Southwest Conference on Botanical Medicine 2025

Livestream Events on Zoom (March 28 – 30)

All live events are recorded for later on-demand viewing for those who can’t attend online at the scheduled time.

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

Online Pre-Conference Intensive on Phytotherapy for the Respiratory System

Title: Phytotherapy for the Respiratory System – Roots, Research and Clinical Relevance with Kristin Gilmour, BHSc (Naturopathy) and Julianne Grant, BHSc (Naturopathy), BApSc (HM)
Date: Friday, 3/28/25
Time: 1:00PM – 5:15PM Arizona and Pacific Time on Zoom (recorded video available for those who cannot attend the live online event)
Cost: $95
Open only to registered conference participants.

Continuing Education (pending approval):

• Applications submitted to:
  • AAFP (4 Prescribed Credits)
  • NCCAOM (4 PDA for acupuncturists)
  • OBNM and SUHS (4 CME hours)

Description: 

Join Australian Naturopaths, Kristin and Julianne, as they do a deep dive into the respiratory system, incorporating traditional respiratory wisdom and discussing the connection between the respiratory system with other organs, as well as the microbiome, and therefore its importance in overall health and vitality. They will cover infections of the upper and lower respiratory systems (e.g. bacterial/viral/stealth), as well as certain complex respiratory conditions, and will review the key classes of herbal medicines utilized in respiratory health, detailing individual relevant phytomedicines.

Kristin and Julianne always aim to make their presentations clinically relevant, therefore case studies and herbal formulae will be included throughout the presentation. Attendees will also receive a comprehensive respiratory system digital herbal compendium that will be a valuable, practical clinical resource.

In Person Friday Field Study with JoAnn Sanchez, RH (AHG)

Title: Plants of the Superstition Wilderness: A Field Exploration
Date: Friday, 3/28/25
Location: Hackberry Trail in Superstition Wilderness
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Arizona Time
Cost: $65
Open only to registered conference participants. This session will not be recorded.

Continuing Education (pending approval):

• Applications submitted to:
  • NCCAOM (4 PDA for acupuncturists)
  • SUHS (4 CME hours for Arizona NDs; OBNM does not provide CME hours for field studies)

Description:

Join herbalist JoAnn Sanchez for a walk through a diverse Sonoran desert landscape where multiple habitats converge. We focus on direct observation of plants and receptivity to knowledge and healing that comes directly from the plants. Using each of our senses, gain a deeper understanding of the plants and the habitat they call home, against the stunning backdrop of Hackberry Trail.

Paul Bergner, Clinical Herbalist
Modular Herbal Formulation
Rather than combining single herbs, modular formulation is the combination of pre-mixed herbal modules, each with a focused effect. The modules may be herbal pairs or triplets with reinforcing or complementary effects. Or they may be entire formulas, or specific delivery media may be used as a module. It is an efficient and powerful way to rapidly put together and deliver a patient-specific formula. A formula with more than a dozen herbs might be delivered in a synergistic medium, with only 3-4 “pours” into the patient bottle. We will review the use of this technique in Thomsonian, Physiomedical, Chinese, and 19th century Regular medicine. The potential for use in a fast paced setting, pop-up free clinic, or large group settings will be reviewed, with a description of how we used these methods in a fast paced primary clinic in rural Nicaragua to produced more than 400 patient—specific formulas for 300 patients over a four day period. The method can make office based formulation and pharmacy highly efficient.

Reneé Camilla, Herbalist
Spinal Discs and the Plants: The Energetics of Herniations
This presentation explores herbal strategies for common issues with spinal discs, including degeneration, herniation, and sciatica. In understanding the energetics of these imbalances we can more easily identify which herbs are appropriate for each individual. Herbal approaches will include preventative measures from a holistic perspective as well as acute care.

Camille Freeman, DCN, RH (AHG)
Working with the Pregnant Client: What Herbalists Need to Know
In this class, we’ll briefly review physiological changes associated with pregnancy and how these changes affect our work as clinicians. Key safety issues to consider and herb/supplement dosing strategies for pregnant clients will be discussed in detail. Camille will also share clinical insights around working with common pregnancy concerns, such as nausea/vomiting, anemia, and preparation for the postpartum period, based on more than 15 years of clinical experience. We will discuss common herbs, supplements, and lifestyle strategies that are appropriate for the pregnant client.

Lori Harger, RN, PMHNP-BC
Opiate Use Disorder: Integrating Medication-Assisted Treatment and Holistic Approaches for Whole-Person Care
This session explores the latest updates in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid dependence while integrating botanical and nutritional strategies to support recovery. Beyond clinical interventions, we’ll discuss harm-reduction approaches, essential community resources, and practical tools for fostering resilience in individuals navigating this challenging journey. Attendees will also be invited to engage in self-reflection on their role in supporting patients through one of the most complex and deeply human aspects of healthcare.

Tori Hudson, ND
Prescriptions in Women’s Health: What Integrative Practitioners Need to Know
This lecture explores practical, evidence-based information on prescriptions for women’s health. Learn when and how to use natural medicines within a whole-woman, integrative philosophy that addresses physical, emotional, and hormonal wellbeing. Topics include effective use of botanicals like black cohosh and chaste tree, along with nutrition and lifestyle strategies to support women at every stage of life. Join this session to gain actionable insights and tools for personalized, holistic care in women’s health for a variety of conditions including utis, bacterial vaginosis, yeast vaginitis, dysmenorrhea, PCOS, perimenopause/menopause and more.

