Foundational

Where the magic begins. This is an in-depth, “fundamental” program in herbalism.

Students will learn:

    • Foundation in botanical identification; plant families, latin names, morphology, poisonous plants and look- alike

    • Hands on experience working and living with the seasonal cycle

    • Propagation, soil amendment, maintenance, harvest and uses of cultivated medicinal plants in Plant Hardiness Zone 8b (greater Seattle)

    • Foundation in plant preparations; tea, tinctures, glycerins, vinegars, poultices, compresses, honeys, oils, elixirs, oxymels, salves, creams, hydrosols, essential oils, witch hazels, flower essences, salts, fermentations

    • Foundation in administering herbs; herb/drug interactions, dosages

    • Foundation in plant energetics, actions, and secondary metabolites

    • Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostics and theories (Yin/Yang, 5 Elements, 8 Principles)

    • Strong understanding of personal constitution and place-based medicine (mental/emotional/social/biological/spiritual)

    • Understanding of wild plants in Washington through botany, ecology, ethnobotany, and edible and medicinal uses

    • Ethical and sustainable harvesting and wild tending

Materia Medica

The monthly pulse. An in-person focus on individual plants, herbal actions, and uses.

Students will learn:

    • Understand the applications and herbs associated with Western Herbal Actions and TCM Herbal Categories.

    • Connect specific herbs with patterns used in differential diagnosis (Zang Fu) and TCM Yin/Yang Organ affiliations

    • Understand plant chemistry through deeper understanding of secondary metabolites and how plants affect our physiology and anatomy

    • Practice plant extractions methods that result in medicinal potency of individual herbs

    • In-depth understanding of at least 20 plants to be used in the field and in practice

    • Connect plant medicine to people based on symptoms and constitutions (including case studies)

    • Embody the seasonal calendar through intuitive wild plant harvests, planting with the seasons, and deepening an internal knowing of preparing, processing and administering herbs

    • Plant adaptations, species range and habitat based on different ecozones in Washington state

    • Travel to various regions to interact with native plant species

Practitioner Pathway

The deep- dive. This program puts herbalism to practice – theory, applications and case studies.

Students will learn:

    • Understand constitutions, the nature of disease, and herbal assessments

    • Create a template for case studies (including intakes and summaries)

    • Practice case assessments with peers

    • Review and present case studies in round table discussions

    • Create an herbal practice

    • Develop confidence in an herbal practice that is unique and custom to student’s offerings

    • The fundamentals of differential diagnosis (Zang Fu) and how to incorporate the Eight Principles, Five Elements and the Fundamental Substances into a case assessment

    • Practice tongue and pulse diagnosis and correlate this to Zang Fu assessment

    • Identify appropriate uses of herbs for different case studies through learning herbal actions and TCM herbal categories

    • Practice formulations; combining herbs, herb-herb and herb-drug interactions, and the art of simplifying