This course covers:
The system of 38 individual Bach Flower Essences 
Their indications for use 
History of flower essences 
Preparation and application techniques 
Florida-based essences

Whether you’re a practitioner or simply seeking self-care, this course empowers you with tools for emotional wellness for a lifetime.

• Meet for live classes weekly to receive in-depth instruction and personalized mentorship
• Receive course textbook and eight complimentary ebooks for study and practical exercises
• Video classes are recorded for those who cannot make the live sessions and for later review
• Receive a bottle of Rescue Remedy / Five Flower Formula to start your journey to calm and peace
• Receive a personalized dosage bottle with a unique flower essence formula to continue your experiential learning
• Connect with other students via a digital community during class and for one full year

Instructor: Emily Ruff

Emily Ruff, Executive Director, is a community herbalist who has practiced the art and science of plant healing for over a decade. Her studies have taken her around three continents where she has studied under healers of many traditions. Her background in gardening and botany came in childhood while wandering the wilderness and digging in the sandy soils of Florida with her grandfather, a tobacco farmer turned urban gardener, and her father, a botany and astronomy professor. Her journey into herbalism continued through apprenticeships in Guatemala under the tutelage of local healers on the southern coast of Lake Atitlan, in the mountains of Vermont at the feet of Rosemary Gladstar, and in the Central Florida apothecary Leaves & Roots with herbalists Carolyn Whitford and George D’Arcy. Emily’s academic studies include Ethnobotany, Philosophy, and Women’s Studies at the University of Central Florida and Curanderismo with the University of New Mexico. She is a Bach Flower Registered Practitioner.

Emily’s dedication to preserving bioregional medicinal plant traditions and ecosystems led her to become active in the organization United Plant Savers. Inspired by a need for greater connection among her regional community, she founded the Florida Herbal Conference event in 2012, an event that continues to sell out annually. In past years, she served multiple terms as president of the Herb Society of Central Florida and as co-founder of Homegrown Local Food Cooperative. Most recently, in response to the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Emily founded the Orlando Grief Care Project. From the community relationships cultivated through the national response to this tragedy, Emily formed the Herbal Action Network to continue weaving the web of compassionate herbalism into community engagement. Emily is an instructor in the Herbal Academy Advanced Herbal Training Course. Sharing her time between Florida and Vermont, she currently serves as director of the Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary.

Emily’s classes have been described as “heart-filled,” “enriching,” and “empowering,” creating a bridge between the teachings of our ancestors and the technologies of our modern world. Emily can be found in joy cooking, practicing yoga, writing, photographing flora, creating music with family and friends, and digging her fingers in the dirt. The plants continue to be her greatest teachers.

$375.00 Original price was: $375.00.$295.00Current price is: $295.00.Select options

Traditional Herbal Medicine and Historical Context

Ethics of Community Health including understanding Power Dynamics and Mutual Aid

Social and Environmental Determinants of Health

Integration of Folk Traditions and Scientific Standards

Western Herbal Energetics

Medicine-Making Practicum

Native Plant Identification and Ethical Wildcrafting

Gardening for Herbalists

Clinical Protocol and Formulation

Finding your Voice as an Herbal Teacher

Discovering Your Plant Allies

Herbal Research and Library Guidance

Personal Wellness and Self-Care in Healing our Community

Spiritual Practices to Ground our Herbal Practice

Diagnostics and Assessment Skills

Legalities of Herbalism in Florida and the United States

Nutritional Healing

Contraindications and Herb-Drug-Supplement Interactions

Business Vision, Finance and Planning

EXPERIENCED THROUGH:

Clinical Practicum

Teaching Practicum

Medicine Making

Garden Immersion

Case Conference Roundtables

Spiritual Disciplines

Group and Individual Studies

Written assignments

Guest lecturers

And more…

Completion of our Family Herbalist program or transfer of relevant education from other institutions is required for enrollment.

