The Intermediate Course reviews basic concepts in the first unit and then dives in deeper, working through each body system and discussing anatomy and physiology, wellness and imbalance, the herbs, their actions and energetics, their safety and side effects, and guidance for herbal formulation.
We devote one unit to food as medicine – using herbs and foods (and phytochemicals) to support wellness and to return to balance as well as alleviating common complaints like digestive distress, infection, etc, and include many recipes for infused vinegars, oils, and honeys, syrups, cordials, elixirs, so you can get experience making herbal medicine. We discuss wild edibles and wildcrafting and creating a materia medica. This would be a great opportunity for you to incorporate some of your local foods and herbs into your studies.
The bulk of the course walks through each body system one by one, devoting a unit to each system, including alimentary, immune, nervous, cardiovascular, liver, respiratory, and urinary systems, and discuss anatomy, physiology, balance, imbalance, herbal support, and appropriate materia medica. We end with a unit on herbs for children and common childhood complaints, as well as a bit on the legal issues related to herbalism.
You can view an outline for the Intermediate Course here.
Your enrollment comes with Lifetime Access to the course so you can enjoy your herbal studies at a pace that is most convenient to your schedule! We estimate the Intermediate Course takes approximately 175 study hours, but this will vary depending on the student. We suggest students complete the course in 2 years, and we provide a downloadable PDF of each unit and video transcript for offline study.
Students in our courses also have access to a vibrant Herbal Academy community page on Facebook so you can interact with peers and teachers. Upon completion of any of our foundational courses, you'll receive a certificate of completion that states you've completed the course under the direction of the Herbal Academy.