Home & Family Herbal Training Program
As seen in the Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation
A Virtual Beginner's Course in Herbalism
Prerequisite for The Harmony Way Professional Herbalism Training Program
Have you ever wanted to use herbs for the health and well-being of yourself and your family, but didn’t know where to begin or what was safe? Do you feel drawn to the plants for their amazing healing properties or for this sacred, ancestral wisdom? If this describes your situation, then please read on for more information about this training program:
Herbs and nourishing whole foods/spices are central components (that are older than humans) used to maintain balance and health in the body. However, it is not a “take this for that” mindset with herbalism (though it can be used that way in some cases with often less-than-mind-blowing results). Different conditions in the body tend to come with different energies. (ex. A common cold often has literal cold, damp energy, depending upon the symptoms and which virus is causing it.) There are a multitude of corresponding herbs in Western, Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other forms of herbalism that offer healing and balance. (ex. Depending upon the situation and individual, we would typically choose warming, drying herbs to help heal the common cold and relieve the symptoms.) However, which specific herb(s) might work best for a situation? Most cultures used what they had available that they knew worked well from previous generations' experience and was already growing in their area. In the modern world, we can opt for simple remedies or more complex ones, local or not, taking many factors into account.
This virtual program will teach you what is safe to use, what is not safe, cautions and contraindications, what is traditionally used for a variety of common conditions for family members and more about the history and applications of various foods, herbs and spices, as well as how to prepare and administer them effectively and safely. Herbs are powerful remedies for body, mind and spirit that are more needed now than perhaps ever before in modern history. The medicine and wisdom that the plants bring is invaluable and truly life-changing for all who experience it. Everything you need for yourself and your family is here in this program, one step at a time, without being overwhelming. It is created to be a full introductory course, primarily for Western Herbalism, appropriate for complete beginners up to those who are at an intermediate level or a bit more advanced.
This program is instructed by Michelle Caron (she/her/hers), a certified professional herbalist and herbal teacher, holistic health coach, Usui Reiki Master-Teacher and core shamanic practitioner and teacher with over 20 years of experience in alternative/holistic healing work and an additional 10 years of experience as a classroom teacher in secondary education. Michelle is the owner of Harmony Way and has been present at births, deaths and all other types of life transitions of body, mind and spirit throughout her career, where heart-centered listening, compassionate care, energetic and emotional healing and herbal wisdom were needed. More information about Michelle can be found here: https://www.harmonywayhealing.com/michelle-caron
This virtual program will teach you:
-How to create, correctly dose and safely apply/administer a variety of simple, effective herbal remedies for you and your family
-Some of the common vocabulary surrounding herbalism
-How to appropriately and deliciously incorporate nourishing herbs and spices into your seasonal cooking
-Misconceptions on social media about how herbs actually work
-Using all of your senses to work with herbs
-Herbal energetics, actions and effects on various systems of the body
-A variety of mostly simple to prepare teas, tinctures, oxymels, syrups, baths/soaks, lozenges, salves, poultices,
sprays, compresses, creams, flower essences, steams, infused oils, food recipes, natural cleaners and more to
help soothe, heal and gently nourish the body, mind and spirit
-Remedies for special populations: Children/newborns, elders, pets, parents/guardians-to-be, postpartum
parents/guardians, end of life/hospice care situations, autoimmune conditions, common fertility issues,
vegan lifestyles/diets and more
-Historical and traditional uses for herbs, as well as folk remedies and common clinical applications
-When NOT to administer herbal remedies vs. When it is appropriate
-Herbs and their safe use in combination with allopathic/modern medicine
-Common ailments (allergies/sinus/eye/ear issues, asthma, colds and flus, Covid-19, tummy troubles of all types,
headaches, anxiety, insomnia, skin conditions, grief,
menstrual issues, pregnancy and postpartum issues, arthritis, etc.) and how to soothe and heal them with
herbs, spices and nourishing foods
-Nutritional and other lifestyle recommendations for a variety of conditions
-How to connect more fully with your intuition and the wisdom of the plants
-Where to go for current, reliable information about herbs and evidence-based studies about them
-Growing culinary and/or medicinal herbs in a garden or on a windowsill
-Why herbal “medicine” is not recognized as true medicine in the US (though it is in many other countries) and is
not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment and when to seek medical advice
-Where/how to easily find high quality herbs that you can use for your remedies without breaking the bank
-Basic foraging safety, identification, sustainable herb use/sources and ethics
-Determining freshness of herbs/remedies
-Recommendations for further reading and learning
-Organizing and storing your herbs/remedies effectively
-How to know which herb(s) to use for a situation
-Additional areas covered will also depend upon the preferences/interests/experience levels of the group
…and many other areas of learning
This experiential (meaning not for academic/university credit) program is ideal for anyone (teens and older) who is interested in learning about recipes and remedies that will enrich health and wellness for self and family. It includes live classes that meet once per month virtually and e-books/notes/handouts/recipes, along with homework/projects for further learning that count toward full completion of the program. All classes and homework/projects must be completed. It is not a drop-in class, but requires a commitment of time, learning and working on yourself and your herbal knowledge. Upon completion of this course, you will receive a certificate.
