Midwest School of Herbal Studies

Programs Available from the Midwest School of Herbal Studies 1. Western-Herbalism Certificate Program (approx. 1 year) 2. Master-Herbalist Diploma Program (approx. 2 years) (Revised & Re-arranged as of Nov. 1, 2007) 1. Western-Herbalism Certificate Program (Approx. 1 Year of Study) SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM In this program, students come to appreciate all the "ins" and "outs" of Western herbalism in a series of fascinating, information-packed workbooks written by Matthew Alfs, M.H., R.H. (A.H.G.), director of the Midwest School of Herbal Studies, which is supplemented by audio CDs. The in-depth workbooks consist of five parts, as follows.... In Part One, students learn how, and where, Western herbalism originated and evolved, during which fascinating journey they discover the herbal healing secrets of the ancient Greeks and Romans, European herbalists like John Gerard and Nicolas Culpeper, the native-Americans, the early-American Thomsonians and Physio-medicalists, and the Eclectic physicians of the late nineteenth century! Students then go on to study holistic assessment techniques such as how to analyze the eyes (via iridology and scleral intepretation) and tongue, how to test muscles and thereby get a sense of the vitality of organ systems, and how to understand functional laboratory results. In Part Two, students learn about plant structure and growth via the study of botany, the various forms of herbal therapy (teas, tinctures, powders/capsules, poultices, etc.), the nutritive value of plants, and finally, the major chemical components of plants (via the science of "phytochemistry") and how these chemicals elucidate the healing potential of the plants in which they are found. Next, in Part Three, entitled Modern Western Herbalism, students study each of the different body systems successively--first via a detailed summary of the physiology and pathophysiology (disease states) of each respective system and then via a detailed examination of the particular herbs that bring about balance to each system. This section is buttressed with references to several thousand clinical trials and other scientific studies relative to the efficacy of the herbs discussed. In Part Four, students learn about contraindications for the use of particular herbs in the way of pregnancy, lactation, and pharmaceutical use. This section also includes a lengthy introduction to pharmacology. Finally, in Part Five, students focus on how to analyze a case and then to choose the appropriate herbs to encourage healing, during which Part they also learn how to create and mix custom formulas. Also covered in this segment are topics such as the identification of herbs in the field, the wildcrafting and processing of harvested herbs, and the preparation of wildcrafted herbs into tinctures and other herbal products for application to persons seeking healing. Once students complete the Western-Herbalism Certificate Program, which typically takes about a year, they then have the option to go on to study Asian (Chinese and Ayurvedic) herbalism and, after that, an "integrative herbalism" whereby they learn how to integrate Asian herbalism with Western herbalism to achieve a unified sort of herbalism that offers the best of both herbal traditions. This can be done via a transferring of the credits earned, and of the funds spent, from the Western-Herbalism Certificate Program into the Master-Herbalist Diploma Program.