Herbal Workshops are presented by leaders in the field of Western Herbal Medicine, many of whom who have published books and articles and are internationally-renowned speakers.

In this course students learn to apply natural remedies – Acupuncture, Herbal Remedies, Homeopathics and others – to emergency situations both in the clinic and outside. Students learn to recognize and diagnose emergency conditions using biomedical techniques and provide effective therapy combining techniques learned in BMS221 and knowledge of natural healing remedies.

This practical course provides students with an education in the preparation of various herbal products that are required to be effective in the dispensary. The products that are made include Infusions, Tinctures, Syrups, Capsules, Flower Essences, Infused Oils, Herbal Baths, Liniments, Poultices, Fomentations, Salves, Balms and Creams. Each class focuses on one particular product and instructions is given about the use and effectiveness of each preparation. Students take home the products that they make in this class to use and experience themselves. Students are required to complete a practical presentation in class on a product of the student’s choice. This is an ideal class for anyone interested in making their own herbal remedies!

In the age of financial uncertainty, gardening skills are a sought after commodity. This comprehensive and practical 30-hour introduction to backyard gardening in the Pacific Northwest will provide beginners with the requisite skills, knowledge, and support to begin their own organic growing projects at home. At the end of the program participants understand plant growth requirements and how to provide them for a variety of annual and perennial plants, including food and medicinal crops; the role of a living soil system in growing healthy plants and know how to feed the soil using organic methods; basic gardening methods, including seeding, planting, watering, mulching, cold protection, pruning and container gardening; the role of beneficial species in suppressing pests and disease and know how to manage common insect, weed and disease problems organically; and how to extend and share the harvest.

This class gives students the opportunity to learn Herbal Medicine by exploring living plants as they exist in the natural world. Students learn proper identification of medicinal plants and the types of environments in which they naturally grow.

Students build relationships with the plants that they will be using to create medicines for their patients. During the classes, students use organoleptic skills to experience the herbs, which includes tasting, smelling and observing teas, tinctures, oils and raw plant material.  This course examines the following herbs: Arnica, Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bearberry, Black Cohosh, Borage, Buchu, Calendula, Cayenne, Chamomile, Cleavers, Comfrey, Corydalis, Cramp bark, Dandelion root/leaf, Echinacea, Elderflower/berry, Elecampane, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Hawthorn berry/leaf, Holy basil, Horse chestnut, Lavender, Lemon balm, Liquorice, Marshmallow root/leaf, Meadowsweet, Milk thistle, Mullein, Nettle root/leaf, Oat straw/seed, Oregon grape, Passionflower, Peppermint, Plantain, Raspberry leaf, Red Clover, Reishi, Rosemary, Sage, Siberian ginseng, Skullcap, Thyme, Turmeric, Valerian, Vitex, Willow, Yarrow

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Systems of energetics are ways of describing and classifying patterns of disease and properties of plants that provide a basis for herbal therapeutics. In this course, we examine the energetic systems that inform traditional western herbalism. These include the intuitive approach to plant medicine that underlies all energetic systems, the four elements of Greek and Egyptian medicine, the four humours of European medicine and the insights of the Physiomedicalist and Eclectic physicians of the nineteenth century. Students learn to translate the principles of these systems to a contemporary context and apply them in their practice.

Students learn to create customized treatment plans for patients. This includes the use of herbal preparations and diet and lifestyle counselling. Students also learn how to determine the effectiveness of treatment and the limitations of herbal medicine therapeutics within these conditions.

The course introduces students to the foundations of holistic nutrition. The roles of macronutrients are discussed along with where to source them in the diet and key strategies for optimizing absorption and assimilation. This course outlines dietary approaches for addressing inflammatory conditions, consider basic supplementation protocols, and introduce medicinal foods.

Students study the scope of practice for herbalists in Canada. They are shown career options post graduation of the CHP program, along with the understanding of the Herbal Regulation in Canada and sourcing of medicinal ingredients/supplies to start up their own product line. As the field of Herbal Medicine is growing and expanding, concerns regarding ethics of sourcing our plants is imperative for continued survival of our medicinal plants. Discussions also consist of at-risk plants from the United Plant Savers list and social movements towards sustainable transparent sourcing. Specific plants are discussed such as Ulmus rubra (Slippery elm), Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal), Echinacea spp (Purple Coneflower), Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh), Ligusticum porteri (Osha), and Dioscorea villosa (Wild Yam). 

Learning Objectives:

• Natural Health Product Directorate and Natural Health Products lecture
• Discussions on sourcing supplies, Cosmetic language for labeling and product line setup
• Current herbal medicine industry standards, the ethical and sustainable issues currently
• Discussion of the the at-risk plants from the United Plant Savers list,
• Understanding Development of Good Wild Crafting Practices, and social movements towards sustainable transparent sourcing