Fundamentals Of Herbal Medicine
The Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine Program starting in May 2025 is now open for registration! Click here to go straight to the registration page.
Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (live, in-person)
One Sunday a month for 10 months of the year
As a Clinical Herbalist, I help people with their chronic health issues. But you don’t need to be a professional herbalist to learn how to look after yourself, your family, and community using the principles herbal medicine.
In fact, at its core, herbal medicine is people's medicine, available to anyone willing to learn. In many traditional cultures, this knowledge was passed down by elders and parents. In our current culture, this chain of knowledge has been lost, and today, while popular interest in herbs is having a dramatic resurgence, knowledge and experience about how to effectively use these gifts is still lacking. Unfortunately, this often translates into people getting confused or having lacklustre results when incorporating herbs into their lives.
The purpose of this course is to give you a solid foundation for using medicinal plants effectively as a home herbalist. We'll also aim to have a lot of fun connecting with the earth, each other, and nature’s green healers! The course will span a full year as we move through the seasons. We’ll learn what to harvest at different times, understand how our own health needs change seasonally, and build our herbal medicine chests along the way.
This is a hands-on, experiential program. Classroom learning will be combined with time outside with the plants and making medicine. Everything will be designed with the aim of helping you incorporate herbal medicine as part of your life going forward, so you can care for yourself, your loved ones, and community.
What we’ll cover in the course
Botany and plant identification - We’ll introduce botany fundamentals, and you’ll gain skills to properly identify medicinal plants at different times of year.
Herbal wildcrafting and growing - You will learn how to do this ethically and sustainably.
Medicine making - You’ll learn when to harvest plants for peak potency, as well as when to use different preparations. We'll cover teas, infusions, tinctures, oils, salves, poultices, honeys, vinegars, syrups, healing soups, and others.
Theory and practice of herbal medicine:
You’ll learn to understand the therapeutic language of plants, ie. how herbs work through traditional and modern lenses.
We’ll introduce human physiology and body systems from the perspective of herbal medicine.
Materia Medica - You will be introduced to about 80 safe and commonly used herbs. We will cover about 10-20 of them in greater depth.
Personalized herbal wellness plan - You’ll apply the knowledge you gain to your own health needs.
55 documented hours of herbal education - If you choose to pursue further study to become a professional herbalist, 55 hours from this program can be applied towards the training requirements laid out by the Herbalist Association of Nova Scotia.
By the end of the course, you will have built a foundation for using herbs intelligently in your life while creating your own natural medicine chest of preparations best suited to you and your loved ones.
Being in the course is also an opportunity to connect with likeminded people and form a community to share knowledge and experiences.
Who this is for
You are new to herbs, and have a love of nature with an interest in plants and/or health.
You already have some experience with herbs and medicine making, and you want to to deepen your knowledge to incorporate plant medicine into your daily life.
You want to live a healthy lifestyle and age gracefully. You are drawn to seeking support in nature and healing traditions.
You are interested in meeting other likeminded folks, and learning together!
Who this is not for
You are looking for focused support with a specific chronic health issue. What you learn in the course will likely benefit your condition, but for focused help with your specific illness, it would be more appropriate to work with me 1 on 1 in addition to or instead of the course.
You are looking for a more intensive in depth program beyond one day per month. If you are, you may be interested in the 250 hour intermediate program I am offering with my colleague Ember Peters.
Details and Logistics
Location: Classes will take place at my home and garden in Chester Basin or at the South Shore Waldorf School in Blockhouse.
The tentative dates for 2025-2026 program are:
2025 - May 25, June 22, July 20, September 21, October 26, November 16
2026 - January 18, February 12, March 15
The course will take place over 10 Sundays (every month except August and December, approx. 10:00-4:30) with readings, some homework, and access to a private Facebook group in between.
Tuition
Tuition for the program is $1300 + HST (a payment plan option is also available).
There will be an early bird discount of $150 off for people who register by March 6th, 2025. So, if you register before then, the cost is $1150 + HST. A non-refundable deposit of $100 + HST is required upon registering.
There will also be a recommended reading list, with at least two essential books to purchase.
Note: If you are a resident of Chester Municipality, you may be eligible for a leadership training grant to fund up to half of your tuition.
I’m open to full or partial work exchange in lieu of tuition. If this interests you, get in touch and we can discuss options.
What People are Saying
“I see the world around me with new eyes, as if a veil has been lifted to show me all the gifts provided by the natural world.” - Cynthia Myers, student
“Oren is a great instructor, very approachable and knowledgable. Whether you plan to go further into herbal medicine in the future or even if you are only curious about the basics, I would recommend taking this course. Overall, my understanding of the body and ways to heal oneself has become so much deeper. Knowledge gained from this course has given me agency and control over my health.” - Susan, student
“This course was a beautiful way for me to connect with myself and others. I left feeling confident in the herbs and plants that I use in my everyday life and excited to share that knowledge with the people that I love.” - Crystal Fraughton, student
Frequently Asked Questions?
How many students will be in the course?
In order to run the course, we will need a minimum of 8 students. To maintain an intimate learning environment, the maximum number of students will be 20.
Will there be homework?
There will be some homework assigned to reinforce the learnings and deepen your knowledge. The homework will involve doing readings, making medicine at home, and/or a short class presentation. Completing the homework is strongly encouraged but entirely optional. You can expect to spend anywhere from 2-10 hours per month on the homework, depending on how much you take on.
What if I have to miss a day?
I strongly encourage you to make arrangements to attend all the classes. The classes build on one another, and you’ll get the most out of the program that way. That said, extenuating circumstances can happen, I understand. I’ll do everything I can to get you caught up and provide you with materials you missed. Some people have opted to make-up the class next time the course is offered, which is also an option.