Advanced Herbalism in the Vitalist Tradition

Registration is CLOSED for this school year

Next year's registration will open in January 2025

453 total hours

124 online class hours + 329 independent study hours certified by the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism

September 11, 2024 - May 28, 2025

Wednesdays 11:00 am - 4:00 pm PST

(with lunch break from 1:00-2:00 pm)

This program is open to all graduates of

Footprints in Medical Herbalism

Program Overview

All classes are held in real-time* on Zoom

*Students may opt to watch the recordings of classes to meet attendance requirements

Our Advanced Herbalism program prepares the herbalist for becoming a clinical practitioner in the field of Vitalist Herbalism. Students will learn how to complete a full length client intake, perform a deep level case investigation by applying vitalist assessment skills and case analysis techniques. Students will practice the art of how to apply natural therapeutics and herbs to individual cases, and gain critical insights to perform subsequent follow up visits with a client for long term health transformations. This includes the necessary technical skills to write up a case for peer review and faculty feedback in a clinical setting.

This program features audio recorded lectures with Paul Bergner in pre-clinical training for the treatment of chronic disease as part of our flipped classroom model. While Paul's work is known worldwide and access to his teachings are available in a number of schools around the globe, this program offers a unique expression of his works. His 50 years of accumulated knowledge have been refined bringing a heightened skillset to the development of becoming a professional herbalist.

Students listen to Paul Bergner's audio recorded lectures as homework and then come to class where students participate in exercises and discussions to deepen their understanding with each lesson. This program provides practical applications in Materia medica, case assessment, clinical skills, therapeutics in chronic disease patterns, and the art of developing client practitioner relationships. This 'flipped' curriculum offers a higher retention of learning while gaining insight from shared experiences and faculty feedback.

Course Outline

Interview Skills

Interview Skills in the Vitalist Tradition
Getting the Story Right
Art of the Follow-up
Healing as a Spiritual Path

Materia Medica & Formulation

Advanced Herbal Actions and Formulation
Herbal Pairing and Modular Formulation
Herbal Safety
Materia Medica Differentials
Herbs for the Spiritual Heart

Case Analysis

Intake and Pattern Assessment
Case Analysis in the Vitalist Tradition
Case Studies in Vitalist Herbalism

Infectious Disease

Biofilms and Chronic Infections
Viral Infections

Nutrition and Metabolism

Nutrition in the Herbal Paradigm
Systemic Inflammation, Food Intolerance & Autoimmunity
Insulin Resistance
Obesity: Ethics and Harms

Therapeutics

Detoxification, Alteratives and the Liver
Fatigue Therapeutics & Adaptogens
Working with the Heavy Cannabis User
Hypothyroid

General Enrollment Information

Enrollment Extended - Application is due Sept 4th

You must have previous herbal education & training to apply (see Prerequisites below).
Prospective students must fill out an Application for enrollment & pay the Application Fee of $50.
You must have a High School diploma or equivalency to be accepted for enrollment.
You must be 18 years of age or older to attend classes.
Late enrollments will be accepted at the discretion of ACORN.

Prerequisites

This program requires proficient knowledge in the treatment of acute symptoms and basic medicine making skills, which are both covered extensively in our Footprints Program.

If you have more questions about your previous training, please contact the school to inquire.

For a complete list of the prerequisites needed in order to apply for this program, click below.

Prerequisites for Advanced Program

Academic Commitment

This program offers a rigorous study in the field of Clinical Herbalism.

While class time is held live only 4 hours a week, homework and independent study hours average about 6 hours a week.

A 90% class attendance and a completion of all program assignments is required in order to graduate.

Class Schedule & Calendar

First Day: September 11, 2024

Last Day: May 28, 2025

Classes are held on Wednesdays from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm PST, with a 1-hour lunch break.

Advanced Program Calendar 2024-25

How Class Works

Please read the Advanced Student Handbook for complete details

Regular Classes

Our weekly classes will be held in real-time online using Zoom. We want to replicate the in-person classroom environment as much as possible so we can grow and connect as a group. Regular class times are Wednesdays 11:00 am – 4:00 pm PST, with a lunch break from 1:00 - 2:00 pm.

