Foundational Herbalist Certification

The Foundational Herbalism certification is a great place to start if you are new to herbalism OR if you are planning on taking our clinical coursework in the future.

This program presents educational material that will open up the world of herbalism AND offer an accessible lens into the foundational clinical information you will need if you choose to move on to more advanced coursework.

Through this pathway, you will explore our herbal philosophy, basic healing modalities, gain a solid foundation in medicine making, clinical nutrition and learn how to address acute care situations.

If you are interested in attaining the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand health and in turn disease, then this is the course pathway for you.

What You Get

as part of our Foundational Herbalist Certification Program

- An Integrative Approach to Herbal Medicine

- Applied Clinical Nutrition

- Herbal Medicine for Acute Care

- The Art and Science of Plant Medicine Making

- Critical Thinking with Traci Picard

- Live monthly Q&As

- Access to private facebook group and nonmedia forum to ask questions and connect with your cohort

- Access to optional in-person weekends

After Program Completion

What you will be able to do when you complete certification:

When you complete foundational certification, you will be able to support yourself, family and friends with nutritional and herbal interventions for common acute health issues, be able to make basic and advanced herbal preparations for sale or for family/friends/home use, and understand the basics of herbal energetics focused on the 6 tissue state model, along with basic herbal actions.

(This course will not prepare you for active clinical practice, but if you're interested in pursuing clinical practitioner certification, you may be interested in our Clinical Practitioner program!)

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction to Learning Herbal Medicine

    • Foundational Program Logistics-START HERE

    • Exploring Critical Thinking eBook with Traci Picard

    • Critical Thinking Class Part 1

    • Critical Thinking Class Part 2

    • Critical Thinking Class Part 3
  • 2

    Introduction to Materia Medica

    • Monograph Writing Class

    • Monograph Writing Class Transcript

    • A Guide to Monograph Writing-Foundational Program

    • Tea Tasting Example Video: Goldenrod

    • Tea Tasting Example Video: Hawthorn
  • 3

    A Philosophy For Herbal Practice

    • An Integrative Approach to Herbal Medicine Resources

    • BTG Resources Download

    • An Integrative Approach to Herbal Medicine Lecture 1

    • An Integrative Approach to Herbal Medicine Lecture 2

    • An Integrative Approach to Herbal Medicine Test
  • 4

    Herbal Medicine for Acute Care

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Class Notes

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Resources

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 1

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 2

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 3

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 4

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 5

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 6

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 7

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 8

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 9

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 10

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 11

    • Herbal Medicine for Acute Care Lecture 12
  • 5

    Applied Clinical Nutrition

    • Applied Clinical Nutrition Class Notes

    • Applied Clinical Nutrition Resources

    • Applied Clinical Nutrition Lecture 1: Metabolism and Carbohydrates

    • Applied Clinical Nutrition Lecture 2: Fats and Proteins

    • Lecture 3: Water Soluble Vitamins

    • Lecture 4: Fat Soluble Vitamins

    • Lecture 5: Minerals

    • Lecture 6: Physical Assessment of Nutrient Status

    • Nystagmus Example Video

    • Clinical Nutrition Study Guide-OPTIONAL
  • 6

    The Art and Science of Plant Medicine Making

    • Solvents

    • Weight to Volume Ratios

    • Infusions and Decoctions

    • Topicals - Poultices, Compresses and Fomentations

    • Macerations, and Making Stronger Extracts with Time, Heat and Agitation

    • Glycerites - The Sealed Simmer Method

    • Pressing and Straining Macerations

    • Solubility Using Different Preparation Methods

    • Medicinal Oils

    • Salves and Balms

    • The Application of Topical Herbs

    • How to Make Herbal Syrups

    • How to Make Herbal Vinegars

    • Making and Using Herbal Wines

    • The Art and Science of Plant Medicine Making Resources

Try Before You Buy

If you'd like to preview the type of content that's included in our programs, check out these videos:

Thyroid Physiology

Understanding the Thyroid

Fatigue Differentials

An Introduction to Fatigue Causes

Herbal Medicine Making

Solubility Using Different Preparation Methods

FAQ

  • How much time will this program take to complete?

    This program is 100% self paced, therefore the time it takes to complete it depends heavily on the amount of time you devote to the course. It takes folks anywhere between 3-12 months to complete generally.

  • Is there a prerequisite for this course?

    No, anyone is welcome to enroll!

  • What are the requirements for receiving my Foundational Herbalism Program certificate?

    - Complete all coursework

    - Pass all quizzes

    - Turn in and revise as needed all assignments

    - Complete 10 monograph papers

  • Does this course prepare me for active clinical practice?

    No, but if you're interested in training that will prepare you for active clinical practice, check out our full clinical program! This program is the first piece of our Clinical Practitioner program.

  • How much does this course cost?

    $1450.00 if paid in full, or 12 payments of $121.

  • Who do I contact if I have questions about enrolling in the Foundational Herbalism Program?

    Send an email to [email protected].

Join Us!

If you're looking for a program geared towards beginners, with a strong clinical focus, this is the course for you!

Get started now

Addressing Cost and Accessibility in Herbal Education:

 We know that herbal education can be expensive and difficult to access for some folks! We pride ourselves in offering quality education and clinical experience opportunities at costs lower than the average herbal program, as well as offering longer payment plans. But we know that some folks will still find our prices inaccessible. 

We currently offer a small number of partial and full scholarships based on equity and/or true financial need. We are also working on creating a formal equity scholarship program and hope to launch this in early 2025. 

Please email [email protected] to inquire about potential scholarship opportunities.