Holistic Herbalism

Step into your role as a healer.

A comprehensive, in-person training in the Asheville area for those called to serve their communities—and themselves—with the power of holistic herbal medicine.

Learn directly from Author CoreyPine Shane and the BRSHM teaching team

Reimagine what health feels like

If you’ve ever longed to understand your body in more depth and see your health like a conversation between yourself and the Earth – this program is for you.

Here, herbalism is not just a study. It’s a path to building a deep relationship – with the land, your body, and tradition. It is built slowly, intuitively, and skillfully – with your feet in the soil, your hands in the medicine, and your heart open to the ancient ways of healing that modern life has forgotten.

This course is for those who want to be self-sufficient in their health, serve as a community healer, or establish a public herbal practice. 

You’ll learn:

  • Constitutional diagnosis

  • Holistic treatment with tonic herbs, food, and lifestyle practices

  • How to identify and ethically harvest wild plants

  • How to make high-quality herbal preparations

Whether you’re a committed beginner or already on the path, this course will give you the tools to work at the root, not just treat the symptoms.

Testimonials

  • “When I started at the BRSHM in 2014, I had little knowledge of herbal medicine. The Holistic Herbalism Program met me where I was as a beginner who lacked confidence. In addition to content-rich lectures, we regularly made medicine, identified wild plants, sampled teas and tinctures, and walked through herb gardens together. I completed the program with enough hands-on experience to safely (and joyfully!) apply what I learned on my own. BRSHM empowered me to start my own herbal education business, and now I'm sharing hands-on herbal experiences with others."

    Sarah Sorci, Owner, Sweet Flag Herbs

  • “The mountains are calling you!” This is what I felt and heard in my heart when exploring Herbal programs online. Fast-forward to the first day of class of the Holistic Herbalism program at The Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine and I felt confident that my intuition was fulfilling a calling. The experience was beyond incredible! CoreyPine Shane and his teaching staff offer a challenging, diverse curriculum that is filled with important plant wisdom and knowledge. The in-person, hands-on training and education was invaluable. I will forever hold the experience close to my heart with deep gratitude in having an opportunity to receive such a high level of instruction and coursework from BRSHM and to also share with the spirit of the plants.”

    Amy Burns, Class of 2021

  • “Attending the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine was a deeply transformative experience for me. What I enjoyed most were the hands-on plant walks with a variety of incredible teachers, each teaching from their own unique perspective and knowledge. The trips to local herb farms, forests, and even down to Georgia to study native plants were unforgettable, offering a personal connection with the plants that no virtual learning could ever replicate.”

    Nicolina Ruiz, Owner, Casa Alchemista Botanica

This program is for you if:

  • You’re ready to go deep into a new paradigm of healing

  • You want to understand the body through the lens of balance, not just elimination of disease-causing pathogens

  • You want to learn how the body works and how to help ourselves and others reach balance and health

  • You feel called to care for your community or deepen your own herbal knowledge

  • You crave embodied, hands-on learning – not just theory

  • You’re willing to commit your time, energy, and heart to becoming a true herbalist

  • You are ready to gain a better understanding of yourself in relation to the natural world and cultivate a deeper sense of your identity as a healer

This is more than just a learning experience. It is your rite of passage into a lifelong relationship with the green world.

What You’ll Learn

  • In-depth knowledge of 80+ medicinal herbs

  • Wild plant identification with a technical botany book

  • Sustainable harvesting with hands-on field practice

  • Foundations of Chinese medicine and energetic diagnosis

  • Clinical skills, including how to talk to clients and make herbal formulation

  • Thorough understanding of the 12 major body systems

  • Medicine-making: tinctures, teas, oils, salves, vinegars, and more

  • Herbal First Aid, including assessment and emergency support

  • A deeper connection to your role as a healer, in relationship with the land and community

This program helps you see the world in a more holistic way – understanding how to support the body through reestablishing balance.

Our Teaching Style

This program is rooted in place-based learning, herbal traditions, and real clinical experience. 

Classes are held in one of the most biodiverse temperate rainforests, surrounded by wild plants and a cultivated herb garden.

