African American Herbalism

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Alyssa Bialy

February’s Featured Recording:
African American Herbalism: A Practical Class on Healing Plants and Folk Traditions with Lucretia VanDyke, Herbalist and Author

*Lucretia VanDyke, Herbalist and Author*

This lecture provides a deeper look into African American history and use of herbalism. Participants will dive into the role of the “Granny midwife” as the center of community health and wellness in order to understand the importance of the practitioner in their own communities. We will review the African American influence on holistic health protocols through food, herbs, and lifestyle from an integrative perspective. We will discuss native herbs such as Sassafras Presl. (Lauraceae) and American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) while reviewing foraging techniques to provide more information on ethical sourcing and how to implement them into your clients’ lifestyles. We will utilize historical as well as research-based information for this class to provide a better understanding for providing care for the underserved as well as key factors on working with clients of different racial backgrounds. (Catalog Number: 24ME08)

The information in this series is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner. Please check your continuing education records to ensure you have not previously earned credits for these presentations.

Staying Centered in a Stressful World

Posted on December 9, 2024December 11, 2024 by Alyssa Bialy

December’s Featured Recording:
Panel Discussion: Staying Centered in a Stressful World with Jillian Stansbury, ND, Mary Bove, ND, and Kenneth Proefrock, NMD

We all know the signs of stress in ourselves, our patients and our families, but in the furious pace of life today it’s sometimes difficult to take the time and energy to address self-care. Botanicals are great allies, and incorporating dietary and lifestyle changes can make a big difference when we are feeling overwhelmed. By putting attention on this basic need, we can affect all areas of life. (Catalog Number 18ME21)

Pharmacy Video Series for Naturopathic Clinicians 2024

Posted on November 7, 2024December 10, 2024 by Caitlin Maher

A video series for health care providers – with 10 pharmacy hours for naturopathic doctors – bundled together in one discounted package:

8 video lectures (1.5 hours each)
Digital book of notes (80-page PDF)
10 pharmacy + 2 general continuing education credits for naturopathic physicians
- Approved by Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine (OBNM)
Order for $99 ($160 value)

Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner.

Geriatric Health Audio Series

Posted on October 1, 2024October 10, 2024 by Caitlin Maher

An audio series for health care providers – with continuing education for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:

Eight (8) audio recordings (1.5 hours each)
Digital book of notes (85-page PDF)
Continuing education credits: 12 hours for naturopathic physicians
Order with one click for $85 ($130 value)

Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner.

2025 Herbal Conferences

Posted on September 15, 2024February 1, 2025 by Caitlin Maher

Registration is open for both events!

Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine

Dates: March 28 – 30, 2025

Location: Online lectures and panels, plus 6 months access to videos, and audio / digital book of lecture notes to own

Intensive: Phytotherapy for the Respiratory System – Roots, Research and Clinical Relevance with Kristin Gilmour, BHSc (Naturopathy) and Julianne Grant, BHSc (Naturopathy), BApSc (HM)

Continuing Education available for ND, MD, DO, RN, FNP, LAc, etc.

Up to 38.5 Hours of which 13 can be pharmacy (or 10 pharmacy + 3 opioid for AZ NDs) (pending approval OBNM and SUHS)
Up to 20.5 Prescribed Credits (pending approval AAFP)
Up to 23 PDA Credits for live event only (pending approval NCCAOM)

Speaker List: Paul Bergner; Renée Camilla; Camille Freeman; Kristin Gilmour; Julianne Grant; Lori Harger; Christopher Hobbs; Tori Hudson; Jack Lambert; Brigitte Mars; Brianna Piché; Kenneth Proefrock; Mary Rondeau; Brandon Ruiz; JoAnn Sanchez; John Slattery; Katie Stage; Lucretia VanDyke; Christina Veselak; Allison Williams; and David Winston

Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium

Dates: May 16 – 18, 2025

Location: Lake Junaluska Conference Center in Lake Junaluska, NC

Intensive: Menopause as a Neuroinflammatory and Hormonal Event with Wendy Warner, MD, ABIHM, IFMCP

Keynote: Entering The Mysterium: Healing Through Wonder and the Living World with Kiva Rose, Herbalist and Author

Continuing Education: Applications to be submitted to OBNM, AAFP and NCCAOM for continuing education for ND, MD, DO, RN, FNP, APRN, LAc, etc.

