Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program
Applications open June 1, 2025
Registration for this program is capped at a total of 15 students
The world of Herbalism is vast and multi-faceted. There are many ways to perceive and observe the magical plant world and all its medicinal offerings.
Herbal Approaches such as Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Vitalistic Herbalism, Contemporary Medical Herbalism, & Folk Herbalism all have amazing wisdom to offer us.
The Emery Herbals Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program was born out of a desire to create a foundation by which to explore the natural world with. By first creating a solid understanding of some of these approaches to Herbalism one is able to draw from that mosaic in an effort to study, learn, research and practice plant medicine.
Program Overview
Our Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program offers an intermediate learning experience that combines both classroom learning alongside experiential and practical hands on learning. Participants will be guided through a complete immersion to each theme presented, being given access to materials and information to support the deepening of their connections and relationship to the natural world.
Our program is for anyone who is interested in learning and studying Holistic Herbalism at an intermediate level. Led by Clinical Herbalists, our facilitators of this program have extensive experience of applied theory within a clinical practice.
Students are led through the content and then required to complete the home-study prompts for each learning module, returning the following class for the next immersion into their learning. This program has been built to be exponential, one module layering the next, creating a deep and enriching program.
It is estimated that the student of The Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program will need to incorporate a minimum of 4 hours of home study per week above the classroom time commitments to meet the learning requirements of the program.
The seventh instalment of this program will offer onsite and online access for students.
For the very first time will include ALL aspects of our Medicine Making Immersion Program.
All classes will be live-streamed in real time with interactive engagement for the onsite classroom. Classes are recorded and available for students to access after the class to re-watch and deepen their connection to the content.
In addition to the LIVE classes students will have access to additional pre-recorded content to augment their home study time.
2025 – 2026 Program Dates
We meet once per month on a Friday afternoon and the following Saturday for a total of 15 months.
Friday class time is 12 NOON – 4 PM PST
Saturday class time is 10 AM – 4 PM PST
DATES:
- October 17 & 18
- November 7 & 8
- December 5 & 6
- January 16 & 17
- February 13 & 14
- March 13 & 14
- April 10 & 11
- May 8 & 9
- June 12 & 13
- July 10 & 11
- August 14 & 15
- September 11 & 12
- October 2 & 3
- November 6 & 7
- December 4 & 5
Curriculum Details
Each month we have a different theme to sink into, learn and experience
Building our Foundation: Part One
We will be exploring the concepts of Contemporary Herbal Medicine through an overview of the Culturally Appropriate History of Herbalism, The Taste of Herbs, Herbal Actions & Energetics, plus Basic TCM principles, and much more!
Building our Foundation: Part Two
We will continue to explore the concepts of Contemporary Herbal Medicine through learning of the Qualities and Tissue States, Bio-Chemical Families, plus engage with Basic Ayurvedic principles, and much more!
Our Next Step is to explore our our newly learned foundation through navigating the human body systems via foundational anatomy and physiology, a 50 part materia medica, preventative wellness strategies and potential imbalances that may arise.
This includes:
- Digestive System
- Lymphatic and Immune System
- Circulatory & Respiratory System
- Nervous & Endocrine Systems
All throughout our program we will be focusing on connecting with plant medicine from a foundational perspective through plant walks, botany study, plant meditations, herbal medicine preparation and more!
This very experiential class connects students to the foundational toolbox to create a learning outcome that is deeply rewarding and sustaining for further connection to the natural world.
Course Requirements
Prerequisites to taking this program include a keen interest in the natural world, holistic wellness and an open mind and heart for learning.
Those participants of the program who wish to gain a certificate of completion for the Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program are required to complete a monthly quiz and submit final papers/projects within the due date provided.
This course provides 225 hours of prepared instruction and mentorship with a 225 hour estimate of home study for a combined 450 hours of herbal education.
Registration Details
Included in the Cost of the Program
- Over 225 hours of prepared instruction & mentorship
- All course materials available for download
- Integrated access of the Medicine Making Immersion Program
- A Materia Medica study of over 50 herbs with a Sample Herb Library for each student
- Access to all video recordings of live classes
- 10% off purchases in the Botanical Dispensary from time of enrolment to December of 2026
- BCHA Student Membership
- Successful Completion of this program grants student access to register for the Holistic Herbalism Advanced Clinical Study Program
Total Investment for the program: $2447.00 plus GST
Registration Options:
- Option A for folks that have not taken either the HHF or MMI programs to date.
