My Story
My name is Nana Tomova, and I am the founder of the Story Apothecary. I'm a traditional oral storyteller based in the Highlands of Scotland and I'm originally from Bulgaria. My stories weave together elements of nature-regenerative folklore, rewilding and women's voices.
Stories are filled with wisdom passed through countless generations. Stories are not just entertainment, they are soul work. In some cultures the shaman who could walk between the worlds, and the storyteller were one and the same.
With over a decade of experience in mental health, I have walked alongside people in their darkest moments. A real privilege. The land which held me as I breathed my first breath has a long tradition of wise women who told stories and healed with herbs and magic. It is this bridge of new knowledge and old healing that I walk. This is what I bring in my work as a Story Apothecary.
If you would like to work with me, as an individual, if you would like to bring story to your community or to your organisation, contact me for a free chat, to see if we are a fit to work together.
Acknowledgements & Gratitude
I'd like to thank and acknowledge my creativity and wilderness guide, Natasha Lythgoe without whom, I will still be asleep. Without her, I would not be who I am today.
Shonaleigh, who teaches me about Story - its nature, the respect that stories deserve, the traditions they belong to.
I owe the skill of my storytelling craft to her and her tradition.
Roi Gal-Or who opened my eyes and gave me the gift of seeing myself as a storyteller.
My beloved Ollie, whose tenderness, wisdom, creativity and love nourishes me every day.
Creativity and Nature, who I forgot existed for a while, and I was lost. They feed my soul.
Stories and Community- without which, life is much greyer.
Summary of training and qualifications
Traditional Storytelling
I'm currently undertaking a Masters Level 7 course in Applied Storytelling with Shonaleigh from the House of the West Wind. I finished a 3 year Walking the Wildwoods Course with Shonaleigh, a Jewish tradition bearer from the Drut’syla women's tradition. I began my storyteller's training in 2018 with Roi Gal-Or.
Therapeutic Interpersonal Skills
I have undertaken training in Motivational Interviewing (a counselling approach) with Stephen Rollick;
Non-Violent Communications (based on the principles of nonviolence and humanistic psychology) with Daren De Witt;
I hold Levels 1-5 in Gene Gendlin's Focusing (internally oriented psychotherapeutic process) with Amona Buechler.
Nature Connection
I gained my Lowland Leader Qualification in 2018, and did my Mountain Leader Training in 2019 with Bryn Williams Mountaineering. I have partaken in nature connection training and owe a lot of my skill to personal experience. I have undertaken animal tracking courses and I have gained valuable experience from Wilderness Mentoring. I have an Ethnobotany Level 4 qualification with John Rhyder at the Wood Craft School in 2022, through which my knowledge of foraging exponentially increased.
Wilderness Mentoring with Natasha Lythgoe from the Art of Rewilding for a decade. This has included creative mentoring, the Artist Way course, photography teaching, re-wilding programmes, nature retreats, 1:1 mentoring and a Vision Quest.
Spiritual Practice
Most of my spiritual practice is based on telling stories, being outdoors and observing simple rituals such as lighting candles, baking bread and picking herbs. They are most simple things. In 2018 I undertook a 36 hour solo, which helped to initiate my work with nature and stories, and in 2025 I undertook a 4 day Vision Fast in the North of Scotland. My practice is informed by a strong cultural lineage of wise women and healers from my own heritage. Some teachings I have undertaken include introduction to Shamanism with Twobirds in 2023, Circle Facilitation Training with Gemma Brady of Sister Stories, and I have studied at the Brighton Buddhist centre between 2014 and 2016.
Holistic Healthcare
I have over 10 years experience as a healthcare professional (pharmacist) in the field of mental health. During this time I worked in psychiatric hospitals, in community mental health teams, and in alcohol and drug services. I worked as a lecturer and I taught other clinicians how to have difficult conversations about treatment in human, non-coercive ways. I undertook a Masters Degree in Research where I held spaces for clients with enduring mental health illnesses, as they explored their rich but often difficult journey with medicines. I learned so much about the human experience, about grief and about hope. I continue to practice as a healthcare professional, for 2 days per week in a small family owned practice as an ADHD diagnostician and independent prescriber. I still meet people and listen to their rich life stories, and in turn hope to make a small difference as we walk in the forest of uncertainty for a short while together.
