feel her wrath and are completely put off...i personally stay away from her when she is teaching because i never know what to expect.,...Asperger's also is passed down, and I see autistic traits in my daugher who now homeschools because she was punished so frequently in school for not following the rules and for not respecting authority (she is much happeir at home), and while i have a successful career and many public testimonials to prove my ability to interact successfully with the public, i also feel some autistic traits which i have worked through my life to minimize through cognitive behavioral therapy and endless self help books on anger management and stress management....

I have to say that I do not agree with your assertation that all people with Asperger's Syndrome are highly loving...

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp_asperger.aspx Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a developmental disability characterized by a lack of social skills; a limited ability to have a reciprocal conversation; and restrictive or repetitive patterns of behavior that can include rituals, routines, and an intense interest in a single subject.  AS is not an emotional disturbance, it is not caused by bad parenting (researchers believe that biological and genetic factors are involved), and it is often considered to be on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum... Their rigidity is often exhibited as an insistence on a specific order of events, a compulsion to complete what was started, an insistence on rules, a difficulty with transitions, or a fear that is based on a single experience. They do not seem to recognize that there are times when rules can be renegotiated, bent, or broken. Because they may have difficulty predicting the future, insisting that things happen in a certain order can be comforting to them... with AS also display problems in social behavior that reflect their difficulties with nonverbal communication. For example, they may have limited facial expressions, awkward body language, or a peculiar eye gaze. Because they have difficulty interpreting and reading the body language of others, they may violate rules of personal space and stand too close to others...

• Individuals with AS generally do not choose to have meltdowns and be noncompliant. Their development of the skills that are necessary to be flexible and tolerate frustration may be delayed in these individuals.

• Attwood (2003) describes AS as the “pursuit of knowledge, truth, and perfection." For individuals with AS, the expression of truth is more important than feelings. Further, Attwood states that these individuals often have “a one-track mind, but are the last to know they are on the wrong track."

• Individuals with AS often exhibit communication difficulties in the areas of pragmatics, which includes difficulty with requesting; criticizing; asking; discussing opinions; speculating; negotiating; understanding others; and expressing complex thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aspergers-not-likely-to-make-people-violent-experts-emphasize/

"..We do know that people with Asperger's have a lower threshold for handling frustrations, but there's no research connecting premeditated acts or plans of violence." It's important to emphasize that their anger makes them more frustrated, but not more likely to commit crimes, Bell added....

there are many articles online discussing anger outbursts from those suffering from and born with a disorder labled Asperger's Syndrome. 

http://www.aspergerrus.com/calming-the-anger.html "...As an Aspergers individual, someone that already perceives and has different perceptions in life, they may not be able to express the growing frustration inside of them. The angry emotion may suddenly burst forth unexpected to those around them..."

You say that those with Asperger's Syndrome have been relabled as having Autism Spectrum Disorder, while that may be true that lumping together is often contested by those who realized that there are large differences beween general Austim and Asperger's ... again from http://www.aspergerrus.com/calming-the-anger.html

"...Asperger and autism should not be treated as the same disorder and do deserve separate diagnoses. I have heard that some psychiatrists, who believe Asperger and autism are the same, more or less boycott the current diagnostic criteria and simply give everyone "autism". This is bad because it makes research into the possible differences a priori impossible. It would be better to revise the Asperger criteria and make them more different from those for Autistic Disorder, for instance by including the less popular negative features that are missing from the current image of Asperger, but have been observed by Hans Asperger in his original study and are known from forensic psychiatry. These include motor clumsiness, insensitivity to another's feelings, destructiveness, aggression, endlessly bottled-up anger, violent outbursts, and grim sadism. Some of these set Asperger apart from classical autism, and failing to include them in the criteria makes it appear as if Asperger and autism are really the same. In addition and on the positive side, children with Asperger tend to have an unusual and rich fantasy life, while autistic children on the other hand are observed to be lacking in imagination.

http://www.theneurotypical.com/living_with_asperger.html

The danger of conflict also needs to be recognised. Anger, threats of violence and litigious complaints are features of the behaviour of some people with the syndrome. Intimidation ... is a real possibility. ... clear and consistent messages need to be given that this behaviour is not acceptable

WHAT IS ASPERGER'S? 

