Herbal Apprenticeship Curriculum

Two women smile under a tent, processing herbs. a table between them.

Herbalist Apprentice (Year I)

Fundamentals of Herbalism I

  • Safety and effectiveness of herbal medicine
  • Common herbal preparations

Fundamentals of Herbalism II

  • Herbalism in the context of modern health care, both conventional and alternative
  • The Six Steps of Healing

Plant Identification

Harvesting

  • Safety, effectiveness, and ethics
  • How to properly dry and store harvested herbs

Making Herbal Medicines

  • Tinctures, teas, infused oils and ointments, vinegars, lozenges, boluses, and more
  • Herbal actions and other vocabulary

Fundamentals of Nutrition

Introduction to human body systems:

  • Digestive, circulatory, respiratory, immune, nervous, musculo-skeletal, skin, urinary, endocrine, reproductive
  • Common health problems
  • Commonly used herbs
  • Herbal actions

Creating your own home apothecary (herbal medicine chest)

Evaluation of scientific studies

Evaluation of herbal information found online

Creating your own Materia Medica

Introduction to Plant Spirit Medicine

Introduction to Herbal Energetics

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Master Herbalist Apprentice (Year II)

Advanced medicine making

Common health conditions of our time:

  • Inflammatory conditions, fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue, mental health, adrenal and thyroid conditions, diabetes, pain management, dental health, brain/gut/microbiome axis, and more

Advanced herbal energetics: the six tissue states

Expanded apothecary and Materia Medica

Herbal pharmacology

Occasional outings to wild areas for plant identification and enjoyment

    Clinical Herbalist Apprentice (Years III-IV)

    Application of herbal principles in practice

    Client assessment and evaluation

    Interviewing skills

    Client recommendations: how to decide which herbs, foods and lifestyle choices to recommend

    Herb/drug interactions

    Clinical apothecary for professional use

    Advanced topics and current issues

    Supervised Clinical Practicum

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      Tuition

      Tuition is $4950 / year, with $200 discount if paid in full.

      Payment plans are available. $375 / month after a $500 downpayment.

      “I had a medical condition which usually involved going to the emergency room for a very uncomfortable treatment once or twice a year.

      Using the information I received as an apprentice, I am able to successfully deal with this condition using herbal remedies alone. I literally save about $4000 a year by not having to go to the emergency room, so the tuition cost was beyond worth it!

      And just as important, I have not had to go through that painful treatment again.“

      - E.S., 2015 Apprentice