How to Become an Herbalist: Ongoing Courses & Workshops

How to Become an Herbalist: Course Descriptions

Materia Medica

Medicinal herbal knowledge at the depth & breadth of experienced herbalists A Materia Medica course consists of three classes, each three hours long. Four Materia Medica courses run each year. Available to general public. Required of certificate path students at all three levels. Five herbs of Western and Asian herbal traditions, traditional and modern uses, scientific and folkloric wisdom

• Plant Description, Location, Parts Used, Gathering Times
• Tastes, Energetics, Chemical Constituents
• Medicinal Uses: Western, Chinese, and Indigenous traditions
• Cautions, Contraindications, Interactions
• Preparations and Dosages

Day and Time: 3 classes (Wednesday evenings), 3 hours (5:30-8:30PM). (9+ contact hours) Cost: Course = $125  Individual class = $45

Foundations of Western Herbal Medicine

Ten-class series. Offered in the fall. Available to the general public. Required of First-Level certificate path students. Foundations of Western Herbal Medicine both honors and interweaves the long-evolving healing traditions of Native American medicine and European-based herbal medicine. The goal of the course is to provide a solid foundation upon which to build a strong herbal practice, and includes diverse and effective tools for self-investigation and empowerment in order to grow as authentic human beings, as this is where healing wisdom begins.

• Overview of Western Herbalism, Comparison of Allopathy and Holism
• Native American philosophy
• Traditional and Modern Western Healing Philosophy
• Anatomy and Physiology, Health and Imbalance
• Diagnostics, Self Awareness, and Sensory Awareness Skills
• Essential Herbs
• Nutrition and Food as Medicine

Topics are divided into four main areas:

1. Philosophy and Psychology
2. Theories and Principles of Human Health:
3. Tools and Principles of Western Herbal Medicine:
4. Concepts and Tools for Self-Cultivation and Stewardship:

Day and Time: 10 Wednesday evenings from 5:30-9:30 (40+ contact hours) Cost: $750 (includes written materials)

Foundations of Chinese Herbal Medicine

Ten-class series. Offered in the spring. Available to the general public. Required of First-Level certificate path students. This course explores the foundations of Chinese Herbal Medicine, making it accessible and practical for anyone interested in human health, and providing participants with the foundations necessary to move on to more advanced knowledge in the areas of herbalism and holistic healing. Designed for those wanting effective tools and relevant knowledge to provide for personal and family health care, and to pave the way for those working toward becoming community and clinical herbalists. Topics Covered:

• Overview of Chinese Medicine, Comparison with Western Healing Tradition.
• Chinese Philosophy and Psychology
• Four Vital Substances, Eight Principles (Yin-Yang theory), Five Elements
• Organ Networks, Physiology, Health and Imbalance, External Pernicious Influences
• Diagnostics, Self Awareness,  Sensory Awareness skills
• Essential Herbs
• Nutrition and Food as Medicine

Topics are divided into four main areas:

1. Philosophy and Psychology
2. Theories and Principles of Human Health: Four Vital Substance, Eight Principle (Yin/Yang) theory, Five Elements, Ten Organ Networks.
3. Tools and Principles of Chinese Herbal Medicine: Tongue and Pulse Analysis, Constitutional Types, Herbs, Chinese Nutritional Theory.
4. Concepts and Tools for Self Cultivation and Stewardship: Self-investigation skills drawing upon Chinese philosophy and psychology.

Day and Time: 10 Wednesday evenings from 5:30-9:30 (40+ contact hours) Cost: $750 (includes written materials)

Opening to the Wisdom of the Plant World: An Indigenous Language of Plants

A two-class series, each class six hours. Offered in the Summer. Available to the general public. Required of First-Level certificate path students. A pre-requisite for taking Plant Attunement classes. Steeped in and inspired by Native American teachings, this two-part experiential outdoor course helps us learn and remember skills that bring us into greater connection and communication with the plant world.  Over the span of two classes, intellect and theory give way to intuition and direct experience. Participants will gain a set of tools and the confidence to deepen their innate intelligence and continue the valuable exploration of plant attunement. Day One: Languages of the Physical and Personality Direct exploration of plants, ‘listening’ to what they tell us through our physical senses, conceptual understanding, and pattern recognition skills. We will begin to learn to identify plants by their characteristics, and to interpret what they are telling us about their virtues as food, medicine, and more.

• Appearance, Color, Aroma, Taste
• Habitat Preferences, Plant tribes, Plant Societies, Plant Elders
• Sensory Awareness Skills
• Stories and Anecdotes

Day Two: The Language of Connection  In this class, we directly engage the subtle, intuitive language. We explore innate tools that help us reconnect with the One Language, utilizing a technique called plant attunement.