Heather Luna is the primary classroom instructor. She will breakdown the course material in extensive detail, and show you how to apply these teachings to build an effective herbal practice. Paul Bergner joins our class as his schedule permits. He usually pops in to share key points, drop pearls of wisdom, and provide inspirational topics for discussion.

If you are unable to attend the live Zoom classes, you may opt to watch the recording for attendance. See below for details.

Attendance by Recordings

If a student cannot attend a live Zoom class, they may watch the Zoom class recording, take notes, complete the given assignments and submit their work within 2 weeks of the recorded class for attendance credit. Recordings will be uploaded to student drive files online for access and future reference.

Course Materials (from the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism)
Paul Bergner's recorded audio lectures are an essential aspect of our herbal learning environment. This material is the core curriculum that drives the entire program. Students listen to the audios for homework and complete projects before each class. This allows us to dive into discussion with real world case applications during class time. This experience offers a better method of learning than the typical classroom setting by deeper engagement with the most potent herbal curriculum offered anywhere in medical herbalism today. This method of learning enriches our online learning community experience.

The Advanced Program Course Materials is a library of digital files that includes: audio recorded lectures with Paul Bergner, notes and slides to accompany each lesson, data files, clinic forms, and PDF text references. See below for details.

Medicine Kits

Students receive a medicine kit at the beginning of the year with herbs to sample that are specific to topics we will be covering throughout the program. All students will receive a binder with printed notes and journal forms for completing projects at home.

Course Materials

from the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism

Audio recorded lectures with Paul Bergner for each module
Course Study Guides
Lecture Notes and Slides
Client Intake Forms and Case Assessment Worksheets
Materia Medica References
Herbal Safety Manuel
PDF Library of classic herbal texts including Priest and Priest, Lloyd, Felter, Cook, Ellingwood, Kneipp, and more
Healing Power of Minerals and Trace Elements by Paul Bergner (abridged)
The Healing Power of Ginseng and the Tonic Herbs by Paul Bergner
More than 800 pages of article reprints from the Medical Herbalism Journal containing publications in Advanced Herbal Therapeutics and Materia Medica

Tuition

Total Program Cost $4600

$400 - Tuition Deposit
$1200 - NAIMH Course Materials
$3000 - Tuition Balance (includes medicine making supplies)

Once you are accepted into the Advanced program you will receive an Enrollment Packet with complete details, due dates and next steps to help you prepare for the first day of school.

$1600 due by 8/28/24:

Tuition Deposit of $400 - This deposit counts towards your total tuition. We encourage you to pay your deposit as soon as you can to help offset the initial costs and hold your place in the program. The deposit also helps keep the monthly payments affordable.

NAIMH Course Materials Purchase of $1200 - The Course Materials must be purchased by this date. The cost of the Course Materials is in addition to tuition, is non-refundable, and is required to attend classes. Once payment has been made, you will receive a link to download these files.

Tuition Monthly Payment Plan

Once your Tuition Deposit and Course Materials are paid, you will have monthly payments. Tuition payments are auto-billed on the 1st Tuesday of the month (dates given below). Please contact ACORN directly to make custom payment arrangements.

Application Instructions

Applications will not be processed until the application fee is submitted. This fee pays our time to thoroughly review each person’s application, read their essay, and then schedule a private interview to discuss their enrollment. This is a non-refundable one-time payment.

Student Handbook - Read the School Policies section (pgs. 10-12) of the Student Handbook, scroll to the bottom of this page for the link.
Application - Fill it out online and save it to your device by adding your name in the file name, for example: “AP Application 2024-25_Your Name.pdf”
ID - Take a picture of your ID and save it to your device.
Herbal Certificate - Take a picture of your herbal certificate and save it to your device.
Essay - Write a one-page essay that describes your previous herbal education and what your goals are for your herbal education. Write the essay in a word processor and save the file as a .doc, .pdf, or share it as a Google Doc file to the email address below.
Application Fee – Pay the application fee using the payment button below.
Send an Email – Attach the following: Completed Application, copy of ID & your Essay.