For more information or to register, please contact 407-595-3731 or info@holisticlivingschool.org

This course is not a clinical program but a pre-clinical program intended to give students exposure to a variety of professional paths and empower them with resources and experience to discern which niche is calling them forth and providing the tools to take those next steps. Students seeking to practice clinically after graduation continue forth into mentorship or additional clinical training to prepare them for that work.

Digital books, audio classes, video resources, and additional handouts are included with each module. Course tuition is $2,950 if paid in full, or $3,200 if paid in monthly installments.  A $200 deposit is required to reserve your space and is non-refundable and non-transferable. Space is intentionally limited, and these classes do fill up quickly. We encourage you to register early to hold your space. Completed course hours can be applied to professional recognition in the American Herbalist Guild.

Student with previous herbal education from other herbalists may submit an application for override of this requirement through transfer of other educational experience. Please contact our office for more information.

48 CEUs are available to Massage Therapists, Dietitians, Nurses & Midwives in the state of Florida through CE Broker for students who successfully complete the course through attendance and submission of assignments. To add CEU credits to your enrollment, click here. An additional $15 educational credit processing fee will apply.

Emily Ruff, Executive Director, is a community herbalist who has practiced the art and science of plant healing for over a decade. Her studies have taken her around three continents where she has studied under healers of many traditions. Her background in gardening and botany came in childhood while wandering the wilderness and digging in the sandy soils of Florida with her grandfather, a tobacco farmer turned urban gardener, and her father, a botany and astronomy professor. Her journey into herbalism continued through apprenticeships in Guatemala under the tutelage of local healers on the southern coast of Lake Atitlan, in the mountains of Vermont at the feet of Rosemary Gladstar, and in the Central Florida apothecary Leaves & Roots with herbalists Carolyn Whitford and George D’Arcy. Emily’s academic studies include Ethnobotany, Philosophy, and Women’s Studies at the University of Central Florida and Curanderismo with the University of New Mexico. She is a Bach Flower Registered Practitioner.

Emily’s dedication to preserving bioregional medicinal plant traditions and ecosystems led her to become active in the organization United Plant Savers. Inspired by a need for greater connection among her regional community, she founded the Florida Herbal Conference event in 2012, an event that continues to sell out annually. In past years, she served multiple terms as president of the Herb Society of Central Florida and as co-founder of Homegrown Local Food Cooperative. Most recently, in response to the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Emily founded the Orlando Grief Care Project. From the community relationships cultivated through the national response to this tragedy, Emily formed the Herbal Action Network to continue weaving the web of compassionate herbalism into community engagement. Sharing her time between Florida and Vermont, she currently serves as director of the Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary.

Emily’s classes have been described as “heart-filled,” “enriching,” and “empowering,” creating a bridge between the teachings of our ancestors and the technologies of our modern world. Emily can be found in joy cooking, practicing yoga, writing, photographing flora, creating music with family and friends, and digging her fingers in the dirt. The plants continue to be her greatest teachers.

$200.00 – $2,950.00Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

For each herb, we will provide in-depth materia medica with monograph, ethnobotany, history and photochemistry. Individual Topics include:

• THYME AND SAGE with Maggie O’Halloran 
  Thyme and Sage aren’t just among the most popular culinary herbs today — they also have a long history of use as medicinal herbs and even as spiritual protectors. In this class, we will get to know these two well-known spices for their medicinal benefit and learn recipes to employ their healing powers in our daily lives.
• CAYENNE AND CITRUS with Maggie O’Halloran 
  Cayenne is a popular spice with historical use for skin and cardiovascular support. Not only does it heat up your mouth, but herbalists and alchemists have written books on all of the other benefits of Cayenne. Lemons, limes, oranges all add a refreshing burst of sweet refreshment to our beverages and culinary delights. Let’s take a look at how these can combine to provide a healthful tasty beverage!
• ONION with Emily Ruff 
  Onions are a common staple in our diets, but they add so much more than flavor to dishes. Whether it’s cardiac benefits, immune support, or for use in first aid, onions bring a myriad of medicinal qualities to our lives. In this class, we’ll explore those benefits and learn creative ways to prepare onion for use in your family’s health.
• GINGER with Christina Lynch 
  Ginger, a tropical rhizome rich in similar virtues for keeping pathogens at bay, also brings some spice to our food and our medicine.
• PARSLEY with Emily Ruff 
  Parsley is a popular herb often used in cooking. Parsley is not just a decoration on our plate, but it is an impressive herb that offers numerous health benefits, internally and externally. In this class, we will explore the disease-fighting qualities of parsley, and learn how to prepare culinary, medicinal, and topical applications to harness its power.
• BASIL AND FRIENDS with Maggie O’Halloran 
  Join us as we explore the historical uses of Tulsi or Holy Basil and how you can utilize it in your kitchen. Long revered for its many health benefits, this adaptogen is a culinary star as well. Pesto is a fun way to incorporate the tasty benefits of culinary basil we associate with this versatile sauce as well as the nervous system support of Holy Basil.
• GARLIC with Shay DeGrandis 
  With a storied history of repelling vampires and cooties, Garlic is a kitchen medicine you’ll want to have on hand for first aid situations.
• ROSEMARY with Wilnise Francois 
  Rosemary, the herb of remembrance, has a documented history in scientific literature supporting our memory, focus, and cognitive function. Not only is this tasty herb an ally to our mental prowess, and tasty addition to many culinary recipes, but it also finds favor in topical formulas for skin and hair. In this class, we’ll delight in the sensory aromas that Rosemary gifts while learning recipes to keep our bellies and our bodies happy.

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Your Instructors:

Emily Ruff, Founder, is a community herbalist who has practiced the art and science of plant healing for over a decade. Her studies have taken her around three continents where she has studied under healers of many traditions. Her background in gardening and botany came in childhood while wandering the wilderness and digging in the sandy soils of Florida with her grandfather, a tobacco farmer turned urban gardener, and her father, a botany and astronomy professor. Her journey into herbalism continued through apprenticeships in Guatemala under the tutelage of local healers on the southern coast of Lake Atitlan, in the mountains of Vermont at the feet of Rosemary Gladstar, and in the Central Florida apothecary Leaves & Roots with herbalists Carolyn Whitford and George D’Arcy. Emily’s academic studies include Ethnobotany, Philosophy, and Women’s Studies at the University of Central Florida and Curanderismo with the University of New Mexico. She is a Bach Flower Registered Practitioner.

Emily’s dedication to preserving bioregional medicinal plant traditions and ecosystems led her to become active in the organization United Plant Savers. Inspired by a need for greater connection among her regional community, she founded the Florida Herbal Conference event in 2012, an event that continues to sell out annually. In past years, she served multiple terms as president of the Herb Society of Central Florida and as co-founder of Homegrown Local Food Cooperative. Most recently, in response to the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Emily founded the Orlando Grief Care Project. From the community relationships cultivated through the national response to this tragedy, Emily formed the Herbal Action Network to continue weaving the web of compassionate herbalism into community engagement. Emily is an instructor in the Herbal Academy Advanced Herbal Training Course. Sharing her time between Florida and Vermont, she currently serves as director of the Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary.

Emily’s classes have been described as “heart-filled,” “enriching,” and “empowering,” creating a bridge between the teachings of our ancestors and the technologies of our modern world. Emily can be found in joy cooking, practicing yoga, writing, photographing flora, creating music with family and friends, and digging her fingers in the dirt. The plants continue to be her greatest teachers.

See Emily’s classes at this link.

Maggie O’Halloran, Executive Director, is an herbalist and educator in Central Florida. She comes from a large family where chaos was the norm. She always found peace outside watching things grow or climbing magnolia trees. She learned in her mother’s kitchen that the things you put in your mouth impact your mind and your body.