Clinical Herbalist CoreyPine Shane and our diverse BRSHM teachers draw from both Western and Chinese medicine, integrating intuition with science, tradition with hands-on skill. The teaching is experiential, rooted in humility, and alive with connection.

You’ll reconnect with your body and the land. You’ll learn to trust your instincts. And you’ll leave feeling empowered to care for yourself and others through Earth’s medicine.

Student Success Stories 

“I am a proud graduate of the Holistic Herbalist program at the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine. The education I gained at the school opened the door for me to direct my career onto the path of a professional herbalist.

CoreyPine Shane and his team of teachers are relatable and honest. Each teacher brings a captivating energy that I found inspiring and encouraging.

I learned all of the fundamentals a person needs to apply herbal medicine in a responsible and effective manner.  The entire course is centered around the underlying energetic structure of herbalism and how the herbalist's approach needs to adapt to meet the unique needs of each person. I was given enough of an introduction to several different modalities and philosophies that I found which one resonated with me the best. I have been able to forge a path forward and direct my further studies in a way that suits my specific needs because of The Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine.

In addition to the in person classes, plant walks, and camping, there are so many activities for an herbalist in western North Carolina. The school is sure to connect students with any available opportunities. I attended every event that came my way and left with my own network of herbal comrades both inside and outside of my classroom.

I am extremely passionate about the field of herbal medicine. I have dedicated my life to herbalism and I found my way easily because of the direction I received while attending the Holistic Herbalism program.”

Ibsy Linder

Owner | The Herbiary

The Power of In-Person Learning

There’s something that happens when you camp under old-growth trees, make medicine by hand, and share meals with your classmates that no book or screen can replicate.

One of the most memorable parts of the program is our week-long camping trip to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest – home to the largest stand of old growth on the East Coast. We walk in silence among the trees, reconnect to something older than words, and deepen our relationship to the living world.

This program is a commitment. But it’s also a homecoming. 

In a disconnected world, this is your chance to find your way back into belonging. 

A chance to reclaim your home in nature, build lasting friendships with like-minded folks, and step into your role as herbalist. 

Dates + Details 

We meet rain or shine. Lectures and medicine making are mostly outdoors and under covered spaces. Plant walks take place in the field!

Total Training Hours: 425 

April 14, 2026 – October 13, 2026

We meet twice a week for [6] months 

  • Tuesday: 9 AM – 4 PM

  • Wednesday: 9 AM – 4 PM

Required Supplies 

  • Pruners

  • Soil knife / hori hori

  • 10X–16X loupe (magnifying lens)

  • Textbooks

  • Camping gear for field trips

  • Food for lunches (breakfast and dinner provided on trips)

  • At least $400 for medicine-making supplies

  • Internet access for pre-recorded anatomy & physiology homework

Investment 

  • Application Deadline: April 1 (Apply early! Spots fill quickly)

  • $100 application fee (nonrefundable and not applied to tuition)

  • $650 deposit (nonrefundable and goes toward tuition)

  • $5,599 due February 15, 2026

Early Bird Discount: $5,349 if paid by December 31, 2025

Equity Pricing // $4,814 We offer 10% off tuition to all BIPOC students. Email JJ.BRSHM@gmail.com to inquire.

Work-Trade: Some partial work-trade opportunities are available. We do not offer payment plans unless co-signed.

CLASS SIZE LIMITED TO 18 STUDENTS

Class size is intentionally small to facilitate deep connection and individualized learning.

Refund Policy

If you withdraw:

  • More than 3 weeks before class starts → Full refund minus deposit

  • Within first 21 days → 75% refund minus deposit

  • Within second 21 days → 50% refund minus deposit

  • After 21 days → no refund

Due to our outdoor learning environment, we do not offer refunds for COVID-related concerns. If you’re not comfortable meeting in person, this may not be the right program for you.

The forest is calling you.

The medicine has always been within reach.

Now is the time to remember.
If you’re ready to reclaim your place in the natural world and feel the deep joy of tending to your own well-being with herbal medicine,

Join us.

Apply Now!
Apply Now!
Application Fee (paid after you apply)
Application Fee (paid after you apply)