Jack Lambert, MD, PhD
Update on Long COVID: Symptoms, Etiology and Management Plans from the EU
Jack Lambert, MD, PhD, returns to share new insights into the evolving understanding of long COVID and its parallels with other chronic conditions such as Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. Building on his previous research, Dr. Lambert will present updates on symptom patterns, emerging treatment strategies, and refinements to his integrative management approach. This session will explore the latest findings in diet and lifestyle modifications, the role of low-dose pharmaceuticals, and the increasing relevance of botanical therapies. Attendees will gain practical tools for supporting patients navigating long COVID and other complex chronic illnesses.

Brigitte Mars, Herbalist
Dying with More Grace and Ease
How to be prepared to leave this world and help others to embrace the end of life with preparation, care and consciousness that facilitates this inevitable transition. We will discuss Advanced Directives, natural burial alternatives, creating memorials and obituaries. Also covered will be food, herbs and supplements for pain, stress, fear, anxiety and grief. What to feed (or not to feed) one who is leaving their body as well as essential oils for anointing the deceased.

Brigitte Mars, Herbalist
Sexual Vitality: Integrative Approaches to Sexual Health
Sexual energy is extra energy. Learn how to use food, herbs, exercises, essential oils and lifestyle techniques to improve reproductive health through its many aspects and phases. We will cover not only remedies but the chakra checklist for being and finding the right relationship, feng shui for creating a pleasure palace, intention and exercises to ignite your  passion.   

Kenneth Proefrock, NMD
The Biochemistry of Hair Growth and Loss and Botanical Medicine Interventions
This session will provide clinicians with a concise overview of the complex biochemical processes governing hair follicle cycles and the development of androgenetic alopecia. The presentation will focus on the role of androgens, such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), in influencing hair growth, specifically how these hormones can shorten the anagen (growth) phase, leading to finer, thinner hair. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the enzymatic pathways involved, including 5α-reductase and cytochrome P-450 aromatase, and how these enzymes contribute to local androgen production within hair follicles and sebaceous glands. The session will highlight the clinically relevant differences in enzyme activity and androgen levels between men and women, and even between different scalp locations within the same individual, which may explain the observed variations in hair loss patterns. This knowledge will provide a foundation for developing more targeted and effective treatment strategies for androgenetic alopecia in both male and female patients.

Kenneth Proefrock, NMD
Botanical Therapies and Integrative Approaches to Substance Use Disorder
This presentation will explore evidence-based botanical and nutraceutical strategies for supporting neurochemical balance during substance use recovery. The session will examine key interventions, including Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom), Sceletium tortuosum, Alpinia zerumbet, Zingiber officinale, Verbena officinalis, Urtica dioica, and Citrus bergamia, as well as relevant amino acid derivatives. Participants will gain insights into detoxification protocols, withdrawal management, receptor modulation, and addressing the underlying factors contributing to substance dependence. The presentation will emphasize the importance of considering both neurophysiological imbalances and psychosocial stressors in developing comprehensive recovery plans.

Brandon Ruiz, Herbalist
Caribbean Herbal Medicine Making
Caribbean Herbalism is based in many cultural backgrounds and traditions. For generations these practices have been preserved, utilizing Indigenous, African, European, Indian and so many other herbal systems to understand healing, energetics and medicine making. Our traditional medicine making practices utilize the senses to craft potent remedies with water, alcohol, and vinegars which are applied internally and externally. In this workshop, we will talk about traditional methods of preparing Caribbean plant medicines, take an in-depth look at popular plants that have been used for healing for hundreds of years, and understand the tradition and science behind these preparations.

John Slattery, Herbalist
Bioregional Herbalism in the Sonoran Desert and American Southwest
Through intimate relationships with the landscape, plants, and other life forms of the natural world, a cosmology forms in which the mind, body and spirit are viewed as one, as part of the whole. I’ll share some of my story of learning from indigenous healers of the Sonoran Desert while finding my ancestral roots interwoven through the sands, mountains, and trees of this landscape.

Lucretia VanDyke, Herbalist and Author
In the Kitchens of Our Ancestors
For generations, folk remedies have blended food and medicine to support overall well-being. This session explores practical and culturally significant ways to integrate herbal medicine into everyday cooking. Participants will learn how to incorporate tinctures, herbal infusions, and medicinal plants into traditional recipes while expanding their kitchen apothecary. Topics will include the therapeutic use of fire cider, the medicinal properties of common backyard plants, the creation of custom herbal spice blends, and the role of herbal teas in daily wellness. The session will also examine the historical connection between soul food and healing, offering insight into how food traditions can serve as both nourishment and medicine.

Allison Williams, ND
Navigating the Consistently Inconsistent Mast Cell Patient
Mast cell-related conditions, including Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), mastocytosis, and histamine intolerance, present unique challenges due to their unpredictable triggers and variable treatment responses. This lecture will provide an in-depth exploration of strategies for assessing and managing these complex patients. Dr. Allison Williams, ND, will share her clinical approach to evaluating mast cell disorders, titrating medications and botanical therapies, and identifying key nutrients and interventions that support stabilization. Participants will gain insights into practical tools for early intervention and learn how to navigate the ever-changing landscape of mast cell dysfunction with confidence and adaptability.