- Option B for folks that have taken the MMI program but not the HHF program: Contact us for Details & Cost of the Program
- Option C for folks that have taken both programs before: Contact us for Details & the Cost of the Program
Limited scholarship positions are available for those that are facing barriers to access to our programming. Email learn@emeryherbals.com to enquire.
Total Registration for this program is capped at 15 students.
Payment Plans are available upon request otherwise payment in full secures registration.
The Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program offers both onsite, in person registration as well as online access through our online classroom. All classes are streamed in realtime and are interactive.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications for the 2025 – 2026 Cohort open on June 1st.
All applicants will be asked to fill out an application form in advance of a 1:1 meet and greet with Colleen Emery.
Upon acceptance into the program the registration process will commence.
Please contact learn@emeryherbals.com for more details.
Student Testimonials
The Holistic Herbalism Program is a solid stepping stone for the study of herbs, and their energetics, from a West-meets-East perspective. The program also sets the stage for a self-reflective journey about health and preventative wellness. Colleen Emery is a fountain of knowledge, wisdom, and compassion – an experienced guide in walking the plant path!m Ellissa Crête Dr.TCM 2021 Program Graduate
Colleen Emery’s Holistic Herbalism Foundations was the education I needed to understand the herbal books that were filling up my bookshelves, and utilize the medicinal plants that seemed to be accumulating in my gardens. Her holistic, inclusive approach to teaching provides a well rounded education that grounds you both in modern scientific understanding of plant medicine alongside traditional use. Colleen’s teachings proved so useful to me in expanding my use of my books and gardens that I enrolled in the program twice, gaining even more knowledge my second time through. I feel confident using many herbs with myself, family and friends. I am grateful to have a strong foundation in which to build on for my future herbal studies. Cheryl Cook, 2019 and 2020 Program Graduate
Colleen Emery is a wonderful, kind and very knowledgable teacher. I enjoyed the Holistic Herbalism Foundations program very very much, and my thirst for herbal knowledge was kicked into high gear and I haven’t stopped learning since! Heather MacMillan 2019 Program Graduate
I signed up for Colleen’s Holistic Herbal Course hoping to better understand how to incorporate herbal medicine into my life. The course wildly succeeded all my expectations and I feel eternally grateful to have Colleen as a teacher. First of all, Colleen’s knowledge base continually blows me away. It is as though she is tapped into a universal stream of knowledge, because it flows effortlessly and it is vast. The program itself is organized into digestible components that build on one another. Even now that the program has ended, I find my knowledge of herbal medicine still growing, thanks to the system of learning I took away from the program. I will be out in my garden, or walking past trees while doing errands, or on a forest walk, and find myself making connections and having “ah-ha!” moments. I used to feel intimidated about the world of herbal medicine. Now, I feel empowered, and safe, to make my own medicines for my family and myself. I feel more in control of my health and well-being. My relationship with plants has deepened, and my whole world feels more alive. I would highly recommend this program to anyone. Raelynn Gibson 2018 Program Graduate
I found the Holistic Herbalism Course a comprehensible and easily digestible way to understand health and wellness at large. Having each module based around a body system (ie. the digestive system, or the nervous system etc) gave me the visuals and the tools I needed to interpret the health of myself and my family in a way that felt empowering. Having this transformational learning occur in the supportive circle of people who very quickly became friends, deepened and enriched the whole experience. Cece Klassen 2017 Program Graduate
Colleen Emery brings forth a program rich in knowledge, encompassing a well-rounded approach to traditional and new age information. The Holistic Herbalism Program far surpassed my expectations, expanding my personal experience and deepening my relationship to the Herb world. Colleen is enthusiastic and passionate in her work and directly delivers that to her student body, making her an excellent teacher and mentor. Her added experience in Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Aromatherapy and Iridology thoroughly compliments the course outline. I highly recommend this program to anyone with a curiosity to learn and understand our intrinsic relationship to the Plant Kingdom. Lewana Benson 2019 Program Graduate
The Holistic Herbalism Foundations Program taught by Colleen was a mind blowing experience for me. I’d been dabbling in herbal lore for years and decided I wanted something deeper. The Holistic Foundations Course offers depths I’m still swimming in with water wings on. Not only is the information infinite, Colleen is an absolute gem to learn from. She is so passionate about sharing what she knows and, she knows A LOT. How this magnificent woman remembers all she does is beyond me. Her delivery of the information is accessible and filled with passion and wisdom. I highly recommend this program to anyone, at any level of herbal study. Just to be in the presence of a human who cares so deeply is an experience of it’s own. Thank you Colleen, for your grace, your kindness, and for sharing your gifts with us. Erica Breau 2018 and 2019 Program Graduate