Speaker List (not yet finalized): Lise Alschuler; Teresa Boardwine; Sam Coffman; Doug and Todd Elliot; Tesia Love; Kat Maier; Jim McDonald; Kenneth Proefrock; Kiva Rose; CoreyPine Shane; Katie Stage; Wendy Warner; and David Winston

” The highlight of the event is the diversity of the attendees all coming together to explore herbalism – from science focus all the way to practical applications. Love it! “
– 2024 attendee, Registered Nurse

Botanical and Complementary Therapies for Tick Borne Diseases: An Update

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Alyssa Bialy

September’s Featured Recording:
Botanical and Complementary Therapies for Tick Borne Diseases: An Update with David Winston, RH (AHG)

The history and current understanding of tick borne diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and other co-infections is presented. We examine both the current conventional approaches to treatment as well as complementary protocols. Includes the use of botanicals to enhance the effectiveness of orthodox therapy, and the treatment of many Lymerelated symptoms such as fatigue, arthritis, Bells palsy, brain fog and insomnia. (Catalog Number 15ME12)

Pricing Update starting February 1, 2024

Posted on January 9, 2024February 5, 2024 by Caitlin Maher

Pricing Update

For 30 years we’ve been dedicated to providing the highest quality herbal education and are committed to ensuring these resources are available long into the future. So, starting on February 1, 2024, you will see a small change reflected in our pricing at BotanicalMedicine.org – audio recordings will increase to $11.99 each, videos to $23.99 each, and full video sets to $369.

To thank you for your understanding and continued support, on February 1 we’ll also provide a coupon for one free $23.99 video per customer, and a new audio recording program: Buy 3, Get 1 Free. This will replace our Free* CE Program, and will allow you to choose your own free audio recording when buying 3 or more.

Free Video Recording starting February 1

As a thank you, we’re offering a free video recording to each customer. One coupon per customer.

Steps to Free Video Recording:

Browse our video library and click on an individual video recording you’d like to receive for free.
The link will bring you to Vimeo where our videos are housed. Click the “Buy $23.99” button.
You’ll be prompted to create a Vimeo account (for free) or login to your existing.
At checkout, enter promo code TY24 and you will receive the $23.99 video for free.

Buy 3, Get 1 Free on Audio Recordings

Explore our expansive audio library of clinical botanical medicine presentations. When you purchase 3 or more audio recordings, you receive 1 for free starting February 1!

Steps to Buy 3, Get 1 Free:

Add at least 3 audio recordings from botanical-medicine.org to your shopping cart to purchase.
Before checking out, add 1 audio recording (for $11.99) to your shopping cart to receive for free.
Proceed to checkout. Enter coupon code B3G1
This will discount your purchase by $11.99 to receive an audio recording for free!

Substance Use Disorder Video Series for Naturopathic Clinicians

Posted on November 5, 2023August 13, 2024 by Caitlin Maher

A video series for health care providers – with continuing education hours for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:

Eight (8) video lectures (1.5 hours each)
Digital book of notes (88-page PDF)
12 continuing education credits for naturopathic physicians
- 7.5 pharmacy + 4.5 general (approved by OBNM)
- 9 opioid/addiction + 1.5 pharmacy + 1.5 general hours (approved by SUHS)
Order with one click for $99 ($160 value)

Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner. Please check your continuing education records to ensure you have not previously earned credits for these presentations.

The One and Only Ashwagandha

Posted on July 15, 2023July 17, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

July’s Featured Recording:
The One and Only Ashwagandha with Mary Rondeau, ND, RH (AHG)

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb that deserves a deep look at the historical use and evidence-based use of this plant. Ashwagandha has global effects on the body including psychiatric, neurodegenerative, anti-aging, oncology, and fertility just to name a few.

The presentation will look at the use from an Ayurvedic perspective as well as a Western herbalism perspective. Mary Rondeau explores Ashwagandha’s effect on sleep, sub-types of anxiety, and Vata, Pitta and Kapha constitutions. She also provides several herbal recipes to highlight the medicinal strengths of Ashwagandha. (Catalog Number 22ME10)

40 Years of HerbalGram: Working to Ensure Accurate Herb Information and Authentic and Sustainably-Sourced Herbs

Posted on June 10, 2023June 14, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

June’s Featured Recording:
40 Years of HerbalGram: Working to Ensure Accurate Herb Information and Authentic and Sustainably-Sourced Herbs with Mark Blumenthal

Recorded on June 3, 2023 at Medicines from the Earth. Mark has never presented such a comprehensive overview of his work over four decades and we wanted to get this to you as soon as possible!

We congratulate Mark Blumenthal on the 35th anniversary of the nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) and the 40th anniversary of its peer-review journal HerbalGram. It was a pleasure and honor to have Mark join us at this year’s Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium to share his journey with ABC.

Under his leadership, the organization has grown from an herbal education organization to one of the leading advocates and educators for the sustainability and authenticity of herbal materials. The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has seen ABC collaborating for over 12 years with leaders in the botanical field to help members of the herbal industry identify and select authentic herbal materials and avoid buying cheap, intentionally mislabeled fraudulent materials.

