Who is this for?

For folks wanting to learn about localised herbal medicine from the ground up. You may be a beginner or have some experience, but this course allows you to deep dive into a herbal practice. This course brings together grass roots folk herbalism and the more clinical, science-based understanding of plant medicine in health and the human body. This course does not set you up to be a Clinical Herbalist or Naturopath, but instead brings you into an empowered relationship with herbs, giving you the understanding and the skills you need to use herbal medicine safely and effectively. Small, intimate group allows plenty of space for building connections, discussion and asking questions.

Commitment:

In person - one full day per month from June - November 2024 from 9am - 4.30pm. Dates for these sessions are as follows:

2 June, 30 June, 28 July, 25 August, 29 September, 27 October and 24 November

Monthly online meet up - mid month we’ll host a drop in online meet up where participants can ask questions or check in about their home projects or experimentation. This will be for around 1 hour and is optional.

Home play - each month we will offer opportunities to put things we’ve learnt into practice with ‘home play’.This involves a diverse range of home projects and experiments; from dietary experimentation, food as medicine recipes and fermenting to herbal dosing experiments, herbal medicine making and starting to grow your own medicine. Home play is an offering and participants can do nothing or everything depending on their capacity.

Online chat group - there will also be an online chat group (through the Signal app) for sharing experiences and asking questions. Monica and Caitlyn will be available throughout each month to support you in all of your explorations between sessions.

Exchange:

Caitlyn and Monica are both Clinical Naturopaths, bringing their years of both clinical and grass roots herbal practice and teaching into each session. They share their experience in clinical practice, medicinal herb uses, home herbalism, medicine making, herb growing, harvesting and drying.

Participants will bring to the group their own experience, whether a complete beginner or with their own herbal practice.

We all bring a willingness to learn, share and be curious.

Participants will bring to the group their own life/herbal experience and their curious minds, whether a complete beginner or with their own herbal practice.

We all bring a willingness to learn, share and be curious.

Participants are asked to contribute financially, this is on a sliding scale based on means. The fee for the 6 month course is self-selected on a scale between $700 - $1400 paid up front or in monthly instalments from $100-$200 per month (this will be invoiced each month before each session).

There will be one scholarship place available. This is available to folks facing barriers to accessing herbal education or healthcare. This participant will not need to make any financial contribution. Please enquire if you would like more information on this.

Included in the course:

The course consists of 7 in person, full day sessions. Each full day session is structured so that we do theory in the morning and practical learning in the afternoon.

Comprehensive Coursebook: including information and resources on each herb covered, body systems, herb growing, manufacturing and medicine making.

Practical sessions:

• Growing - seeding, propagation, planning your herb garden

• Growing - Leaf and Flower harvesting, drying and processing. Tea making

• Growing - Root harvesting drying and processing

• Wild foraging + sourcing and sustainability

• Medicine making - infused oils, succus, balms and salves

• Herbal extracts including percolated tinctures, macerations, glycetracts and acetracts. Fresh and dried herb extracts.
  

Theory sessions:

• Digestion

• Reproductive / Menstrual health

• Nervous System and Sleep

• Immune and Respiratory System

• Pathways of Elimination - Liver, Lymph, Kidneys, Skin

• Endocrine System - Adrenals, Thyroid, Metabolism

• Cardiovascular System - Heart Health and Circulation

In each theory session, we cover around 6 herbs in depth including how to use them, preparations, safety, constituents, herbal actions and more. In each body system we cover the pathophysiology to get an in depth understanding of how each system works. Over the 6 months we will see how each system interacts, highlighting the interconnectedness of the body as a whole. By the end of the 7 sessions you’ll feel confident with an in-depth knowledge of 36+ herbs.

Organoleptic sessions - get in touch with your senses and really get to know the herbs beyond the textbooks.Tasting the herbs in different forms (tea, fresh herb, tincture, infused oil etc) gives an embodied learning and understanding of herbs that you can’t get from reading a book.

Home play - Deepen your experience and connection with herbs through guided and supported (optional) home projects, readings and activities for self reflection. This facilitates a greater embodiment of and insight into your herbal practice between in-person sessions.

Location:

In-person sessions will happen in Hobart with excursions to the surrounds for practical sessions (within 1 hour of Hobart). Carpooling will be arranged.