• Sensory and Self Awareness Techniques
• Guided Visualization
• Group and Solo Experience

Time: 9:30 am – 3:30pm X 2 days  (12+contact hours) Cost: $150

Second Level Flagship Course | Principles and Practice of Herbalism

Available to certificate path students at the Second Level: Cultivating Community Herbalism A year-long class, meeting eleven full Saturdays, and ten three-hour study group sessions, providing an in-depth, comprehensive exploration of human health and herbal medicine, building on the First-Level program, “Cultivating the Healer Within.” The Principles and Practice of Herbalism is the flagship course for the Second-Level program, “Cultivating Community Herbalism. It interweaves Western, Native American, and Chinese healing traditions while investigating major health and wellness concerns of our time from an herbal, holistic perspective. The intent of this course is to provide the framework, tools and knowledge necessary to enable aspiring practitioners to become active community herbalists. Topics Covered:

• Health intake and diagnostic skills
• Ethics, Bedside Manner, Communication Skills
• Creating Wellness Programs
• Devising Herbal Formulations
• Expanding Herbal Knowledge
• Self-Investigation and Sensory Awareness Skills
• Nutritional Theory

Health Areas:

• Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue, Candida, Multiple Sensitivities, and other Chronic Illnesses;
• Cancers, Autoimmune Disorders, Endocrine Disorders;
• Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Cardiovascular Health and Blood Health
• Gastro-Intestinal, Digestive, and Liver-Gallbladder Health
• Muscular-Skeletal and Skin Concerns: Arthritis, Injury, Chronic Rashes
• Respiratory System: Allergies, Asthma, Acute and Chronic Illness;
• Nervous System: Anxiety-Depression, Stress and Trauma, Pain and Sleep Disorders, ADD, Age-related Disorders.
• Reproductive and Genito-Urinary Health: Life Transitions, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Menstruation, Menopause, Libido, Prostate Health,
• Children’s Health and First Aid
• More

Day and Time: 11 Saturdays from 9:30 – 5:00; 10 three-hour meetings with TA in between the 11 Saturdays. Full Program Cost: $1500

Third Level Flagship Course | Advanced Clinical Practicum

Helping the advanced, serious herbal student develop and nurture skills for a clinical herbal practice. A year-long class, meeting once per month for a total of 13, each class three and half hours long, plus individual time with the instructor.  Limited to 10 students. Open to Clearpath School of Herbal Medicine certificate path students who have successfully completed Second Level program, “Cultivating Community Herbalism;” Also by invitation (and interview) to qualifying advanced herbal students and health-care practitioners who have not taken the Clearpath School program. The “Advanced Clinical Practicum” is the flagship course for the Third Level certificate program, “Cultivating Clinical Herbalism.” Cultivating real-time experience as a practicing clinical herbalist, in a group setting, sharing learning and knowledge, growing skills together, all guided by Chris Marano, a master clinical herbalist with over twenty years in the field as a clinical herbalist and over thirty-five years teaching experience. Time: One Tuesday evening per month, 5:30 – 9:00 PM Full Program Cost: $1300 SEE FULL COURSE DESCRIPTION

Plant Attunement Immersion

(Taught by Chris Marano and Clearpath Herbal Teaching Staff) Communication with Remarkable Plants A follow-up to Opening to the Wisdom of the Plant World, continuing the practice of plant attunement. This class is an invitation to students who wish to deepen their connection with plants, through individual and shared experience, interacting in a safe container with committed students of herbalism. Open to general public. Required of certificate path students at all levels. Opening to the Wisdom of the Plant World is a prerequisite for taking these classes. Students meet once a month for three hours. During each class we will attune with two plants and share our experiences as a group. We meet outside in the warmer months, inside during winter months. Each class is facilitated by one of the Clearpath School of Herbalism teaching staff. Time: Winter Classes: Indoors, evenings, three hours, 5:30 – 8:30pm; Summer Classes: Outdoors, days, three hours. Cost: $30 per class

Seasonal, Habitat, Sensory Awareness, and Herb Walks

(Taught by Chris Marano and Clearpath Herbal Teaching Staff) Open to general students. Required of certificate program students at all levels. These three-hour walks are part of Clearpath School of Herbal Medicine’s On-going Courses. Students benefit from having two or more teachers on every walk. The walks are geared toward understanding plants in their natural environments, each one focusing on a different season, each one focusing on one or two ecosystems.

• Plant Identification
• Language of Plants
• Natural History
• Sensory Awareness Skills
• Quiet Time
• Science, Folklore, Stories and Anecdotes

Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm or 1:00 – 4pm Cost: $50