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3 - Year Clinical Herbalist training program

Curriculum Outline

Year 1 ~ This year is a combination of hands-on apprenticeship and didactic time in the classroom, providing both direct experience with the plants and medicine-making and foundational knowledge in holistic physiology, energetic systems, and materia medica.

Course, Contact Hours:

Holistic Physiology 36
Exploring the Medicinal Landscape/Field Trip 24
Observation, Intuition & Intention: Many Ways to Learn from Plants 12
Experiential Apprenticeship 96
includes: cultivation; ethical wild-harvesting; stewardship of native botanical populations; harvesting, drying and processing herbs;
herbal preparations: teas, tinctures, salves, massage oils, lotions, hydrosols; introductory botany and plant identification; bioregional ecology and economics; sustainable living
Energetic Systems 40
includes: Four-element theory (Air, Fire, Water, Earth); Humoral theory (Sanguine, Choleric, Phelgmatic, Melancholic);magic and
the Quintessence, or Vital Force
Materia Medica (40 plants) 40
Food as Medicine 20
Introduction to Plant Chemistry and Herbal Actions 10
First Aid 4

Year 1 Total: 296 hours

Year 2 ~ This year will focus on understanding system dysfunctions (both energetically and physiologically), developing critical thinking and clinical strategies, and grounding in the skills of a practitioner.

Course, Contact Hours:

Pathophysiology 90
Herbal Therapeutics/Considerations for Special Populations 90
Herbal Preparations II 20
Pharmacology & Formulation 20
Applied Energetics II/Traditional Constitutional Assessments 50
Practitioner Skills/Rapport 50
Materia Medica II (40 plants) 50
Herbal Safety 10
Research Skills 10
Nutritional Supplementation 40
Intro to Clinic/Observation & Roundtable 60
Field Experience 10

Year 2 Total: 525 hours

Year 3 ~ This year brings the learning from the first two years to the clinical relationship. Primarily, the student will see clients under supervision in the community clinic, while also developing a business plan for their future work as an herbalist, and practice sharing their knowledge with the community.

Course, Contact Hours:

Supervised Clinical Practicum 200
Clinical Roundtable 90
Business Development 15
Skills for Complementary Professionals in Western Medical Paradigm 30 includes lab reading, communication skills
Materia Medica III (50 plants) 50
Community Teaching Practicum 10

Year 3 Total: 440 hours

Tuition

Year 1: $2500
Year 2: $5000
Year 3: $4000

Courses in Year 1 may be taken separately. To calculate cost, multiply the number of hours in the course by 12. Years 2 and 3 are to be taken as a whole. We welcome students with prior training or self-study. You may submit documentation of prior learning for review in order to enter into Year 2 or 3 without completion of previous courses with VCIH. Monthly payment plans are available. VSAC grants are available for Vermont residents and will cover much of the tuition cost for each year. Please contact VCIH for more information about either of these options.

back to the VCIH Home Page; back to current classes

how to apply