Foundations of Herbalism
Find increased vitality, deeper and more restorative sleep, and higher quality of life through herbs.
Saturday and Sunday, December 5th and 6th, 9am - 5pm at Chicago Center for Psychophysical Healing, 1607 W. Howard Street.
Masks required. For additional accessibility information, please scroll down.
Gain an in-depth understanding of the medicinal properties of several herbs for your home apothecary
Taste, smell, and experience herbs for embodied, experiential knowledge
Find increased vitality, deeper and more restorative sleep, and higher quality of life through herbs
Know which herbs to reach for to treat common ailments
Learn the basics of medicine making: Make your own herbal teas, tinctures, vinegars, and syrups
Get to know the plants growing around us
100% worth it. . . . I can’t wait to put what I’ve learned into my daily life!
-Past student
Past students say. . .
I feel a lot more confident and comfortable talking about teas and herbs at home, I never felt educated enough to talk about it with confidence.
Betsy is so knowledgeable, intuitive, and a great person to learn from!
Now I know how to prepare herbs for maximum impact.
Betsy is engaging, has great energy, and was extremely flexible with everyone’s questions.
This class is for you if:
You want to use herbal remedies for yourself and your community, but you aren’t sure how.
You buy expensive herbal products and wonder if you could make them yourself.
You have studied herbs on your own informally and want the chance to learn from an experienced herbalist.
You want to connect with medicinal plants by experiencing them for yourself.
You are looking for an herbalism class that makes explicit connections between herbal medicine, racial capitalism, and struggles for justice
Foundations of Herbalism
Sat-Sun December 5th - 6th, 9am-5pm
Held at the Chicago Center for Psychophysical Healing, 1607 W. Howard
Foundations of Herbalism is a weekend herbalism intensive. Class will include a mix of experiential activities, information, stories, and time connecting directly with plants. This class includes explicit critiques of racism, capitalism, settler-colonialism, and discussion of how marginalization impacts our bodies and our relationship to herbs. Weather permitting we will also go on plant walks around the neighborhood. Masks are required.
Registration now open!!!
A weekend immersion to deepen your relationship with plant medicine. December 5th and 6th, 9am - 5pm at Chicago Center for Psychophysical Healing. Masks required.
Accessibility Information
This class will be held indoors at the Chicago Center for Psychophysical Healing, 1607 W. Howard.
Masks are required when not eating or drinking.
Class includes collective tea drinking.
Class is on the 3rd floor. There is an elevator to the third floor. There are a few steps to enter the building. Please contact us if you need a ramp to navigate the front steps.
There is a wheelchair accessible bathroom.
Weather permitting, we will spend some time outdoors walking around looking at plants in the neighborhood. If you have mobility limitations that will limit your ability to navigate neighborhood walks, please let us know.
Please stay home from class if you are sick or have a known exposure to COVID or flu.
Please reach out to violetcirclemidwifery@gmail.com with any additional accessibility needs or questions.
More about my teaching lens
I believe that as a teacher the most profound and transformational thing I can offer is for students to directly experience plants and learn from the plants themselves. I offer guidance and support, along with information, to faciliate student transformation.
My passion for herbal medicine is rooted in my belief that life is sacred. Connecting to plants is one way to reconnect to the sacredness of life
This class includes explicit discussion of how racism, capitalism, settler colonialism, and other forms of marginalization undermine the inherent sacredness of life. We will discuss on these dynamics of marginalisation impact our bodies, our relationship to herbs, and the field of herbal medicine.
My herbal training
In 2006 I attended my first herbal medicine training with the late Michael Moore,. I began my journey into holistic healing because I saw how the medical system wasn’t helping people, and I wanted to be able to offer something better.
Over the next several years I continued my herbal training, including completing community herbalist programs at the Maryland University of Integrative Medicine and the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine. I also studied with the late Frank Cook and assisted at the Green Farmacy garden of the late Jim Duke. More recently I studied online at the People’s Medicine School and in a 1:1 mentorship with herbalist Janice Marsh-Prelesnik.
I have taught herbalism classes at the Glastonbury Institute for Sustainable Living, Garret Wellness Center, Azadi Folk School, Wild Ginger Herbal Center, and Baltimore Free School.
I am also a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Massage Therapist. I have supported hundreds of families during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as a midwife, labor support and postpartum doula, and childbirth educator. In my holistic healing practice I incorporate herbs and massage as integrated wellness support.
I am passionate about equity and justice in holistic healthcare and strive to be accountable for my own actions and support others in accountability. I am also a street medic and support movements by offering first aid at actions and demonstrations.
If you're interested in the class, but have questions, fill out this form. We can set up a time to chat.