The 2008 Herbalist Training Program
- Dates: Spring Feb. 16-June 15 & Fall Aug. 9-Nov. 15
- Total Hours: 300+
- Field Trips: Each term includes four one-day field trips to nearby natural areas and a three day overnight wildcrafting trip.
- Core Classes: Botany, Materia Medica, Medicine Making, Anatomy & Physiology, Plant Teachers, and Clinical Skills...Saturdays 10am - 5pm at The Core Source 5509 NE 30th (at Killingsworth)
- Thursday Night Special Topics: 2007 classes included Herbal First Aid, Flower Essences, Medicinal Mushrooms, Sea Vegetables for Health, Botanical Illustration, and many, many more...Thursdays 6-9pm at The Herb Shoppe, 2410 E, Burnside St.
- Class Size: 16 students
Core Classes:
Materia Medica (110 hours)This class, which spans the harvest season-from Poplar buds to fall roots, is conducted in the classroom and also in the field during our numerous outings to local wild areas. It is the essential class in which students learn about the herbs themselves. Discussion of the plants will include their appearance, ecology and distribution, as well as medicinal uses, methods of preparation, historical background, dosage, and safety. Many instructors will work together in this class to cover 100 core herbs in great depth for the Pacific Northwest region, as well as many others that we might come across on our field trips throughout the year. Elizabeth, Rain, Scott, & Erico
Anatomy & Physiology (24 hours)
This anatomy and physiology course will focus on creating a clear picture of what is going on inside our bodies. We will learn about the organ systems individually in detail and explore the interconnections between them. Class discussions will build from normal physiology to disease processes within the systems. In conjunction with the Materia Medica course, we will discover the way herbs affect normal and abnormal physiological processes. Wellness and disease will be discussed from a holistic perspective, taking into account the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of each person. Case studies will be used extensively to connect what you learn in class to what you may see in yourself or others. Don't worry, there won't be any tests! Kim
Botany aka Latin & Laughter (24 hours)
The essence of an herbal was the combination of traditional plant lore, the medicinal properties of the herbs, and their botanical classification. Botany, firmly rooted in science, is the study concerned with identifying plants and grouping them into categories based on shared anatomical characteristics. This class will be an impressionistic romp into the world of flowers and their relationships to the life around them. We will enjoy searching in the rain for rare plants and prized medicinals, exploring many aspects of the local northwest flora, including poisonous plants and look-alikes. We will study a number of plants in depth, giving the student a strong foundation for further learning and understanding. The names of the plants, like a childhood friend's phone number, will be impressed upon the mind so vividly that it will be impossible to ever forget them. We will learn basic botanical terms and elementary ecological principles, and students will be encouraged to characterize and familiarize themselves with distinguishing family characteristics. Rain
Medicine Making (16 hours)
This class will cover the continuum of herbal pharmacy, from the proper gathering of plant material through processing techniques and the best extraction methods. We will discuss folk and scientific tincturing methods, harvesting guidelines, solubility factors, and dosages. Students will learn to prepare their own herbal medicines including poultices, tinctures, oils, salves, teas, facial astringents, lozenges, and much more. Ellie
Plant Teachers and Herbal Energetics (24 hours)
Throughout history, humans have been intimately connected with plants. They provide us with food, shelter, & clothing and healing for body, mind, & soul. In this class we will refine our sensory impressions and learn ways to understand plants on a deeper level through the concepts of the Doctrine of Signatures, organoleptics, intuition, meditation, and dreaming. In addition to discussing the Five Flavors of Chinese Medicine, we will rediscover the forgotten Energetics of Western Medicine and explore other modes of "seeing," concentrating on the intelligence of the heart and its role in direct perception. Each session will include either an in depth meditation with one plant or a tasting of many herbs. Scott
Clinical Skills (24 hours)
In this class, we will practice the art of observation of health and disease. Using the techniques of examination, such as looking, listening, palpation and questioning, we will seek to understand the signs of wellness and imbalance. We will not emphasize the particular theories of other traditions, but rather go back to the source of the observations of patterns that inspired the ancient ideas. Methods such as pulse taking, tongue observation and listening skills will be incorporated into this class, along with developing a practiced intuition. In a space of honesty and respect, students will share with each other and practice these skills with other members of the class. Erico
Thursday Night Special Topics:
Last year we had many great guest speakers covering a wide variety of topics including:Herbal First Aid * Rain
Traditional Native Healing Practices * Judy BlueHorse
The Dream Body and Herbs * Scott Kloos
Herbs of the Northwest * Cascade Anderson Geller
The Energetics of Western Herbs * Peter Holmes
Medicinal Fungi * Shawn Duncan
Wine Making * Carla David
Womyn's Health * Meg Turner
Wildcrafting Ecology * Michael Pilarski
Magic Class * Colette Gardiner
Sea Vegetables for Health Weekend * Ryan Drum
and many more...
