Learning to Rise to the Health Challenges of Our Times
Are you looking to delve into a deep study of herbalism?
Join clinical herbalists Oren Hercz and Ember Peters for a year long intensive intermediate program that will give you the tools and knowledge you need to strengthen your herbal skills.
Our health cannot be separated from the earth that nourishes us.
The growing epidemic of chronic illness is deeply entwined with a disconnected stressed out culture, degradation of the earth and societal inequalities. Lack of adequate healthcare is leading many to embrace the healing potential of herbal medicine to care for ourselves and our communities. And for good reason! Herbalism offers a joyful and effective healing path that connects us with our own bodies, each other, and the natural rhythms of the earth.
Through herbalism we can glimpse a world of balance, respect, accessibility, and empowered healthcare.
We know that an herbal education that builds your skills and confidence must be rooted in the land, relationship, community and direct experience.
Our goal is to teach you an approach to herbalism that is ethical, safe and effective, giving you a solid foundational understanding that is immediately applicable to your life. This program has a balance of both hands-on and academic learning, designed to support you in learning through your own experience and applying what you learn directly.
Ten monthly live weekend intensives allow you to learn in community with your peers, while the pre-recorded videos to watch between the weekends offer you flexibility to go at your own pace. You can join weekend classes in person or online, offering the opportunity to live anywhere while studying with us. Whether you’re looking to support yourself, your family, or eventually your community, this program is designed to give you the skills and tools you need to be a competent herbalist.
The times we live in deeply need the skills, intention, and heart that herbalists can offer.
Come join us! Our goal is to grow a base of knowledgeable herbalists across the region, who can support the day to day health of friends and family.
Our Approach
As holistic herbalists, we see living systems as more than the sum of their parts. We believe that all living things have a drive towards health, and we simply try to remove obstacles to our natural thriving. We focus on supporting the body to have what it needs to heal - an approach that can be both gentle, profound and extremely effective. We also recognize systemic obstacles to our health (such as socioeconomic barriers and marginalization) and that we are part of complex communities and ecosystems that impact our health much beyond our personal choices.
Oren and Ember both practice through a holistic lens that integrates traditional energetic systems with scientific research. We value the wisdom and experience within traditional systems of healing which can then be deepened and validated by modern scientific research.
In this program we will also explore how to be in a healthy relationship with the earth, to be stewards to the land and to be present for all the complexities that come with that. While we don’t have all the answers, we are committed to asking deep questions about how to tread with integrity on this earth.
The Details - Logistics
Course Structure
The course is designed to provide the flexibility of online learning combined with the interaction, hands-on skills building, and magic of a live group. It is broken down as follows:
There are 10 weekend intensives (one per month except December) on the beautiful South Shore of Nova Scotia. They can be joined in-person or live online through a live-streamed Zoom link.
The tentative dates for the 2024-2025 weekend intensives are:
2024 - May 4-5, June 1-2, July 6-7, August 16-18 (camping trip), Sept. 28-29, October 26-27, November 23.-24
2025 - January 25-26, February 22-23, March 22-23
One of the in-person weekends is an immersive camping trip at the amazing Gaspereau Mountain Herb Farm & Botanical Sanctuary (August 16-18).
In between monthly weekends, there will be 8-12 hours of online classes to review. These classes will be discussed and workshopped at the next live gathering.
Curriculum
There are a combined total of about 250 classroom hours. Courses in this program include:
Materia Medica
Herbal Therapeutics
Anatomy and Physiology
Energetics
Plant Ecology
Intro to Phytochemistry
Holistic Nutrition
History and Ethics of Herbalism
Plant Connection
Making Herbal Preparations
Click here to see the curriculum in more detail.
Live Dates and Location
The next cohort of this program will begin in May 2024, and run until March 2025. We meet one weekend every month, excluding December. Exact dates are currently being confirmed and will be released shortly.
In-person sessions will be held at the South Shore Waldorf School in Blockhouse, NS.
Tuition
Tuition for the program is $3975 + HST. Monthly payment plans will be available.
There are a limited number of 25% and 50% reduced-rate spots for lower income folks. These spots will be prioritized for earlier applications as well as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour
You can register here.
Questions and Answers
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We teach from our own experience. We are both practising herbalists who are working with clients regularly. We tend herb gardens, make medicine for our clients, and have a deep relationship with the lands we live on.
We are committed to learning to be good teachers, where we try to explain complex concepts in an accessible way for our students. We try to accommodate different learning styles. We are committed to our students being able to implement the knowledge and skills learned in this program.
We encourage critical thinking and active discussion. We don’t know everything, and in order to be clear about what we do know, we think it’s important to also know the limits of our knowledge and experience.
As far as we know, this is the only comprehensive, in-depth, in-person program of its kind currently being offered in the maritimes.
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This program is for people passionate about herbalism who have a beginner level understanding through either self study or a beginner program. We are looking for our students to come with a basic understanding of herbal terminology like herbal actions, and some experience taking plants as medicine.
We want to shape a learning community based on values of mutual respect, non-judgement, anti-racism, trans-inclusivity, acceptance of all bodies, and overall accessibility. While we don’t expect or need our students to already have familiarity with these values, we do expect people to be willing to learn and be challenged.
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We hope to bring the best of both worlds: maximizing the benefits of live group learning and virtual learning formats that can be done on your own time.
Live group learning is indispensable for the practice of herbalism in terms of building relationships with the plants and learning hands-on skills like medicine making. It also helps build accountability as we all need to show up for each other.
We also value the relational aspect of building community together. We chose a weekend intensive model with the intention to be more accessible to people from across the region to be able to attend in-person.
Complementing this live experience are pre-recorded videos, discussion forums, resources, class notes and assessments. This allows for watching and reviewing lectures at your own pace. All live classes will also be recorded and accessible for review on your own time.
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The Herbal Association of Nova Scotia requires 1000 total classroom education hours. This program will provide at least 250 hours. This program will prepare you to pursue your studies with a variety of clinical/professional programs that can help you reach the rest of the required hours.
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Both Oren and Ember offer shorter beginner programs in person as well as occasional online program. Check out their individual websites to learn more.
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Yes! We offer an online only option of the program. Online participants will be able to join the live sessions through a video feed and online chat to interact with the class. You can specify you are an online only student on the application. You are also welcome to make the trip down to some in-person classes as you are able.
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No, accommodations are not included. Students are required to find their own accommodations. Our hope is that local students can open their spaces to classmates needing a place to stay for the weekend intensives.
“Choosing to enroll in this program was the right decision. I got to build upon my existing knowledge while challenging myself with more formal herbal education. The course is very well organized and has something for everyone, whether it be for family & self care or working towards more formal herbalist training. I'm very grateful to Ember and Oren for sharing their expertise with me and my cohort.”
— Sarah Densmore, Student