The condition was first described by Hans Asperger in 1943.

* There is a strong genetic link.

* It affects one in 250 people.

* It is an autistic spectrum disorder.

* The key diagnostic features are social relationships, communication and imagination.

* Special interests are often pursued obsessively.

* There is no cure. It can be managed through recognition, support, medication and structured counselling.

Poor, poor Justine, I feel very sorry for you and understand completely why you would defend Susan since she is your mother, however that makes the case for a very clear conflict of interest. I attended the workshop that the original poster was speaking about. First of all, a little about me, I have raised a child with Asperger's Syndrome now called Autism Spectrum Disorder and have had many experiences with people afflicted, all whom are very loving and highly intelligent individuals. Please do not use ASD as an excuse for Susan's unwarranted and unprofessional behavior, it's insulting to the people who really have been diagnosed. To say that Susan's horrid behavior is due to Asperger's is total b*******! Susan Swede's behavior is unacceptable as well as unavoidable especially to paying customers. I am a certified herbalist and took the class for fun, what a mistake - NOT FUN! To try to sift through the misinformation she spouts would be a daunting task to say the least. "Rip off" would be accurate definition as to how you will feel after paying to attend a Susan "Weed" class. I'm not saying don't do it, if you like to see "crazy" in action then this is the place for you and you may find her highly entertaining. However, Justine, as well spoken as you are, and I do appreciate how you handled this, people should be WARNED BEFORE PAYING this woman for a class, workshop, or whatever that while merely being in her presence you will be subjected to serious mental abuse, if not directly then you will at least witness others being abused, demeaned, criticised, and attacked by Susan who clearly is a rage-aholic and is in serious need of professional mental help.

Justine, your mother needs to have a disclaimer about her awful behavior to warn people what they will be in for when attending a class and then I'm totally fine with it. If you like being in abusive situations then you will surely get your money's worth at the (un)wise woman's center with Susan Swede. The saddest part of Susan's atrocious personality is that some may take her class and naively think this is just normal herbalist behavior, others may just be turned off to herbalism al together after experiencing this nightmare of a person. The reason this is honestly a "rip off" is because along with unprovoked abusive outbursts, her teachings are laced with misinformation. This is a first hand account of what went down from another herbalists perspective, bare that in mind. And please Justine, DO NOT dare blame it on Autism or an Autism Spectrum Disorder, that's just pathetic, disgusting, and wrong -- much like "Susun" herself. If you want to learn herbalism save your money, fly to Asheville, NC and attend The Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism, where I learned in a loving and informative environment -- money well spent and you will never be berated and demeaned and attacked for any reason, especially for just asking simple questions. Attending a SUSUN WEED workshop, class, or gathering will be truly be a "Rip Off" -- consider yourself warned and waste your money with the fore knowledge going in but honestly DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY OR YOUR TIME, neither of which you will get back. "Enter at your own risk" should be a sign on the road before turning into the drive way. Oh and don't drive on the weeds that are growing in the driveway that you have to drive on and park!!! If that sentence doesn't make sense to you neither will Susun Weed! LOL! Thank you and Good luck!!! :)

Hello and thank you for sharing your personal experience while recently at the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock NY.  I am Justine, Susun's 47 year old daughter, I manage her virtual operations so i am here to respond to your complaints and observations. Susun has been teaching herbal medicine classes from her home for the past 40 years, since i was a small child. While i do not attend the classes regularly now, because i own and operate an Inn and am taking care of my guests on the weekend, i have certainly attended a great many of Susun's workshops, particularly to video tape parts of the workshop, there are more than 100 videos at YouTube for anyone to enjoy and learn. So, while i am her daughter, i am also able to respond with insight and truth having been witness to my mother through her professional career and personal life.

