Trillium School of Herbal Medicine Herbal Immersion 2025 Syllabus

INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor: Erin Vanhee, Herbalist, LMT

Phone: (360) 391-2706

Email: Erin@trilliummedicine.net

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This immersive herbal program spans eight months and three seasons featuring nearly 100 hours of in-person training complemented by personal mentorship and home study. Held one weekend per month from March-October 2025, this course provides a deep dive into the art and science of herbalism through three core areas of focus: field study, medicine making skills, and herbalism training.

This syllabus is subject to change due to plant growth and harvesting changes that occur in nature.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the Herbal Immersion, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of herbalism and the practical skills needed to successfully integrate plant medicine into their personal and/or community or professional practices. These skills and understandings include, but are not limited to:

  • Plant Identification:

    • Develop proficiency in identifying and classifying plants in their native habitats using advanced observation techniques, habitat awareness, and plant taxonomy.

    • Gain the ability to recognize and catalog a diverse range of wild and cultivated plants, enhancing your field study and practical application skills.

  • Implementing Sustainable Harvesting Practices:

    • Acquire knowledge of wildcrafting techniques and sustainable harvesting methods for roots, bark, leaves, and seeds.

    • Learn how to maintain and rejuvenate harvest sites through re-population practices such as crown re-planting, seed distribution, and root and rhizome cuttings.

  • Medicinal Plant Cultivation:

    • Develop skills in organic cultivation methods for medicinal plants, including understanding harvest protocols and cultural practices to support healthy plant growth and effective medicine making.

  • Herbal Medicine Making:

    • Master both folk and standardized methods for creating herbal medicines, including how to prepare remedies from fresh and dried plants.

    • Gain hands-on experience in herbal formulation and treatment protocols and create effective herbal remedies for a range of health concerns.

  • Understanding personal connection and Herbal Energetics of wild and cultivated medicinal plants

  • Somatic Herbalism Skills:

    • Learn pulse reading to confirm somatic response to herbal remedies.

    • Practice drop dosing and other somatic approaches to personalize herbal treatments and enhance therapeutic outcomes.

  • Herbal First Aid Techniques:

    • Acquire practical skills in herbal first aid, learning step-by-step procedures for addressing acute conditions and supporting body systems in resolution of healing

  • Enhanced Communication and Ethical Practice:

    • Build effective communication skills including techniques for deep listening, ethical practice, and holding space

  • Navigating Herbal Production Standards:

    • Understand the processes of complying with FDA requirements for the production of herbal medicines, ensuring high-quality and regulatory-compliant herbal products for professional sale.

  • Analyzing and Applying Case Histories:

    • Gain practical experience through case histories, applying herbal knowledge to real-world scenarios, develop skills in assessing and addressing individual health needs.

COURSE FORMAT & DATES

Immersion is in-person with at-home independent study. Classes will be held at Trillium Ridge near Concrete, WA from Hiway 20 (and Darrington, WA from Seattle via Hwy 530) from March-September. This is a rural location with limited accommodations and services.

Some class dates will include arranged carpooling to pre-determined locations from Trillium Ridge; arrangements will be made prior to each weekend.

Dates— Classes are held the first Saturday & Sunday of each month from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm. Note: class is not held the Fourth of July weekend & instead is held the second weekend of July.

  • Saturday, March 1 & Sunday, March 2, 2025 10:00 am - 4:30 pm at Trillium Ridge Campus

    • Introductions, Introduction to Herbal Medicine

    • Apothecary studies overview and choosing your medicine

    • Apothecary Training: Water-based preparations (infusions, decoctions, syrups, steams, compresses, soaks)

    • Six Steps of Healing, philosophy of healing, healing vs. curing

    • Understanding body systems, body awareness practices

    • Choosing your Medicine

    • Materia medica: Simples, tinctures, oxymels



  • Saturday, April 5 & Sunday, April 6, 2025 10:00 am - 4:30 pm near Trillium Ridge in Concrete, WA

    • Organic cultivation of medicinal plants

    • Propagation from seed and soft word cuttings, divisions, crowns

    • Field Study—Wild harvest and preservation of native and invasive species

    • Wildcrafting guidelines & field study- Plant ID, nomenclature

    • Wildtending of harvest sites

    • Harvest protocols, habitat awareness

    • Preservation, drying, quality control

    • Wild Edibles: Food As Medicine



  • Saturday, May 3 & Sunday, May 4, 2025 10:00 am - 4:30 pm near Trillium Ridge

    • Intuitive Plant Medicine Introduction

    • Smudging, Incense, Chant, Lineage, Ancestors, Herbal Allies

    • Flower Essences, herbs of intuition, dreaming

    • Herbs for Trauma, Emotional aspects of healing

    • Earth Medicines: Stones, trees, water, salt

    • Apothecary Training- Oils, balms, liniments, pastes



  • Saturday, June 7 & Sunday, June 8, 2025 10:00 am - 4:30 pm near Trillium Ridge

    • Aromatherapy Introduction

    • Poulticing, Plant placement

    • Strengthening personal connection with plants

    • Foundational bodywork/Pain management/Topical applications of Herbs

  • Saturday, July 13 & Sunday, July 14, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm near Trillium Ridge

