Courses for the Holistic Healer

The Herbalists’ Charter
Ordained by Henry VIII, 1543

Be it ordained, established and enacted, by Authority of this present Parliament, That at all Time from henceforth it shall be lawful to every Person being the King's subject, having Knowledge and Experience of the Nature of Herbs, Roots and Waters, or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice, within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other of the King's Dominions, to practice, use and minister in and to any outward Sore, Uncome Wound, Aposelmations, outward Swelling or Disease, any Herb or Herbs, Ointments, Baths, Pultess, and Emplaisters, according to their Cunning, Experience and Knowledge in any of the Diseases, Sorea and Maladies before said, and all other like to the same, or Drinks for the Stone, Strangury or Agues, without suit, vexation, trouble, penalty or loss of their goods.


Barefoot Doctors

Barefoot doctors (simplified Chinese: 赤脚医生; traditional Chinese: 赤腳醫生; pinyin: chìjiǎo yīshēng) were healthcare providers who underwent basic medical training and worked in rural villages in China. They included farmers, folk healers, rural healthcare providers, and recent middle or secondary school graduates who received minimal basic medical and paramedical education. Their purpose was to bring healthcare to rural areas where urban-trained doctors would not settle. They promoted basic hygiene, preventive healthcare, and family planning and treated common illnesses.  The name comes from southern farmers, who would often work barefoot in the rice paddies, and simultaneously worked as medical practitioners.

The barefoot doctors usually graduated from secondary school and then received three to six months of training at a county or community hospital. Training was focused on epidemic disease prevention, curing simple ailments that were common in the specific area. In general, preventative care, vaccinations, and disease identification were skills taught to barefoot doctors-in-training.

American Association of Drugless Practitioners (https://aadp.net/)

American Herbalists Guild (https://americanherbalistsguild.com/)

----- The following courses will help you develop your knowledge as a holistic healer. I have taken many (although certainly not all) of the listed courses and have tried to list courses that I found useful and others that seem like they would be of interest and are available for free or at low-cost. Included in this list are classes on ecology, gardening (you should be able to grow your own herbs), and classes on cultural awareness (it is important to understand how other cultures view medicine and the promotion of health). There are advantages to online study - you can study at your own pace and review material as many times  as you like - but it is also essential that one get out into the field and put into practice what is learned through academic study. Provide healthcare to your friends and family, work with Street Medics, and if you are in a position to do so join a Medicine Lodge. ----- 

 

Alison (https://alison.com/)

        * Ayurveda: The Science of Life (3-hours)
        * Basics of Herbal Medicine (4-hours)
        * Basics of Herbalism (2-hours)
        * Homoeopathy - Principles and Practice of Treatment (2-hours)
        * Introduction to Bach Flower Remedies (3-hours)
        * Introduction to Herbal Medicine and Natural Healing (3-hours)
        * Understanding Homeopathy (2-hours)

@ Note: Alison courses are free, but there is a fee if you want a certificate. While the information presented in Alison courses is valuable, there is little need or value in purchasing a certificate for these short courses.   


American Medical College of Homeopathy

        * Self-Help Courses (https://www.amcofh.org/homeopathic-self-help-course/) (5 or 6-hours) ($30)

@ Note: AMCoH offers a series of online homeopathy self-help courses. Courses are 5-6 hours apiece and cost $29.95 each.


Centre of Excellence (https://www.centreofexcellence.com/)

    > Herbalist Courses
        * Advanced Homeopathy
        * Advanced Master Herbalist
        * Ayurvedic Herbalism
        * Foraging
        * Herb Gardening
        * Herbal Compendium
        * Introduction to Homeopathy
        * Learn to Heal with Herbs
        * Master Herbalist
        * Naturopathy
        * Psychotropic Plants
        * Traditional Chinese Medicine

@ Note: While the list prices of Centre of Excellence courses are fairly expensive, frequent promotions and discount codes makes these courses available for 29 British Pounds (about $38 each).


Center for World Indigenous Studies (https://www.cwis.org/study-with-us/our-courses/)

        * Native Roots - Greener Future (3.5 hours)


Central Oregon Community College

        * Certificate in Energy Medicine (https://www.ed2go.com/cocc/online-courses/energy-medicine-reiki-therapy/) (10-hours) ($69)
        * Cert. in Complementary and Integrative Health (https://www.ed2go.com/courses/health-and-fitness/wellness/ilc/alternative-complementary-medicine-certificate) (24-hours) ($159)


Chinese University of Hong Kong

        * Everyday Chinese Medicine (https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-chinese-medicine) (9-hours)
        * Everyday Chinese Medicine 2 (https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-chinese-medicine-2) (3-hours)


Curanderimso (The Art of Mexican Folk Healing) in the Southwest and Mexico. (https://curanderismo.unm.edu/coursera.html)

@ Note: Curanderimso (like many other courses offered through Coursera) may be audited for free. There is however a fee if you want to take course exams and earn a certificate of completion.