Additionally, ABC’s Sustainable Herbs Program has inspired and educated responsible herb companies to access sustainable and regeneratively farmed botanical materials. Mark’s lively presentation will increase awareness of the positive progress in responsible sectors of the herbal community and how we, as herbal consumers, benefit from this progress. (Catalog Code 23ME03)

Women’s Health Audio Series

Posted on May 10, 2023August 11, 2024 by Caitlin Maher

An audio series for health care providers – with continuing education for naturopathic physicians – bundled together in one discounted package:

Eight (8) audio recordings (1.5 hours each)
Digital book of notes (83-page PDF)
Continuing education credits: 12 hours for naturopathic physicians
Order with one click for $75 ($105 value)

Note: The information in this series is provided as a research resource and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner.

A Weekend in Asheville for Medicines from the Earth: June 2 – 4, 2023

Posted on May 4, 2023June 14, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

Medicines from the Earth officially starts with a welcome reception on Friday night, followed by speaker introductions and the Keynote Address with Chris Kilham. Lectures, demonstrations and herb walks take place Saturday and Sunday, with the Symposium concluding Sunday at 5:40 PM.

Date: June 2 – 4, 2023

Location: UNC Asheville in Asheville, NC

Theme: Aging, Stress and Neurological Conditions: Tradition and Modern Science

Highlights:

24 herbal medicine lectures to choose
2 panel discussions
Herb walks and medicine-making demonstrations
Friday intensives and field studies
Keynote Address with Chris Kilham
Concert with Doug Elliott, Todd Elliott and the Possum Gravy Boys
Saturday evening bonfire with songs and stories
Qi Gong on Saturday and Sunday morning

Speakers: Lise Alschuler, Rebecca Beyer, Mark Blumenthal, Teresa Boardwine, Mary Bove, Doug Elliott, Todd Elliott, Joe Hollis, Chris Kilham, Kat Maier, Jason Miller, Kenneth Proefrock, Jillian Stansbury, Katie Stage, Marc Williams, David Winston, and Donald Yance

Those who register and attend the symposium in person receive:

Attendance at live lectures June 2 – 4 (Friday events, CE fee, lodging and meals are extra)
Streaming of all videos made at the symposium for 6 months (except outdoor sessions which won’t be recorded)
Full set of audio recordings to own
Digital lecture notes to own

Long COVID: Symptoms, Etiology and Management Plans from the EU

Posted on February 27, 2023April 29, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

Early bird registration for the online Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine ends this Friday.

Here’s a preview of just one of the videos offered as part of the SW Conference: Long COVID: Symptoms, Etiology and Management Plans from the EU with Jack Lambert, MD, PhD, a leading researcher on long COVID, who joined us last week from Dublin, Ireland. Enjoy!

Early bird savings through this Friday, 3/3!

Addressing the Multiple Causes of Insomnia

Posted on February 1, 2023April 29, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

February’s Featured Recording:
Addressing the Multiple Causes of Insomnia with Mary Bove, ND

Disruption of healthy sleep patterns can occur for many reasons, including current stressful situations, female hormonal imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, nutritional deficiency, depression, anxiety, glucose deregulation, hepatic detox issues, thyroid malfunction, chronic inflammation and pain. Botanical medicines offer safe and effective non-habit-forming sleep aids to address the specific needs of the individual.

This presentation includes a description of current standard medical treatments, diet and lifestyle recommendations and case histories. Naturopathic physician, Mary Bove, also discusses a variety of botanicals including California poppy, valerian, American skullcap, chamomile, catnip and more.

Included:

The featured recording mentioned above.
Complimentary PDF of the speaker’s PowerPoint presentation.
And free CE*: 1.5 general CME hours for naturopathic physicians, approved by OBNM

Steps to order your free* recording:

Order at least one audio recording or digital book from botanical-medicine.org at the regular price.
Proceed to checkout and finalize payment. The free recording will be added to your account automatically!

How to earn the free naturopathic CE:

Listen to the recording and keep a record on this certificate of all completed recordings. It’s as easy as that!

Every month, a new featured recording. To make sure you don’t miss your monthly FREE* recording, please sign up for our e-news and whitelist our sites (or add these domain names to your contacts: botanicalmedicine.org and botanical-medicine.org).

Questions? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

*The featured recording is free with the purchase of one recording or book. Continuing education (CME) credits are available for naturopathic physicians.