    • Listening to pulse

    • Drop dose botanicals

    • Somatic herbal practice

    • Art of Listening- Deep listening, holding space

    • Making Flower Essences

  • Saturday, August 3 & Sunday, August 4, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm near Trillium Ridge

    • Blending, Formulas

    • Case Studies

    • Field Study- flowers, seeds, fruits

    • RCW’s in WA State, legal, ethics, labeling

    • Defining your practice



  • September 7 & 8, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm near Trillium Ridge

    • Field study: Roots, medicinal garden and field management

    • Advanced materia medica



  • October 4 & 5 10:00 - 4:30 pm

    • Bring it all together

    • Graduation & wrapping up.

    • Plant talent show!

GRADING & CERTIFICATE OF GRADUATION FROM COURSE

Immersion includes home study and testing of knowledge, including:

  • Two herbal monographs

  • Required reading

  • A final medicine making project

  • Two quizzes throughout program

  • Two open book tests

A Certification of Completion provided upon completion of program.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

  • Students should be on-time and ready to begin at the assigned class time.

  • All readings and homework should be completed prior to class time.

  • Respectful classroom discussions, comments, and questions relevant to the current topic are allowed to promote a positive learning environment

  • No video or audio taping of classes is permitted due to privacy guidelines.

COURSE MATERIALS

Here is the list of required and suggested supplies for the 2025 Herbal Immersion. All plant material is included in your tuition. Medicines you make in class are yours to keep.

The more medicines you make in class & outside of class during at-home study, the more you will need. I suggest buying a standard size one of each of the following medicine making menstruums to start—

  • Apple Cider Vinegar

  • Alcohol: Brandy, Everclear and/or Vodka (those with an allergy or choosing a non-alcoholic medicine practice may omit alcohol from their supplies)

  • Honey (or an alternative sweetener like Agave nectar if vegan)

  • Vegetable glycerin

  • Olive oil

  • Beeswax

You will also need:

  • Canning jars of various sizes for medicine making

  • Pruners (Felco or Corona are good options)

  • Shovel (small and portable are best suited to wildcrafting and carrying on field trips)

  • Hori-hori

  • Knife, cutting board

  • Labels for jars, pen, notebook

  • Measuring cup

  • Spoon or stirring sticks

  • Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore.

  • Camp chair

  • Umbrella

  • Bags or harvesting boxes

Suggested books:

  • Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Micheal Moore

  • Herbal Medicine Making by James Green

  • Book of Herbal Wisdom by Matthew Wood

  • Western Botanical Medicine by Christa Sinadinos

Optional supplies:

  • Herb or food scale

  • Amber glass bottles for storage or sale of product

  • Essential oils for enhancing topical products

Please know and understand :

Your enrolment testifies that you understand the following about the Herbal Immersion with Erin Vanhee-

This is a weekend program with no overnight accommodations or meals.

Each student takes home all herbal preparations made in class and each student supplies their own supplies to do so. All plants are included in your tuition.

There are no refunds, make up classes, transfers.

Field study may be held in a remote area and each student will be required to sign a Waiver of Responsibility and be aware of the risk of being in wild areas.

Trillium Ridge is an off grid school with limited services. There is water, outdoor bathroom (outhouse) and off grid power is limited. Most harvest sites are also without accommodations such as power, water and bathrooms. If this is uncomfortable for you, this may not be the program for you.

There is currently no licensure for Herbalist in the US. You will receive a Certificate of Completion but it is not a license to practice within the Washington State Department of Health.

No alcohol or drug use (including cannabis) is allowed within class time or at Trillium Ridge Campus.

The health of our small community in class is important. If you are actively sick or recently exposed to an illness, please do not attend class. We are committed to keeping you and all students in class safe and healthy.

Erin Vanhee reserves the right to terminate the student/teacher affiliation without refund at any time for disruptive behaviour, violent or disrespectful words toward the teacher or students, unsafe practices, sexual or physical violence of any kind without further notice or negotiation.

As teacher and host of the school program, Trillium and Erin Vanhee will do their best to create a safe, effective environment to accommodate these policies.