The Family Herbalist Certification Course is a rigorous, beginner-accessible program in bioregional plant literacy, household medicine-making, herbal safety, critical thinking, and the foundations of community herbalism.
Over ten months, students learn how to identify and work with local plants, choose appropriate preparation methods, document their work, evaluate traditional and contemporary claims, understand safety considerations, and recognize when a concern falls outside the scope of household herbal care.
This is not a collection of miracle cures or a list of herbs matched to symptoms. It is a structured, practical education in learning how to observe carefully, make responsibly, question confidently, and use herbs with greater skill and honesty.
Who this program is for:
This course is designed for adults who want substantially more depth than a short workshop but are not entering clinical practice.
It may be a good fit for serious beginners, gardeners, caregivers, wellness practitioners, food-literacy advocates, community educators, and lifelong learners who want to work with herbs more safely and competently.
No previous formal herbal education is required. Students should be prepared to read, make preparations, observe plants through the seasons, document their work, question unsupported claims, and recognize the limits of home care.
- Botanical identification, morphology, and lookalikes
- Seasonal observation and ethical harvesting
- Food plants and the food–medicine continuum
- Herbal actions, energetics, constituents, and preparation choices
- Infusions, decoctions, tinctures, glycerites, vinegars, oxymels, syrups, infused oils, sunflower-wax balms, and topical preparations
- Ratios, percentages, scaling, yields, and household dosing
- Sanitation, batch records, labelling, storage, and spoilage
- Contraindications, medication considerations, allergies, and vulnerable populations
- Anatomy, physiology, and the limits of household herbal care
- Formulation, monitoring, stopping criteria, and referral
- Traditional use, contemporary evidence, and critical appraisal
- Canadian natural health product terminology and Health Canada resources
- Ethical public education and the foundations of community herbalism
In-person sessions: 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Live Microsoft Teams sessions: 6:00–8:30 p.m.
The course normally alternates between one in-person week and one live virtual week.
The full program includes:
20 in-person classes
18 live Microsoft Teams classes
2 structured independent-study sessions during the winter closure
Home study, plant observation, preparation practice, and assignments
In-person classes are held at Circé + Medée Community Wellness Centre in West Pubnico.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to Wednesday, June 30, 2027
Dates and Schedule
The next cohort runs from:
Classes take place on Wednesday evenings.
The 300-hour structure
- 60 hours of in-person instruction and supervised practical work
- 45 hours of live Microsoft Teams classes
- 5 hours of structured asynchronous study
- 190 hours of home study and practical work
- The program is designed around approximately 15 hours of learning during each two-week cycle, including both class time and work completed at home.
Home learning includes required reading, Materia Medica research, plant observation, medicine-making practice, batch records, source evaluation, formulation work, and the Final Integration Project.
Students who successfully complete the program receive:
- A Circé + Medée educational certificate
- An official transcript showing grades and 300 documented hours
- A summary of the practical and academic competencies completed
- A copy of the complete program syllabus
- This is not a government registration, professional licence, or clinical-herbalist qualification.
The program is designed to provide a strong, well-documented foundation for personal and household practice, community education, and continued herbal study. Graduates may use their transcript, syllabus, hours, and competency records when applying for prior-learning recognition or advanced standing at another school. Recognition remains at the discretion of the receiving institution.
$1,000 CAD
Tuition
Option #3
$900 paid in full
Ten monthly payments of $95
The subscriber discount applies to tuition only and does not apply to monthly administrative fees.
Active subscribers to Kindling Magazine receive 10% off course tuition.
Option #1
Full Tuition Payment: $1,000 CAD
Active subscribers to Kindling Magazine receive 10% off course tuition.
Option #2
The monthly amount includes a $5 administrative fee per installment.
Ten monthly payments of $105
includes:
Students purchase the three externally published required books separately.
- The complete 300-hour program
- All in-person and virtual instruction
- The Circé + Medée companion book, Rooted Here: From Plant to Practice in the Maritimes
- Course guides, templates, formulas, and assignment materials
- Access to shared specialized equipment during supervised classes
- Access to the private Family Herbalist Student and Alumni Community
- Assessment, feedback, certificate, transcript, and competency summary
Optional Working Apothecary Kit
Students may preorder the optional Family Herbalist Working Apothecary Kit for $160 CAD.
The kit contains measured botanicals, sunflower wax, reference cards, labels, and selected materials used during the program.
The kit is offered for convenience and is not required.
Students who do not purchase the kit may source their own ingredients using the course specifications or purchase herbs from Circé + Medée by weight as needed.
All formulas, instructions, and educational materials are included with the course regardless of whether the kit is purchased.
Clean recycled jars and bottles, Mason jars, masking tape, and a permanent marker are entirely acceptable. Students are encouraged to build an apothecary that suits their own budget, space, and style.
Kits are prepared only for confirmed, paid preorders.
Enrollment is limited to a maximum of eight students.
The small cohort allows time for practical supervision, individual feedback, discussion, sensory learning, plant identification, and direct observation of essential competencies.
Eight is the maximum, not the minimum. The course may proceed with a smaller group.
Registration Process:
- Complete the online registration form.
- Review the complete syllabus, schedule, required books, and program expectations.
- Select payment in full or the monthly payment plan.
- Sign the enrollment agreement.
- Complete the agreed payment arrangement.
- Receive confirmation of your place and access to pre-course information.
A place is confirmed once the registration form, enrollment agreement, and payment arrangement are complete.
Because enrollment is limited to eight students, submitting an inquiry does not reserve a place.
