This is a course in the practical application of herbal medicine. In it, you'll learn all the fundamentals of how to prepare herbs and admininster them. This course discusses all of the major dosage forms that can be used to administer herbal remedies and the strengths and weakness of each. It provides information on how to prepare herbs for internal and topical administration, including numerous ways to use herbs topically and internally.
Class Outline
This class is taught via online instruction (webinar) with online learning activities and a course manual. The eight lessons in this course are:
Lesson 1. Dosage Forms
In this first lesson we explain why dosage form makes a difference. How an herb is prepared can alter its properties, so just because a tincture of a specific plant helps a particular condition, is no guarentee that a capsule or tea would do the same thing. Various methods of extraction or preparation can concentrate certain constituents from plants and lave others behind. We'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various dosage forms (capsules, tablets, powders, teas, decoctions, tinctures, glycerites, etc.) as well as the best extraction methods for various constituents and types of herbs.
Lesson 2. Raw Materials
In this lesson we discuss the proper way to harvest herbs, including considerations for ethical wildcrafting, and how to dry and store them. We'll also give guidelines for finding quality bulk herbs and prepared herbal products.
Lesson 3. Formulation and Dosages
In this lesson we'll talk about the principles of how to combine herbs into formulas. We'll also talk about preparation strengths (1:4 etc.) and how to calculate dosages based on age, weight and other factors.
Lesson 4. Liquid Preparations
In this lesson we'll discuss how to make liquid preparations of herbs, including alcohol tinctures, glycerites, syrups and vinegars.
Lesson 5. Oil-Based Extractions and Dried Extracts
In this lesson we'll discuss how to make herbal oils, salves, lotions and ointments. We'll also tell you how to make your own dried extracts.
Lesson 6. Energetic Preprations
In this lesson we'll talk about how essential oils are made and discuss how to make homeopathic preparations of herbs, including flower essences. We'll also talk about how to safely use essential oils, as well as uses for flower essences and homeopathic preprations of herbs.
Lesson 7. Topical Applications
In this lesson we'll talk about how to use herbs for gargles, mouthwashes, tooth powders, poultices, suppositories, boluses, eye washs, ear drops, linaments and massage oils. Putting the herb as close as possible to the tissues that need help is a very powerful way to use herbs.
Lesson 8. Herbal hydrotherapy
In this lesson we'll cover herbal enemas, douches, sweat baths, cold sheet treatment, fomentations and compresses, foot soaks and sitz baths.
About this Course
Required For: Family Herbalist Certification (FHC) and the Certified Herbal Consultant (CHC). Completion of the previous correspondence course Herbal Preparations and Applications meets this requirement for certification.
Prerequisites: None, but we recommend taking Fundamentals of Natural Healing and The ABC+D Approach to Natural Healing first.
Webinar: Classes are recorded and posted online.
Course Hours: Eight 1-1/2-hour webinars with about 28 hours of online activities and homework for a total of about 40 hours of study. It includes a 210-page course manual.
Course Fee: $247 for early registration, $50 discount for members of the herbiverse. Class include the Modern Herbal Dispensitory book by Steven Horne and Thomas Easley called.
Note: Completing this class requires that you make some of the herbal preparations discussed in the class and use them. This will require some additional expense for raw materials.
