American Herbalists Guild Symposium, October 10-14 in Bethesda MD
Ember will be teaching “Herbal Support Through Abortion: Holistic and Integrative Care within the Medical System Approach“ and “Herbs and Hormones: Interactions and Support”. https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/symposium/join-us-30th-annual-ahg-symposium
Invite me to do a workshop or class in your community!
I have been teaching herbal medicine since 2010 at conferences, herb schools and community spaces.
I am currently working as faculty at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, teaching courses from the beginner level to the advanced clinical level.
I would be happy to offer a class for your community’s specific interest.
Below is a list of some of the classes that I teach:
Beginner level
Medicinal Plant Walk: I can lead your group on a walk outside, whether it be in a garden, forest, park, or by the train tracks – we will explore the plants growing around us, learn how to identify them, and how to use them medicinally.
Herbal Medicine-Making: I can lead workshops on how to make herbal preparations. We can cover teas, decoctions, oils, salves, bliss balls, tinctures, percolations, honeys, vinegars, oxymels and elixirs.
Plant Allies for Emotional Well-Being: How does our relationship with ourselves determine how we relate with the world and how we treat each other? What are the obstacles to our health? Self-care is a necessary element in a collective of strong-willed individuals struggling for liberation. We will explore herbs that are used to help support us in changing unhealthy emotional and mental patterns like depression, anxiety, anger, etc. For each herb we will cover identification, harvesting, specific indications, personality, contraindications, drug interactions including hormone replacement, and dosage.
Herbs to Support Restful Sleep: Insomnia is frustrating and exhausting. Sleep is essential for healing from illness and for maintaining well-being. Too little sleep can cause or aggravate major health issues in all parts of the body. This workshop will explore the reasons people have insomnia, the functions of sleep, different kinds of sleep disturbances, and herbal strategies to support quality sleep. The goal with this workshop is to give the participants tools for improving sleep and thereby improving capacity to do all the important work we do in the world.
Wild Carrot Seed for Natural Contraception: Wild Carrot, or Daucus carota has been used for centuries throughout the world as a contraceptive ally. We will explore this plant’s historical use for birth control from different traditions and the recent research by contemporary herbalists. The class will include a balance of intuition and spirit with scientific information. Information presented will include a short “materia medica” with botany, actions, dosage, safety, and contra-indications. Differentiation from poisonous relatives will also be discussed. Participants will leave with a “Wild Carrot Seed 101” booklet. This class is an opportunity for empowering discussion about reproductive autonomy, and is trans* inclusive.
Herbs for Digestive Health: Digesting nutrients from our food is essential for emotional and physical health – issues with digestion can worsen inflammation, depression and many other health issues. In this workshop we will explore medicinal herbs to improve nutrient absorption, reduce inflammation, relieve gas and bloating, and balance digestive flora. You will learn tools for making custom herbal medicine formulas at home, for yourself or others, including bitters and teas.
Home Remedies for Colds and Flus: Come learn how to make and use herbal remedies for common colds and flus! We will focus on using herbs that are easy to find: culinary herbs and spices. Participants will gain understanding of how to differentiate symptoms to pick the most appropriate herbs, and how to prepare herbal infusions. We will make Fire Cider together for participants to take home. This class will provide accessible and useful knowledge to share with family and friends.
The Bitter Truth about Digestion and Metabolism: There are hundreds of bitter taste receptors that initiate a cascade of reactions throughout your body. Bitters are used to stimulate digestive juices, support the liver, regulate blood sugar, and even lower cholesterol! We can incorporate bitters into our daily lives to help support our digestive system and overall metabolism. Come learn when to use which bitter herbs and why!
Intermediate level
Herbs for Stressful Times: Stress, especially over the long-term, has widespread impacts on the body, mind and spirit. Herbal adaptogens and nervines can help balance the body’s stress response and ease symptoms like tension, insomnia, anxiety and fatigue. From a holistic radical herbalist perspective, this workshop will explore how stress can affect the body, and how herbs and lifestyle changes can help shift us towards body repair and emotional healing.
Herbs and Hormones: When taking hormones and herbs concurrently, there are many important effects to consider. In this class we will explore the possible interactions and effects of herbs with cross-sex hormone replacement therapy. This class will have a focus on trans health, but is also applicable to any hormone supplementation. We will cover estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, liver enzymes, energetic support and more.
Herbs for Transgender Health: This is generally offered as a full day intensive class that covers in-depth some of the most specific herbal supports for transgender and gender-non-conforming folks. Geared towards folks who are trans, in trans/queer community or health-care providers striving to be trans-competent, this class will provide tools to better understand how to choose herbs that are safe and effective for trans health. We will discuss herbal protocols for support through gender-affirming surgeries and we will address possible interactions and supportive effects of herbs with cross-sex hormone replacement therapy. From a harm-reduction approach, we will explore how herbs can be a way to reclaim community well-being for all.
Constitutional Approach to Chronic Pain: Chronic pain can be caused by many conditions, and is often mysterious in origin. The mainstream medical system has tools to help people cope for a time, but generally does not offer a long-term solution. As a clinical herbalist, I use constitutional assessment to determine appropriate herbal support for each individual person. In this class we will explore: reasonable short and long-term goals; different types of herbs for pain; strategies for different constitutions; the roles of sleep, digestion, and stress in chronic pain processes; and complimentary supportive therapies.
Herbal Support Through Abortion: This class is designed for herbalists, midwives, doulas, abortion providers and community members looking for more tools to support people through a clinical/medical abortion. We will explore the historical and current context of abortion care, and the many ways that herbs can help support the body before, during and after. We will discuss herbs for pain, increasing or decreasing blood flow, digestive upset, emotional support, hormonal regulation, nourishment, and more! This is not a class on herbal abortion and will not include information about how to induce abortion. The material presented will be through a gender-inclusive, trauma-informed and anti-colonial lens.
Plant Chemistry and Herbal Actions (24 hrs)
Ethical Wild Harvesting practices (3 hrs)
Advanced level
Diabetes (4 hrs)
Cancer Care for Herbalists (10 hrs)
Addiction and Substance Abuse (4 hrs)
Herpes Simplex Virus (4 hrs)
Hepatitis (4 hrs)
Asthma (3 hrs)
Introduction to Herbal Safety (4 hrs)
Atherosclerosis and Hyperlipidemia (3 hrs)
Acne and the Endocrine System (3 hrs)