Cultivating real-time experience, honing skills, and gaining confidence through practice and clinical herbalist training. Learning through interaction and shared experience in a group setting with other practicing herbalists and real clients, all guided by Chris Marano, a clinical herbalist with over twenty years in the field as a clinical herbalist and over thirty years of teaching experience. Over the course of a year, students will experience and improve health intake skills, bedside manner, diagnostic and communication skills, client relationship and follow-up, and will have opportunities to create wellness protocols and herbal formulas,and have access to a master herbalist’s experience, wisdom, and apothecary. All classes on clinical herbalist training are held in Western Massachusetts.
THIRD-YEAR PROGRAM
Advanced Clinical Herbal Practicum
(taught by Chris Marano)
Helping new herbalists and advanced, serious herbal students develop and nurture skills and confidence necessary for a quality clinical herbal practice
The “Advanced Clinical Herbal Practicum” is the flagship course for the Third-Level 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 clinical and community herbalist with over twenty years in the field as a practitioner and over thirty years of teaching experience.
This course is 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 from other schools, herbalists and health-care practitioners who have not taken the Clearpath School program.
Clinical Herbalist Training Course Overview
Class One: Introduction/Setting the Tone. Creating safe, sharing space. Getting to know each other as fellow students and herbal clinicians. Chris Marano will set the tone and stage, bringing everyone onto the same page with a whirlwind review of herbalism, the ‘lenses’ we use to help in that effort (focus on Western, Chinese, Native American modalities), and the principles and protocols of being a practicing herbalist with proper clinical herbalist training. Chris will also explain the flow of the course, and we will all figure out the details of the schedule.
Class Two through Twelve: Group Clinic Experience. See explanation. NOTE: Chris will lead the first of these classes, and then pass the ‘baton’ to the next herbal practitioner in preparation for third class.
Class Thirteen: Putting it All Together and Graduation: debriefing, discussion of how it all went and where it goes from here.
Breakdown of Each Clinical Herbalist Training Class (Classes 2-12):
- First 30 minutes: Introduction and relevant clinical piece offered by Chris Marano
- Middle two hours: the lead student clinician for that date facilitates the group in a real-time consultation with an actual client. Up to ninety minutes for the lead clinician and balance of time expanding the questioning to the entire group. (Chris will be the lead herbalist for Class 2 )
- Break
- Last 30 minutes: Summarization, relevant information riffing of what transpired during the two-hour consultation.
Lead Student Clinician Responsibilities: Even though it is a group situation, and an experienced clinical herbalist is present, the lead student for that day is in charge of facilitating the class, which includes being aware of time once you are on. Two hours is plenty of time.
- Be responsible as an herbal health-care practitioner in presenting yourself on that date: physical appearance, preparedness, as if you were meeting a first-time client in your office, which you are. Be prepared. Study the client’s health intake information before the meeting and research anything unfamiliar, including diseases, syndromes, lab results, pharmaceutical medications, etc.
- Be prepared for being lead facilitator. Come with appropriate paperwork. Also responsible for making information available to the rest of the class.
- Be prepared to open the consultation to group Q&A with the client after finishing your initial round of questioning. This includes harmonious facilitation of the group taking diagnostics (tongue, pulses).
- Be responsible for creating a Wellness Program for the client, suggesting help in areas of lifestyle, nutrition and herbal remedies. You will have ninety minutes of direct, one-on-one mentoring time with Chris within two weeks after the group class. Wellness Program will be assessed by Chris before it is sent to the client.
- Be responsible for making custom-blended herbal remedies for the client, utilizing the Clearpath Herbals apothecary for tinctures.
- Be responsible for finding a new client for the next class and the next lead clinician, after passing approval by Chris. Lead clinician is also responsible for answering any preliminary questions the client might have about the process, or about herbalism in general.
Support Student Clinician Responsibilities:
- Be as prepared as the lead student, just as a stand-in is prepared to replace a sick actor. Study the health intake information and research any areas with which you are unfamiliar.
- Be courteous and respectful of the space, the client, the lead practitioner. Give the experience your entire, undivided attention.
- Be aware of time and energy during the group Q&A section. Be ready with relevant questions or ideas, but do not dominate the time.
- To be handed to me within two weeks of the group consultation: Create a wellness program outline for the client, complete with your assessment and suggestions in areas of lifestyle, nutrition and herbs.
Teacher Responsibilities:
- Oversee the entire program and class. Emcee each class. Thirty minute introduction and lecture, thirty minute wrap-up and lecture. Covering new material, practical clinical herbalist training and skills, “a peek inside the head” of an experienced clinical herbalist in action.
- Ninety minutes each month devoted to lead student clinician mentoring and apothecary time.
- Assessing the written homework from each support student clinician each month.
- Individual end-of-year assessment by Chris, areas of strength, areas needing attention.
Student Clinician Benefits:
- Real time experience with actual clients.
- Fresh lecture material with Chris Marano
- One-on-one time with Chris Marano
- Group share experience with other students and peers.
- Personal assessment of all written work by Chris Marano.
- Continued cultivation of diagnostic skills
- End-of-year assessment by Chris Marano
- If professional membership in the American Herbalist Guild is one of your goals, then this course offers official mentoring time and clinical experience that will be accepted by the Guild.
- If agreed upon by client, lead student clinician has the option of taking on this person as an ongoing client, in effect building an actual clientele base.
Time: One Tuesday evening per month, 5:30 – 9:00 PM
Cost for this clinical herbalist training: $1300 (deposit required, payment plans available)
“Advanced Clinical Herbal Practicum” is only available to Clearpath certificate students who have successfully completed Level Two, and by application and invitation to advanced herbal graduates of other herb schools, and to practitioners seeking further training in a group clinical setting with a master herbalist. Third Level Certificate Program Requirements: Students following the certificate program track must successfully complete the following courses to successfully complete the Third Level of clinical herbalist training.
Level 3 Curriculum | Advanced Clinical Herbal Practicum
Advanced Clinical Herbal Practicum
Indoor year-long flagship course.
Materia Medica:
Indoor course offered four times per year (3 Wed. classes, 5:30-8:30 PM). Certificate students must complete four units.
Diagnostic Skills:
Students must complete one diagnostic class.
Wildcrafting Immersion:
Students must participate regularly during the wildcrafting season. (Outdoor and ongoing from April to November)
Seasonal Habitat Sensory Awareness Walks:
Students must attend at least half of the scheduled walks. (Outdoor Classes).
Plant Attunement:
Students must attend at least half of the yearly scheduled classes. (Outdoor and indoor class offered once per month.)
Clearpath Gardens:
Students must regularly attend Monday group garden work day during the growing season (April-October).