First things first, one thing that many do not know is that Susun is a highly functional autistic, that means she functions in her daily life, but that she often appears different than most people. Susun does no conceal her emotions so she is apt to laugh too loudly or  raise her voice when distressed. There are certain things that trigger distress for Susun, of them are included the coming and going of guests at the Wise Woman Center, in particular as it pertains to cars coming in and leaving the property..over the decades Susun has routinely expressed distress when people arrive too early or too late for a workshop, or if they park their car or drive on plants, if people come to WWC with glass bottles, dogs, or arrive unannounced....

Luckily, her upset blows over very quickly and she gets to the business of sharing her wisdom with those who have come to be with her. Unfortunately, that short period of intense upset is enough to leave a very bad impression with many who come to the WWC for the first time...some will leave at the first chance, or they will stay but not speak up abotu their feelings, some write an email after they are back in the safety of their home...many understand Susun and come back again and again to share in the wisdom that Susun has to offer...

Sadly, as a highly functional autistic, Susun is actually unaware when people are experiencing distress, she does not have the capacity to read faces and modify her behaviour based on the responses she is receiving. To make matters worse, society teaches us to not share how we feel, so those most offended by Susun are the least likely to tell  her to her face in the moment how they are feeling, which could help to change how Susun is acting in the moment...

You have a few different issues here that you are upset about, 1, being a witch, 2. being wise, 3. not listening, 4. rudeness, 5. unintelligible, 6. waste of money and time. I will do best to respond to each of your concerns.

Not sure why being a witch should be a problem, and are we not all hoping to be wise?....not sure why her being a wise witch is a problem for you....

For those of you reading this and find yourself interested in what being a witch means to Susun, you might find this interview interesting... an excerpt "A witch is a woman who knows that her spirituality is her life and that her life is an art. As a green witch my art is the wise use of the green. All of my publicity and my website are open about my being a witch." Susun Weed

and here is another interview with Susun on being a Green Witch...an excerpt from the interviewer " You are among one of favorite and most respected Herbalists, Healers, and Wise Women!" Roxanne P.

and yet another interview on the topic of Susun being a witch, excerpt: ...proposed that we would be very vocal about being witches and that we would use this political slogan--"witches heal"--and really put that out there. Of course, the response I got back from people was "Are you a white witch or a black witch?" And I said, [looking at her skin] "This time it looks white, but is that really what you mean?" They would say, "Oh no, that's not really... Really what I mean is, are you a good witch or a bad witch?" And I'd say, "Since when is good white and bad black? Isn't that the kind of racism that is screwing up our world and our relationships with each other?" To posit that black is bad, how are we going to see a black person and not immediately decide they are bad? Our culture feeds into that. We are all fed white supremacy. Even if we say, "I don't have any prejudice," we live, breathe, eat, and sleep white supremacy, and a lot of it is done in non-obvious ways." Susun Weed

Yes, Susun can be perceived as being rude based on mainstream societal standars, have covered why above in the paragraphs about Autism..., she can not listen very well i would agree, however, mostly as a teacher she is there to deliver rather than receive.......but it is impossible for me to imagine that Susun woudl ever be unintelligible, she is articulate and speaks to large and small groups of people on a regular basis for decades.  As for being a waste of time and money, that is a personal opinion, and so if that was your experience, i can not contest that. Quite often i embark on something that i feel will be valuable only to find out later i had wasted my time and money, sometimes because i feel the situation was not as advertised, but more often because i was not really ready to receive that which i sought....i can then waste my own time and money....in the end this is a subjective statement, and each person who decides to come to study with Susun will have to make their own determination if they are wasting time and money, if Susun is rude or living in the moment, if she is really wise or just a faker.....

Join Susun virtually every Tuesday evening on Blogtalkradio for her two hour Q&A radio show, come with your health questions - but beware, her answers are likely to shock, and even offend at times....come and see for yourself what Susun Weed is made of.....faint hearted beware...but dont visit her in person if you are easily offended....if you can oversee her shortcomings, studying in person with Susun can be transformational...

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

in a nutshell, i can say my mother is far from perfect, but she does more good than harm, and for those who do receive benefit, we are grateful for the Wise Woman Wisdom that Susun shares with us all.....

with love, Justine

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