River Burke
Ceremonialist & Guide
Drinking Gourd Medicine
The Drinking Gourd is a symbol rooted in African American liberation history, guiding enslaved people toward freedom under the night sky. In honoring this lineage, we also recognize that the stars have long guided all who journey in search of direction and home. Sailors, travelers, and dreamers across cultures have looked to the same constellation—the Big Dipper—for navigation and hope. Drinking Gourd Medicine honors this shared human story and welcomes all who wish to walk in the spirit of freedom and healing.
Meet River
River is a licensed clinical professional counselor with over a decade of experience supporting individuals navigating growth, self-reflection, and meaningful life transitions. In her separate private therapy practice, she specializes in working with trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD.
Through Drinking Gourd Medicine, River offers preparation and integration support, educational guidance, and reflective space for individuals exploring personal growth and transformational experiences. Her approach draws from psychological insight, mindfulness, contemplative practice, and a deep respect for personal meaning-making, helping clients deepen self-understanding and reconnect with their own inner wisdom.
People often describe River as warm, grounded, playful, and deeply present. Curious by profession and goofy by nature, she brings compassion, steadiness, and a sense of humor to her work. River believes growth often asks us to hold both tenderness and challenge at the same time, and she values creating spaces where people feel supported in exploring themselves more fully.