Advanced Herbalism in the Vitalist Tradition
Registration for 2025-26 is open!
Last day to register is August 27, 2025
457 total hours
128 online class hours + 329 independent study hours certified by the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism
September 10, 2025 - May 27, 2026
Wednesdays 11:00 am - 4:00 pm PST
(with lunch break from 1:00-2:00 pm)
This program is open to all graduates of
Footprints in Medical Herbalism
Program Overview
All classes are held in real-time* on Zoom
*Students may opt to watch the recordings of classes to meet attendance requirements
Our Advanced Herbalism program prepares the herbalist for becoming a clinical practitioner in the field of Vitalist Herbalism. Students will learn how to complete a full length client intake, perform a deep level case investigation by applying vitalist assessment skills and case analysis techniques. Students will practice the art of how to apply natural therapeutics and herbs to individual cases, and gain critical insights to perform subsequent follow up visits with a client for long term health transformations. This includes the necessary technical skills to write up a case for peer review and faculty feedback in a clinical setting.
This program features audio recorded lectures with Paul Bergner in pre-clinical training for the treatment of chronic disease as part of our flipped classroom model. While Paul's work is known worldwide and access to his teachings are available in a number of schools around the globe, this program offers a unique expression of his works. His 50 years of accumulated knowledge have been refined bringing a heightened skillset to the development of becoming a professional herbalist.
Students listen to Paul Bergner's audio recorded lectures as homework and then come to class where students participate in exercises and discussions to deepen their understanding with each lesson. This program provides practical applications in Materia medica, case assessment, clinical skills, therapeutics in chronic disease patterns, and the art of developing client practitioner relationships. This 'flipped' curriculum offers a higher retention of learning while gaining insight from shared experiences and faculty feedback.
Course Curriculum
The topics listed below are Paul Bergner’s audio recorded lectures that comprise the Advanced program course curriculum. There are a total 160 hours of audio that students will study. In addition to listening to the audio lectures, students will be completing over 150 hours in homework and projects outside of class time.
Interview Skills
-
Interview Skills in the Vitalist Tradition
-
Getting the Story Right
-
Art of the Follow-up
-
Healing as a Spiritual Path
Materia Medica & Formulation
-
Advanced Herbal Actions and Formulation
-
Herbal Pairing and Modular Formulation
-
Herbal Safety
-
Materia Medica Differentials
-
Herbs for the Spiritual Heart
Case Analysis
-
Intake and Pattern Assessment
-
Case Analysis in the Vitalist Tradition
-
Case Studies in Vitalist Herbalism
Infectious Disease
-
Biofilms and Chronic Infections
-
Viral Infections
Nutrition and Metabolism
-
Nutrition in the Herbal Paradigm
-
Systemic Inflammation, Food Intolerance & Autoimmunity
-
Insulin Resistance
-
Obesity: Ethics and Harms
Therapeutics
-
Detoxification, Alteratives and the Liver
-
Fatigue Therapeutics & Adaptogens
-
Working with the Heavy Cannabis User
-
Hypothyroid
General Enrollment Information
Registration closes August 27, 2025
-
You must have previous herbal education & training to apply (see Prerequisites below).
-
Prospective students must fill out an Application for enrollment & pay the Application Fee of $50.
-
You must have a High School diploma or equivalency to be accepted for enrollment.
-
You must be 18 years of age or older to attend classes.
-
Late enrollments will be accepted at the discretion of ACORN.
Prerequisites
This program requires proficient knowledge in the treatment of acute symptoms and basic medicine making skills, which are both covered extensively in our Footprints Program.
If you have more questions about your previous training, please contact the school to inquire.
For a complete list of the prerequisites needed in order to apply for this program, click below.
Academic Commitment
This program offers a rigorous study in the field of Clinical Herbalism.
While class time is held live only 4 hours a week, homework and independent study hours average about 6 hours a week.
A 90% class attendance and a completion of all program assignments is required in order to graduate.
How Class Works
For detailed information on this program, please read the Advanced Student Handbook
Regular Classes
Our weekly classes will be held in real-time online using Zoom. We want to replicate the in-person classroom environment as much as possible so we can grow and connect as a group. Regular class times are Wednesdays 11:00 am – 4:00 pm PST, with a lunch break from 1:00 - 2:00 pm.