New Discoveries from the Rainforest

Posted on January 2, 2023April 29, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

January’s Featured Recording:
New Discoveries from the Rainforest with Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunter

Chris Kilham draws from his years in the Peruvian Amazon studying with curanderos (herbal healers) and shamans (healers who also work to heal the psyche and spirit). After describing the continuing devastation he has observed, he gives hope for saving portions of the rainforest by the cultivation of native foods and medicinals. He describes three of these plants in this presentation.

Dragon’s blood (also known as sangre de drago) is the red latex from the croton tree (Croton lecherli) which is excellent for wound healing and enhances new, healthy skin formation. It is also high in antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory and antifungal. The cosmetics industry has been using it recently to add to products that promote collagen formation, and he has been instrumental in establishing sustainable trade between local communities and skin care companies.
Juito (Genipa americana) is a medium-sized tree, whose fruits yield a blue-black dye when soaked in water. It is used for hair dye and tattoos in local villages. It has potential as a natural black dye in the cosmetics industry to replace highly toxic or irritating chemical dyes.
Chuchuhuasi (Maytenus laevis) is a large rainforest tree whose bark is used medicinally and is one of the most popular traditional rainforest remedies. It has been used for centuries as a remedy for arthritis and rheumatism and as an aid to relieve lower back pain. It is an overall tonic with broad application and few known side effects. Also used to treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, menstrual dysfunction and as an aphrodisiac.

Chris also describes how the commerce in these botanicals can help the local communities in the Amazon to enjoy a better quality of life, and the connections he has made toward this end. We look forward to having him back at Medicines from the Earth in 2023!

Included:

The featured recording mentioned above.
And free CE*: 1.5 general CME hours for naturopathic physicians, approved by OBNM

Steps to order your free* recording:

Order at least one audio recording or digital book from botanical-medicine.org at the regular price.
Before checking out, add this month’s featured recording to your order.
Proceed to checkout. Enter coupon code FREE and this will discount the audio recording to zero.

How to earn the free naturopathic CE:

Listen to the recording and keep a record on this certificate of all completed recordings. It’s as easy as that!

Questions? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

*The featured recording is free with the purchase of one recording or book. Continuing education (CME) credits are available for naturopathic physicians.

Managing the Effects of Endocrine Disruptors with Botanical Medicine

Posted on November 30, 2022April 29, 2023 by Caitlin Maher

December’s Featured Recording:
Panel: Managing the Effects of Endocrine Disruptors with Botanical Medicine with Jason Miller, DACM, LAc, Kenneth Proefrock, NMD and Mary Rondeau, ND, RH (AHG)

*Panelists: Jason Miller, Kenneth Proefrock and Mary Rondeau*

Addressing the challenges presented in the keynote address the previous evening, this panel describes therapies for those already exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Kenneth Proefrock begins with a detailed description of the pathways by which the body eliminates toxic environmental chemicals, and how those systems can be enhanced with botanicals and nutrients. Mary Rondeau discusses the role of EDCs in autism, and Jason Miller speaks specifically about the disruptions to the endocrine system that can lead to cancer, and the physiological processes behind it. Botanicals and other natural therapies to restore balance are provided in every section.

Other topics: when fasting is beneficial for detoxification, and when it can be harmful to patients in an already weakened condition; what diets and lifestyle changes can be helpful; and many more details brought out in the question and answer period at the end. (Catalog Number 19ME17)

The information on this site is provided as a research resource for health professionals and is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care practitioner. Consult your medical care provider before using any herbal medicine.

Keeping Kids Healthy

Posted on October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 by Caitlin Maher

October’s Featured Recording:
Keeping Kids Healthy with Mary Rondeau, ND, RH (AHG)

Children are filled with love and sticky fingers and manage to bring home every bug from school. As a result, common childhood ailments regularly include diarrhea, vomiting, earaches, and coughs. While these common childhood conditions are important for strengthening the immune system, they can be burdensome to a working family.

Half the battle is having a well-stocked botanical medicine cabinet, and the other half is getting kids to take the herbal preparations. Learn about creative (and tasty!) ways to get these medicines into kids. Ayurvedic and western dietary and herbal preparations are discussed. (Catalog Number 20ME29)

Resilience: The Role of Botanicals in Depression and Adaptation

Posted on September 6, 2022September 10, 2022 by Caitlin Maher

September’s Featured Recording:
Resilience: The Role of Botanicals in Depression and Adaptation with Tori Hudson, ND

Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and adversity and bounce back to a state of normal functioning. Botanicals can aid in resilience by countering catabolic processes associated with stress, improving carbohydrate metabolism, and aiding the recovery of the normal functioning of the mind and body. This lecture from naturopathic physician, Tori Hudson, explores botanicals including Rhodiola, St. John’s wort, ginkgo, lemon balm, red clover, kava and others. (Catalog Code 14SW03)