In the early 90’s she first found her own inspiration to view health from a holistic perspective while working as a teacher assistant at a mental health hospital for children. From that experience, she decided that there had to be a better way to help kids beyond medicating them to a zombie state with pharmaceuticals. She started college studying education and psychology ultimately received a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Masters in Educational Leadership.

In 1999 she took her love of plants to Oakland, California where she worked with inner-city elementary students and teachers, learning and teaching about violence prevention and anger management through physical education and body awareness with Playworks. She explored working with food, exercise, breathing, and communication skills. She continued to study plants and their medicine by sharing with friends.

In 2006 she moved to Florida to find a slower pace in life. Though her love of teaching hasn’t waned, she took the opportunity to focus on deepening her plant knowledge in a more intentional way with Emily Ruff and The Florida School of Holistic Living. Since then she has found inspiration from teachers like Rosemary Gladstar and David Winston. She continues her passion for helping people find peace by sharing her knowledge with whomever will listen. She enjoys working with friends, family, and strangers seeking a more holistic way to be healthy.

These days she can be found hiking on trails, tending her garden, creating something good for you in her kitchen, teaching in her community about plant medicine, and learning from her six-year-old herbalist and his friends.

Shay DeGrandis is an artist, community herbalist, writer, death midwife, accidental comedian, and well-meaning but amateur therapist working in the Orlando area. She is a recent graduate of the Florida School of Holistic Living Community Herbalist Program and received her BFA from Florida International University (via New World School of the Arts), her MFA from the University of Maryland, College Park, and went on the study Art History at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She loves to spend her time in her garden, chatting with the plants.

Christina Lynch is a growing community herbalist who desires to share her knowledge and passions with those around her. She is a first-generation American, with her lineage deriving from Barbados. Taking great desire to reconnect to the earth, continuing the spiritual and physical connections with the earth as her ancestors once did, her intent is to assist others in starting or continuing their journeys in becoming one with themselves.
She is currently the Vice President of Accounting & Finance for The Gabor Agency in Tallahassee, Florida. She has her Master’s degree in Human Resources and Employment Relations from Penn State University, and her bachelor degrees in Accounting, Finance and Human Resource Management from Florida State University. She has 13 years of professional experience in corporate accounting, human resource management, risk management, business plan development and strategic planning. She has also assisted numerous small businesses improve administrative operations, develop and maintain bookkeeping practices, and provide training support through her consulting firm, Trydent Consulting, and the Small Business Development Center. Christina is an avid tea lover, recovering foodie and cultural explorer.

Wilnise Francois is a Haitian-American Licensed Nurse and Herbalist that has worked in the allopathic modality of healing for over a decade. Working alongside physicians and caretakers alike facilitating wellness to those across the life span. Her role as an herbalist expanded with the personal need and integration of herbal medicines from her coveted traditional Haitian practices and studies in Western herbalism. As an herbalist, she is working to revolutionize the cultural affinity of our plant friends through our relationships with the earth and stars. Her aim is to integrate the very love our herbs show us and implement that essence into our daily lives; creating a lifestyle of health and wellness.

CEUs
You will receive the CEUs you applied and paid for upon the satisfactory completion of the class and all assignments. Once the requirements have been met, we will input your CEUs in CE Broker.

From: $100.00 / monthRead more

Please review this link for our school’s tuition and cancellation policies.

Emily Ruff, Executive Director, is a community herbalist who has practiced the art and science of plant healing for over a decade. Her studies have taken her around three continents where she has studied under healers of many traditions. Her background in gardening and botany came in childhood while wandering the wilderness and digging in the sandy soils of Florida with her grandfather, a tobacco farmer turned urban gardener, and her father, a botany and astronomy professor. Her journey into herbalism continued through apprenticeships in Guatemala under the tutelage of local healers on the southern coast of Lake Atitlan, in the mountains of Vermont at the feet of Rosemary Gladstar, and in the Central Florida apothecary Leaves & Roots with herbalists Carolyn Whitford and George D’Arcy. Emily’s academic studies include Ethnobotany, Philosophy, and Women’s Studies at the University of Central Florida and Curanderismo with the University of New Mexico. She is a Bach Flower Registered Practitioner.

