The 2012 Herbalist Training Program
- Dates: Feb. 18-Nov. 3, 2012
- Times: Thursdays 6-9pm & Saturdays 10:00am-5pm
- Location: In addition to our many field days in the woods, our indoor classes will meet at Gaealana Healing Arts Center and other locations.
- Total Hours: 300+
- Class Size: 18 students
- Tuition: $2400
- Early-bird Special: $2100 (extended until Jan. 1st)
- Payment Plan Available
The year will be divided into four sessions, each building upon the previous. Materia Medica and Medicine Making will covered throughout and during...
- SESSION 1 (Feb. 18-Apr.14): we will focus on the basics−we will have a few field days to see winter twigs and some of the plants that emerge early in the Spring. A&P and Botany will be covered in depth to prepare us for...
- SESSION 2 (Apr. 26-June 23): when we will spend a lot of time in the field identifying medicinal plants, learning about ethical wildcrafting, and developing deeper relationships with the plants. We will also spend a weekend at the coast harvesting seaweed and have a three-night wildcrafting trip in the Cascades, June 21-24.
- SUMMER BREAK (June 24-Aug. 3)
- SESSION 3 (Aug. 4-Sep. 15): will be similar to the previous session with a four-night trip to Southern Oregon, Aug. 8-12 (including a tour of the Herb Pharm Farm in Williams), but we will start to add some advanced topics and begin learning Clinical Skills in preparation for...
- SESSION 4 (Sep. 27-Nov. 3): during which we will spend time in the woods harvesting medicinal and edible mushrooms, making herbal formulations, and learning about physiological imbalances and advanced clinical skills to further prepare ouselves for the Mock Clinic, where we will collectively interview and design herbal protocols for several guests.
Core Classes:
Materia Medica (100 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. Scott & Erico
Anatomy & Physiology (42 hours)
This anatomy and physiology course will focus on creating a clear picture of what is going on inside our bodies in states of wellness and imbalance. In the first section, we will learn about the organ systems individually in detail and explore the interconnections between them. In the second section, we will build from our knowledge of normal physiology to disease processes within the systems. We will discuss underlying causes of disease, symptoms of disease, and how to choose the appropriate herbs given the person's individual presentation. Wellness and disease will be addressed from a holistic perspective, taking into account the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of each person. Kim
Botany (24 hours)
Who is related to whom? Notice a familiar flower shape or leaf arrangement on a plant? Come play in the giant web of plant relationships and learn to follow these individual threads to family, to genus, and then all the way to a positive identification of a particular species. We will study some of the common plant families of our bioregion, what distinguishes them, and what general characteristics to pay attention to when placing a plant in a taxonomical context. Karin Rohland
Medicine Making (15 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. Scott, & Erico
Plant Teachers and Herbal Energetics (18 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 (15 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
Trips and Special Topics:
The Elderberry School experience includes two several-day Wildcrafting Field Trips, a Seaweed Harvesting Trip, a visit to the Herb Pharm, and Guest Lecturers who share their knowledge and wisdom. Last year's topics included:Flower Essences w/ Camilla Blossom
Constitutional Herbalism w/Erico
Psycho-spiritual Plant Medicine w/Scott
Pathophysiology w/Kim
Medicine Wheel: Deepening in Earth and Spirit with the Healing and Women's Health w/Deborah Frances
Traditional Native Healing Practices w/Judy BlueHorse
Wildcrafting Principles & Practice w/Scott
Plant Pharmacology w/Kathryn Kloos
History of Flowers w/Erico
Medicinal Mushroom Hike w/ Chris Smaka
Wine Making w/Carla David
and a Mock Clinic
