Join A Thousand Leaves for our

Beginner’s Herbal Program 

A self-paced, online herbal program for the aspiring herbalist or anyone wanting to learn more about DIY healthcare and herbal medicine.

Now Offering Payment Plans

⋆

Now Offering Payment Plans ⋆

Are you seeking to feel empowered and knowledgeable about herbal medicine and the body? Are you longing for a better way to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community?

You’re not alone!

We believe it’s now more important than ever to have the knowledge of herbal medicine. We created the Beginner’s Herbal Program as a comprehensive, yet accessible journey for those who are both new to DIY healthcare and herbal medicine and those who have already started their journey but would benefit from the structure of a course and knowledge from seasoned, practicing herbalists.

So if you’re searching for a basic understanding of herbal medicine and the body, but you’re not sure where to start…

…Then you’re in the right place!

Herbalism doesn’t have to be mystifying

Our goal for this course is to provide you with the guidance to help you feel empowered through herbal medicine - so you can support yourself, your family, and your community with more knowledge and confidence.

Image: Close-up of tabletop with assortment of culinary herbs - tumeric, garlic, onion, oregano, and other roots and greens

We created the Beginner’s Herbal Program to give you the tools, knowledge, and empowerment that you need to start your own herbal medicine journey.

After setting the foundation in Lesson 1, each subsequent lesson covers:

a topic on herbalism or body system

We will navigate the different systems of the body, what common ailments happen and what herbs are best used to support these systems.

5 (or more) herbs related to that topic or body system

By the end of the course you will have learned over 50 herbs, their medicinal uses and how they relate to each system of the body.

Applicable handouts and herbal recipes

Download and print additional resources to add to your own Materia Medica.

herbal preparations and how-to’s

Learn about the ways herbs can be used and prepared for everyday use and begin making your own herbal recipes at home.

This Pre-recorded, Self-Paced Program is Broken Down Into 11 Lessons That Cover the Basics of Herbalism (and then some!)

Image: Tops of stalks of pale yellow flowers against bright blue sky

Lesson 1:

Herbal Foundations, Energetics, Actions, Creating a Materia Medica, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 2:

Herbs for Well Being, Herbal Safety, Infusions, Decoctions, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 3:

Kitchen Medicine, Fire Cider/Oxymels, & Materia Medica Herbs

Image: A torso and arms of an individual holding a large woven basket filled with fresh white tiny flowers

Lesson 4:

Digestive System, Bitters, Sauerkraut, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 5:

Nervous System, Tinctures, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 6:

Endocrine System, Herbal Powders, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 7:

Immune System, Oils, Salves, Balms, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 8:

Cardiovascular System, Herbal Syrups, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 9:

Respiratory System, Herbal Steams and Washes, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 10:

Reproductive and Urinary Systems, Herbal Baths, & Materia Medica Herbs

Lesson 11:

Musculoskeletal/Integumentary System, External Herbal Applications, & Materia Medica Herbs

“[The Beginner’s Herbal Program] is a great introduction to help empower yourself with plant medicine and caring for those around you; for helping you find the path to wellness that doesn't require somebody else. Plant medicine doesn't require degrees. It requires you just being intentional and thoughtful to make time for this practice in your life. It was a really great program for me and helped me realize ‘Yes, I'm on the right path. Yes, this is what's really important for me.’ So if you're called to this, listen.”

-Kristin P.

The Beginner’s Herbal Program isn’t just for beginners

We created this course to be accessible for those who have never studied herbalism before, AND for those who have been studying on their own for a while but maybe never had the structure or breadth of a formal course.

“This course is information packed. It’s an introduction, but it’s not basic - good for beginners but also good for people who might have a little bit more knowledge. LeAnn and Susan just know so much, and they'll tell you everything they know. It was a very well balanced course.”

-Elena N.

Meet Your Course Instructors

Image: LeAnn Averell looking into the camera and surrounded by tall leafy plants in her garden

LeAnn Averell

LeAnn weaves a love for deep ecology, medicinal plants, and vitalism into her work as a community and clinical herbalist. She started studying herbs formally in 2007- already coming from a background in environmental advocacy and gardening- and has been fascinated with plant medicine ever since.

Her work as an herbalist and educator revolve around self and community empowerment, resilience, equal access, promoting local plant-based healthcare, and the sharing and spreading of herbal knowledge. She focuses on educating her clients so that they may be empowered to continue on a path to learn more about herbal medicine. Using an integrative approach, she uses her knowledge of many traditions to treat every client she works with.

