Foundations for Clinical Herbalism: Prerequisite Course

This 15-hour prerequisite course is designed to provide essential knowledge for anyone interested in taking our single online classes or learning our philosophy on building and maintaining health.

The course covers a comprehensive introduction to our 5 Realms Model, offering a holistic framework for understanding health. We’ll dive into critical concepts like scope of practice, red flag referrals, and the importance of a strong foundational approach to health that encompasses nutrition, sleep, rest and restoration, movement/exercise, and mental health.
Throughout the course, you’ll have access to recorded audio and video lessons, accompanied by written transcripts for easy reference. There will be self-guided quizzes to help reinforce your learning, with a test on red flags and scope of practice that must be passed before you can sign up for our single classes.

While this course includes foundational material, it is not a certificate program, and it does not cover how to use herbs, live classes, assignments, or office hours. It’s a focused, self-paced resource meant to prepare you for more advanced learning in our specialized classes, not for using herbs. If you are interested in this material in an in-depth, hands on format, check out our full foundational program below.
Foundational Herbalism Program

Foundations for Clinical Herbalism: Prerequisite Course

Whether you’re aiming to take our single classes or simply want to learn more about our approach to holistic health, this course provides the essential knowledge every clinical-level student should understand.

By completing this course, you’ll be ready to dive deeper into our specialized herbal education offerings with a strong foundation that ensures your success and safety in practice. Enroll now and join us on an exploration to rethink health, disease, and the role of herbal medicine in healthcare!

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome To Your Prerequisite Classroom

    • Instructions for Prerequisite Classroom

    • Prerequisite Class Questions for Thomas (for live discussion session)
  • 2

    A Practical Philosophy Of Herbal Medicine

    • Welcome To The Five Realms

    • Part 1: Intro and Orgins of the Five Realms

    • Part 1: Intro and Orgins of the Five Realms

    • Part 2: The Realm of Health

    • Part 2: The Realm of Health

    • The Realm of Health: Key Concepts

    • Part 3: The Realm of Maladaptations

    • Part 3: The Realm of Maladaptations

    • The Realm of Maladaptations: Key Concepts

    • Part 4: The Realm of Disease

    • Part 4: The Realm of Disease

    • The Realm of Disease: Key Concepts

    • Part 5: The Realm of Experience

    • Part 5: The Realm of Experience

    • The Realm of Experience: Key Concepts

    • Part 6: The Realm of Eco-Sociocultural Political Context

    • Part 6: The Realm of Eco-Sociocultural Political Context

    • Part 7: Herbal Medicine and The Dance Of The Realms

    • Part 7: Herbal Medicine and The Dance Of The Realms

    • Part 8: Conclusion

    • Part 8: Conclusion

    • Assessing Health in the Realm of Health

    • Behavioral Change in The Realm of Health
  • 3

    Scope of Practice For Herbalists

    • Audio: A Legal and Ethical Look at Mainstream Scope of Practice

    • A Legal and Ethical Look at Mainstream Scope of Practice Transcript

    • Audio: Defining Scope of Practice for Herbalists

    • Defining Scope of Practice for Herbalists Transcript

    • Assignment: Finding Your Edges

    • Scope of Practice: Red Flags and Referrals Part 1 Video

    • Red Flags and Referrals Part 1 Transcript

    • Assignment: Red Flags Quiz Part 1

    • Scope of Practice: Red Flags and Referrals Part 2 Video

    • Red Flags and Referrals Part 2 Transcript

    • Red Flags Quiz Part 2 Quiz
  • 4

    Building Health

    • Welcome to Building Health + Learning Physiology Resources

    • Audio: Building Health: An Exploration of Diet and Nutrition

    • Building Health: An Exploration of Diet and Nutrition

    • Audio: Chapter 1: How We Know What We Know in Nutritional Science: Evidence, Gaps, Controversies and The Need for Epistemic Humility

    • Chapter 1: How We Know What We Know in Nutritional Science: Evidence, Gaps, Controversies and The Need for Epistemic Humility