Global Healing Systems  (https://www.ed2go.com/eie/online-courses/global-healing-systems-certificate/) (13-hours) ($89)


Herbalista Free School (https://herbalista.org/free-school/)

    All courses are Free, Self-Paced and you can Enroll At Any Time. These courses consist of video lectures, handouts, recipes, detailed resource listings, and more for a well rounded course. We end each lecture section with suggested “herbwork” to help you put what you’ve learned into action and even offer a few optional quizzes for folks who like them.  You are free to jump around, concentrating only on the sections you’d like to focus on, or you can follow the courses from start to finish.

        * Herbal Foundations Course
        * In The Field Course
        * Herbal Medicine Making Course


Home Herb School

        * Free Herbalism Mini Course (https://homeherbschool.thinkific.com/courses/free-online-herbalism-course)
        * Twelve courses available for monthly subscription fee ($12), or purchase single course for $30 - $40.


Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

        * Health Concepts in Chinese Medicine (https://www.coursera.org/learn/health-concepts-chinese-medicine) (11-hours)


Human Path - Herbal Medics Academy (https://herbalmedics.academy/)

        * SHTF Herbal Medicine and Wilderness First Aid (On-Demand) (16-hours) ($200)


International Maharishi AyurVeda Foundation

        * Introduction to Maharishi AyurVeda (https://www.miu.edu/introduction-to-mav-course) (10-hours)


Leave No Trace (https://lnt.org/)

        * Leave No Trace 101 Course
        * Leave No Trace Backcountry Course (https://learn.lnt.org/courses/backcountry)


Lost Skills Academy (https://thelostskillsacademy.com/)

        * Lost Remedies (Certified Herbalist) with Nicole Apelian (5-hours) ($39)
        * Amish Ways ($39)

Oklevueha Native American Church (https://oklevuehanac.com/)


Ontario Herbalists Association (https://ontarioherbalists.ca/indigenous-canada-free-online-course/)

        * Indigenous Canada (https://www.ualberta.ca/en/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html)


Rosemary Gladstar

        * Science & Art of Herbalism (https://scienceandartofherbalism.com/product/the-classic-printed-plus-online-course/) (150-hours) ($525)
        * The Foundations of Herbalism Online (https://scienceandartofherbalism.com/product/the-foundations-of-herbalism/) (8-hours) ($40)


Scholistico (https://scholistico.com/)

        * Naturopathy Practitioner Online Certification Course (https://scholistico.com/product/naturopathy-practitioner-training-course/) (44-hours) ($145)
        * Holistic Health Practitioner Certification (https://scholistico.com/product/holistic-health-practitioner-online-training-course/) (35-hours) ($295)


School of Self-Reliance with Christopher Nyerges (https://www.schoolofself-reliance.com/)

        * Discover the Treasure of Riparian Plants (2-hours) ($45)
        * Wilderness Survival (10-hours) ($180)


Stanislaus State University

        * Handling Medical Emergencies (https://www.ed2go.com/eie/online-courses/handling-medical-emergencies/) (24-hours) ($135)

Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures (https://swallowtail.ca/) ($168)

Udemy

        * Growing Organic Food on Small Plots - Made Easy (https://www.udemy.com/course/organicgardeningtrainingcntr_organics4orphans/) (12.5-hours)


Universal Class (https://www.universalclass.com/)

    > Alternative Medicine
        * All About Herbs (5-hours)
        * Anatomy & Physiology 101 (21-hours)
        * Aromatherapy 101 (9-hours)
        * Aromatherapy - Intermediate to Advanced (8-hours)
        * Backcountry Safety (10-hours)
        * Ecology (14-hours)
        * Energy Healing (5-hours)
        * Homeopathy 101 (7-hours)
        * Introduction to Gardening (6-hours)
        * Nutrition 101 (7-hours)
        * Nutrition 201 (12-hours)
        * Reiki Levels 1-5 (34-hours)
        * Relaxation 101 (9-hours)
        * Spiritual Counseling (8-hours)

@ Note: Enroll in Universal Class through the Timberland Regional Library (or your local public library) to take courses for free.

University of Colorado

        * Wilderness First Aid (https://www.coloradowm.org/basic-wilderness-first-aid-course-online/) ($95)
        * Wilderness First Aid Specialization (https://www.coursera.org/specializations/wilderness-first-aid)


University of Utah - Advanced Wilderness Life Support (https://awlsmedstudents.org/)

        * Associate in Wilderness Medicine (https://www.awls.online/associate-in-wilderness-medicine)



--- Websites ---

A Beginner’s Guide to Traditional Native American Medicine & Herbalism (https://www.gaiaherbs.com/blogs/seeds-of-knowledge/traditional-native-american-medicine)

Cascadia Bioregion (https://cascadiabioregion.org/)

Celtic Harp and Flute - Healing Music - Deeply Relaxing and Soothing Music (YT Video) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aqQvH162y8)

Foraging in the Pacific Northwest and Canada (https://www.northernbushcraft.com/)

Hesperian Health Guides (https://hesperian.org/) *Where There Is No Doctor*

Singing Bowls (YT Video) (https://www.youtube.com/@fantasyfromthatworld-ec3vs/videos)