Emily’s dedication to preserving bioregional medicinal plant traditions and ecosystems led her to become active in the organization United Plant Savers. Inspired by a need for greater connection among her regional community, she founded the Florida Herbal Conference event in 2012, an event that continues to sell out annually. In past years, she served multiple terms as president of the Herb Society of Central Florida and as co-founder of Homegrown Local Food Cooperative. Most recently, in response to the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Emily founded the Orlando Grief Care Project. From the community relationships cultivated through the national response to this tragedy, Emily formed the Herbal Action Network to continue weaving the web of compassionate herbalism into community engagement. Sharing her time between Florida and Vermont, she currently serves as director of the Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary.

Emily’s classes have been described as “heart-filled,” “enriching,” and “empowering,” creating a bridge between the teachings of our ancestors and the technologies of our modern world. Emily can be found in joy cooking, practicing yoga, writing, photographing flora, creating music with family and friends, and digging her fingers in the dirt. The plants continue to be her greatest teachers.

Students will have digital access to course materials for one calendar year upon enrollment. Please review this link for our school’s tuition and cancellation policies.

Emily Ruff, Executive Director, is a community herbalist who has practiced the art and science of plant healing for over a decade. Her studies have taken her around three continents where she has studied under healers of many traditions. Her background in gardening and botany came in childhood while wandering the wilderness and digging in the sandy soils of Florida with her grandfather, a tobacco farmer turned urban gardener, and her father, a botany and astronomy professor. Her journey into herbalism continued through apprenticeships in Guatemala under the tutelage of local healers on the southern coast of Lake Atitlan, in the mountains of Vermont at the feet of Rosemary Gladstar, and in the Central Florida apothecary Leaves & Roots with herbalists Carolyn Whitford and George D’Arcy. Emily’s academic studies include Ethnobotany, Philosophy, and Women’s Studies at the University of Central Florida and Curanderismo with the University of New Mexico. She is a Bach Flower Registered Practitioner.

Emily’s dedication to preserving bioregional medicinal plant traditions and ecosystems led her to become active in the organization United Plant Savers. Inspired by a need for greater connection among her regional community, she founded the Florida Herbal Conference event in 2012, an event that continues to sell out annually. In past years, she served multiple terms as president of the Herb Society of Central Florida and as co-founder of Homegrown Local Food Cooperative. Most recently, in response to the tragic shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Emily founded the Orlando Grief Care Project. From the community relationships cultivated through the national response to this tragedy, Emily formed the Herbal Action Network to continue weaving the web of compassionate herbalism into community engagement. Sharing her time between Florida and Vermont, she currently serves as director of the Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary.

Emily’s classes have been described as “heart-filled,” “enriching,” and “empowering,” creating a bridge between the teachings of our ancestors and the technologies of our modern world. Emily can be found in joy cooking, practicing yoga, writing, photographing flora, creating music with family and friends, and digging her fingers in the dirt. The plants continue to be her greatest teachers.

This series was originally hosted live in April 2020 with herbalists Emily Ruff, Maggie O’Halloran, and Debbie Krause, and has been recorded by request to share with students interested in building resilient health for themselves, families, and clients.

Learn more about Our Teachers at this link.

Making herbal medicines in our home kitchen is empowering, economical, and just plain fun. Whether you’ve been an herbalist for years or are just beginning to study healing plants, join us for a week-long webinar series where you will learn hands-on how to create many of the most widely used herbal medicines. Recipes and handouts are provided to compliment the webinars.

Tuition is whatever you can afford. You will name your own price at checkout, even if that price is zero. CEUs are available for an additional $15 processing fee.

See Our Teachers for more information about course instructors.