    • Quiz: How We Know What We Know

    • Audio: Chapter 2: Body Systems Review: A Nutritional Perspective

    • Chapter 2: Body Systems Review: A Nutritional Perspective

    • Quiz: Review of Body Systems

    • Audio: Chapter 3: Introduction to Energy Production

    • Chapter 3: Introduction to Energy Production

    • Quiz: Energy Production

    • Audio: Chapter 4: Carbohydrates and Vitamins for Energy Production

    • Chapter 4: Carbohydrates and Vitamins for Energy Production

    • Quiz: Carbs and Vitamins for Energy Production

    • Audio: Chapter 5: Proteins and Blood-Building Nutrients

    • Chapter 5: Proteins and Blood-Building Nutrients

    • Quiz: Proteins and Blood Building Nutrients

    • Audio: Chapter 6: Fats and Fat-Soluble Vitamins

    • Chapter 6: Fats and Fat-Soluble Vitamins

    • Quiz: Fats and Fat-Soluble Vitamins

    • Audio: Chapter 7: Bone-Building Nutrients

    • Chapter 7: Bone-Building Nutrients

    • Quiz: Bone-Building Nutrients

    • Audio: Chapter 8: Water and Electrolytes

    • Chapter 8: Water and Electrolytes

    • Quiz: Water and Electrolytes

    • Audio: Chapter 9: Trace Minerals and Their Functions

    • Chapter 9: Trace Minerals and Their Functions

    • Quiz: Trace Minerals and Their Functions

    • Audio: Chapter 10: Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

    • Chapter 10: Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

    • Quiz: Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

    • Audio: Chapter 11: Nutrient Interactions and Common Dietary Restrictions

    • Chapter 11: Nutrient Interactions and Common Dietary Restrictions

    • Quiz: Nutrient Interactions and Common Dietary Restrictions

    • Nutrient Density Awareness Assignment

    • Guide: Adding foods to your Cronometer diary

    • Guide: Create a custom recipe in Cronometer

    • Guide: How to access nutritional information on Cronometer

    • Audio: Movement Intro and Chapter 1: Movement as Nutrition

    • Movement Intro and Chapter 1: Movement as Nutrition

    • Quiz: Movement As Nutrition

    • Audio: Movement Chapter 2: Movement is More Than Exercise

    • Movement Chapter 2: Movement is More Than Exercise

    • Quiz: Movement is More Than Exercise: Embracing a Holistic Approach to Physical Activity

    • Audio: Movement Chapter 3: Movement as a Birthright

    • Movement Chapter 3: Movement as a Birthright

    • Quiz: Movement as a Birthright: Embracing Diversity and Inclusion in Human Movement

    • Audio: Movement Chapter 4: Recovery-Driven Movement

    • Movement Chapter 4: Recovery-Driven Movement

    • Quiz: Recovery-Driven Movement: Optimizing Health and Performance Through Balanced Adaptation

    • Audio: Movement Chapter 5: Embodied Movement

    • Movement Chapter 5: Embodied Movement

    • Quiz: Embodied Movement: Cultivating Presence, Awareness, and Integration in Physical Practice

    • Audio: Movement Chapter 6: Movement is Fascial

    • Movement Chapter 6: Movement is Fascial

    • Quiz: Movement is Fascial: The Living Web of Human Movement

    • Audio: Movement Chapter 7: Movement is Neural and Movement Conclusion

    • Movement Chapter 7: Movement is Neural and Movement Conclusion

    • Quiz: Movement is Neural: The Dance of Mind and Body

    • Audio: An Introduction to Mental Health and Resiliency – It’s Complicated

    • An Introduction to Mental Health and Resiliency – It’s Complicated

    • Audio: Building Health: Rest and Restoration Part 1

    • Audio: Building Health: Rest and Restoration Part 2

    • Building Health: Rest and Restoration

    • Quiz: Rest and Restoration

    • Audio: Building Health: Connection

    • Building Health: Connection

    • Audio: Interpersonal Connections

    • Interpersonal Connections

    • Audio: Fostering Healthy Connections

    • Fostering Healthy Connections

    • Building Mental Health and Resiliency: Cultivating Coherence

    • Sense of Coherence: A Framework for Understanding Intangible Health Factors

    • Audio: Sense of Coherence: A Framework for Understanding Intangible Health Factors
  • 5

    Mental Health

    • An Introduction to Mental Health and Resiliency – It’s Complicated

    • Audio: An Introduction to Mental Health and Resiliency – It’s Complicated

Addressing Cost and Accessibility in Herbal Education:

 In the spirit of accessibility, we offer a limited number of need-based equity and community service scholarships for this program. We are also committed to finding new ways to offer more scholarships in the future. Please email Mel at: [email protected] for more information or to apply.

Foundations for Clinical Herbalism: Prerequisite Course

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