LeAnn views herbal medicine as a means of reconnecting with the world around them. She sees herbalism as an empowering path for addressing injustice in health care, and this is what initially inspired her path to learn more about plant medicine. She is passionate about interconnected issues within the community and study of herbal medicine. She believes that supporting wellness implies recognizing the impact of structural forces on the health of individuals and communities, and acknowledging the effects of racism, misogyny, poverty, transphobia and homophobia as important aspects of health and dis-ease.

image: Portrait of Susan Marynowski looking into camera and wearing a woven, wide-brimmed hat

Susan Marynowski

Susan has an avid mind and is always interested in learning something new and teaching others. She has studied and practiced herbal medicine since the early 1990s, and she holds a certificate from Dr. Tieraona LowDog’s “Foundations in Herbal Medicine” program, as well as advanced training in cancer therapeutics, metabolic syndrome, herbal botany, herbal first aid, and functional blood chemistry analysis.

Susan regularly leads “wild weed walks” to examine edible and medicinal weeds, as well as teaching in more formal settings at the UF Integrative Medicine Program, the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery, the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture, the Florida Herbal Conference, and other venues.

How to Enroll Now in the Self-Paced course:

  1. Click on the Enroll Now button below

  2. You’ll be taken to the checkout page where you’ll sign up for the course

  3. Check your inbox for an email confirmation with login details

  4. Login to your student dashboard, click on Beginners Herbal Program, and learn at your own pace!

Check Out More Experiences From our Past Students

"This class propelled me on a life-long path toward remembrance. LeAnn and Susan debunk hierarchies, reminding us that humans are not superior to the natural world and the importance of remaining cognizant of systems of oppression."

"This course was a journey! I've learned so much about myself, the plants, and my community. I love that I gained skills and could immediately apply the knowledge. It was a practical and thorough curriculum."

"I am so grateful I committed to learning from LeAnn and Susan. They offered a very grounded, practical, action-oriented, and socially informed way of working with herbs. I now feel much more equipped to craft medicine, to offer guidance to others; and after taking this course, I feel much more confident simply considering myself an herbalist."

"Suddenly I have such a meaningful, wholesome, earth honoring, and safe way to help the ones I love. It was a dream to share 3 months with Leann and Susan. They are the mentors I had been searching for, for a long time."

 FAQs

  • No. Unlike our live course, which includes assignments and assessment, this self-paced course does not include a certificate. It is also important to know that you do not necessarily need a certificate to practice herbal medicine. We will go over this more in the course.

  • A huge part of the course is experiencing and interacting with the herbs covered in the course. If you live locally in Gainesville, FL you can buy your herbs and some supplies from us at A Thousand Leaves herb shop. If you live elsewhere, we encourage you to support your local herb shop! If you need help finding one, you can let us know where you live and we will help you find the best resource in your area.

  • You’ll need access to high-speed internet to watch the videos included in each lesson and a computer or tablet (we do not recommend using a phone to access the material).

    You’ll also want to get a minimal amount of supplies, herbs, and materials if you plan on creating your own herbal preparations (which we highly suggest you do!)

    We offer handouts with suggested resources and supplies in the course.

  • 1 year: We have found that giving a time limit encourages and motivates our students to complete the course and implement what they have learned. We believe this amount of access is reflected in the cost of the program.

  • The pre-recorded part of this program is about 20 hours, but you may want to re-watch certain videos and/or take notes throughout. You will also need time to do your own research on the herbs covered in each section as well as experimenting and creating your own herbal preparations.

    In the past, our live version of this course, we covered one lesson each week. You may want to adopt the same practice for yourself to allow ample time to learn and absorb the material. You could also stretch out this timeline depending on your own schedule.

  • Yes! This course is very accessible to beginners. Although we like to call it “beginners plus” because there is so much included including some clinical information not found in all beginners herbal courses. As a beginner, this self-paced course is perfect because you can re-watch any material and really absorb it!

  • Yes! We like to call this a “beginners plus” course because there is so much included including some clinic information not found in all beginners herbal courses. Our students who have studied herbs on their own have found this class helpful in the learning process due to the structure as well as the way we break down the lessons.

  • Yes, we now have payment plans available!

  • As this is a pre-recorded online course with all materials delivered upon purchase, we can not offer refunds.

  • This is a self paced course. Self paced learning is a style of instruction in which learners progress through the material at their own speed and on their own schedule. In contrast to traditional classroom-based learning, self paced learning is directed by the learner, not the instructor. There isn't homework or assignments graded, simply suggested ways to engage with the material.

    We do have Q&A from past recordings on your videos at the end of each lesson.

    We also have live Q&A’s via zoom with our students quarterly. These dates are emailed to you when we schedule them. They are not mandatory, they are optional.

    An advantage of self-paced learning is that it provides flexible learning options for participants with tight schedules by removing the pressure of deadlines.

  • As of now, we are unsure if we will offer a live course in 2025, but if we do we will be announcing it towards the end of 2024.

Image: A Thousand Leaves logo - a large letter A surrounded by twigs with leaves, and words "Thousand" and "Leaves" around it