Heather Luna is the primary classroom instructor. She will breakdown the course material in extensive detail, and show you how to apply these teachings to build an effective herbal practice. Paul Bergner joins our class as his schedule permits. He usually pops in to share key points, drop pearls of wisdom, and provide inspirational topics for discussion.
If you are unable to attend the live Zoom classes, you may opt to watch the recording for attendance. See below for details.
Attendance by Recordings
If a student cannot attend a live Zoom class, they may watch the Zoom class recording, take notes, complete the given assignments and submit their work within 2 weeks of the recorded class for attendance credit. Recordings will be uploaded to student drive files online for access and future reference.
Course Materials (from the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism)
Paul Bergner's recorded audio lectures are an essential aspect of our herbal learning environment. This material is the core curriculum that drives the entire program. Students listen to the audios for homework and complete projects before each class. This allows us to dive into discussion with real world case applications during class time. This experience offers a better method of learning than the typical classroom setting by deeper engagement with the most potent herbal curriculum offered anywhere in medical herbalism today. This method of learning enriches our online learning community experience. The Advanced Program Course Materials is a library of digital files that includes: audio recorded lectures with Paul Bergner, notes and slides to accompany each lesson, data files, clinic forms, and PDF text references. See below for details.
Medicine Kits
Students receive a medicine kit at the beginning of the year with herbs to sample that are specific to topics we will be covering throughout the program. Students will also receive a binder with printed notes and journal forms for completing projects at home.
Course Materials
from the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism
-
Audio recorded lectures with Paul Bergner for each module
-
Course Study Guides
-
Lecture Notes and Slides
-
Client Intake Forms and Case Assessment Worksheets
-
Materia Medica References
-
Herbal Safety Manual
-
PDF Library of classic herbal texts including Priest and Priest, Lloyd, Felter, Cook, Ellingwood, Kneipp, and more
-
Healing Power of Minerals and Trace Elements by Paul Bergner (abridged)
-
The Healing Power of Ginseng and the Tonic Herbs by Paul Bergner
-
More than 800 pages of article reprints from the Medical Herbalism Journal containing publications in Advanced Herbal Therapeutics and Materia Medica
Tuition
Total Program Cost $4600
-
$400 - Tuition Deposit (counts towards your total tuition)
-
$1200 - NAIMH Course Materials (required and non-refundable)
-
$3000 - Tuition Balance (includes medicine making supplies)
Tuition Payment Plan
Once your Tuition Deposit and Course Materials are paid, you will have monthly payments. Tuition payments are billed on the 4th of the month (dates given below). Please contact ACORN directly to make custom payment arrangements.
Acceptance
Within 7-14 days you will receive an email from us about your acceptance, and to schedule a phone call with the director Heather Luna.
Once you are accepted into the Footprints in Medical Herbalism program:
-
Enrollment Packet - You will receive an Enrollment Packet with important documents that will need to be completed, signed, and returned promptly. You will also get information to help you prepare for the first day of school.
-
$400 Tuition Deposit is due upon acceptance - This deposit counts towards your total tuition. You will receive an email invoice to pay this amount. The deposit holds your place in the program and helps make the monthly payments affordable.
-
$1200 NAIMH Course Materials payment is due on or before 8/27/25 - The Course Materials must be purchased by this date. You will receive an email invoice to pay this amount as well. This payment is non-refundable and required to attend classes. Once payment has been made, you will receive access to these files.
Application Instructions
Applications will not be processed until the application fee is submitted. This fee pays our time to thoroughly review each person’s application, read their essay, and then schedule a private interview to discuss their enrollment. This is a non-refundable one-time payment.
-
Student Handbook - Read the School Policies section (pgs. 10-12) of the Student Handbook, scroll to the bottom of this page for the link.
-
Application - Fill it out online and save it to your device by adding your name in the file name, for example: “AP Application 2025-26_Your Name.pdf”
-
ID - Take a picture of your ID and save it to your device.
-
Herbal Certificate - Take a picture of your herbal certificate and save it to your device.
-
Essay - Write a one-page essay that describes your previous herbal education and what your goals are for your herbal education. Write the essay in a word processor and save the file as a .doc, .pdf, or share it as a Google Doc file to the email address below.
-
Application Fee – Pay the application fee using the payment button below.
-
Send an Email – Attach the following: Completed Application, copy of ID & your Essay.
Send to: herbalists@acornherbschool.com