This training program meets live, virtually one Saturday per month for three hours. It will not be recorded or saved. Primarily a lecture, class discussion and individual project-based course, students will be able to share feedback about their experiences with homework/projects at each class meeting, along with watching video and live demos, learning from lectures and time for Q & A at each class, as well as via email with the instructor between classes. There are ten classes total. This is over 30 hours of live learning with your teacher and a small group of fellow students, plus several additional hours of homework, projects, reading and communication with your instructor between monthly virtual learning sessions. You are expected to attend every class and to complete all of your homework/projects/reading each month. If you do not, you will not receive the certificate of completion.
Program Runs March through December -- 60+ Hours of Herbal Education
(10 live, virtual classes on Saturday mornings or afternoons)
*Registration for Next Program: Opens March 1st, 2024)
First 2023 Training Class Begins: March, 2024 (Date/Time TBA)
Please subscribe to the Harmony Way newsletter and social media accounts for updates about when registration will open for the next class session. Thank you!
To Register:
Email (harmonywayhealing@gmail.com) or get in touch via another way to let us know that you are ready to sign up for this course. Upon being accepted to the program, payments can be made through PayPal, debit/credit, Venmo or check. You will then receive a registration email with all meeting dates and more information. There is also a brief online registration form to complete (through HelloWorks), which will be sent to you via email at that time as well. After filling out the online form and receipt of payment, you are then considered fully registered for and committed to this learning program. Please consider realistically and thoughtfully how much time you have to dedicate to this learning program before applying for registration, since no refunds will be given.
Cost of Program:
There are two options for payment, a monthly payment plan or a one-time payment. The program cost is a sliding scale fee (meaning you pay what is affordable for you in your financial situation and for what this work means to you…for example, if you feel stable in your financial situation, you would pay the middle or upper end of the scale).
*For those who can prove extreme financial hardship/are on aid, retired seniors, veterans and students, the sliding scale starts lower. Anyone who is struggling to a severe degree financially, but would be committed to this course and really wants to learn, should get in touch to make private arrangements for payment/bartering/work for study exchange.
Monthly Payment Plan Sliding Scale:
$55-70 (Payable Prior to Class Each Month)
OR
One-Time Payment in Full Sliding Scale:
$515-700
Two Need-Based, Full-Paid Scholarships Available Exclusively for the BIPOC/AAPI Community
Please complete this application if you are interested:
QUESTIONS? If you have any questions about this training or would like to register,
please feel free to CONTACT US.
Bonus:
-For those registered in this training program who live locally (once it is safe to meet in person again) there may be bonus (and entirely optional), free "field trips," such as plant walks, at times outside of class that are exclusively for current and previous herbal students to demonstrate plants mentioned in the course and their habitats/medicinal and culinary gardens/herbal medicine/foraging and other relevant areas of herbalism.
This program, while geared specifically toward home and family issues, is great for hospice care workers, beginning herbalists, alternative health professionals, grandparents, parents/guardians and parents/guardians-to-be, teens and anyone looking to improve health with the assistance of herbalism.
*No refunds will be issued.
*If you have not paid in full and leave the program early, you will still owe the remainder of any payment plan money. Please take that into consideration before signing up for and committing to this learning program.
*By participating in this curriculum, it is understood that the contents shared within this program are NOT intended to give any medical advice, to diagnose or treat any illness(es) and that one should contact a physician for these matters, as well as for advice about medical diagnosis, lifestyle, medications, diet and exercise. Harmony Way/Michelle Caron claim NO responsibility for individual results regarding this curriculum and assume NO liability for any of the techniques, foods or herbs/remedies mentioned or for any other recommendations within the course materials. Please contact your medical professional for advice and further assessment and recommendations before changing any of your current lifestyle, medication, diet or exercise regimens.
