The Ohlone Herbal Center has three different functions. The first is educational. The school is referred to as Ohlone Center of Herbal Studies. Our second function to provide clinical service to the community, this division is known as Ohlone Clinic. The third division is our Herbal medicine making services, known as Ohlone dispensary.
The Ohlone Center of Herbal Studies is a Western herbal medicine school. The mission of the school is to keep Western herbal knowledge alive by bringing medicinal knowledge of plants to people, empowering their ability to heal through the use of herbs. A variety of classes are offered, from herb walks and short workshops to a formal Clinical Herbalist training program. All classes are small, interactive, flexible, and tailored to student’s needs.
What makes the Ohlone Center’s program unique is its focus on experiential learning. In our Clinical Herbalist training, students have many opportunities to experience herbs in their natural environments . Students are invited to taste, touch and experience the effects of herbs in their own bodies. Students are educated on the usefulness of each plant and how they apply to physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Our program is designed to fully enhance the student’s understanding in plant medicine. Programs are carefully designed to be exciting, intellectually stimulating and fun. Each classroom lecture is limited to 90 minutes in length and followed by an activity that is designed to keep students alert and allow for the maximum retention of information.
The Ohlone Herbal Center, operates as a 501 (3) c non-profit, has been educating clinical herbalists since 1995. We are committed to educating healers for successful careers as herbalists and/or herbal educators. The school offers a clinical herbalist training program in two different formats. The first option is a 3 year program consisting of two 10 month evening classes in Foundations and Therapeutic courses, followed by a one-year Clinical Internship. The second option is a two year Apprenticeship program designed for the full-time student. The Apprenticeship program has two courses: an 8 month intensive and a one-year Clinical Internship. The entire program takes between 24 and 36 months to complete and consists of over 1,000 hours of direct teacher contact. Students who complete the Clinical Program graduate with a profound understanding of how to create, promote, and manage a successful herbal practice.
The Ohlone Clinic has been providing wellness consultations to the community since 1997. Our clinic is open Mondays from 9am until 5pm year round and the first Saturday of the month from 9-4pm. The clinic services are available to all members of our local community. We do provide some home visits for our clients with mobility problems, or with serious illness.
The Ohlone Dispensary operates as the primary medicine making services for the Ohlone clinic and provides service to other non-profit and profit making clinics around the Bay Area. Our mission to set up herb rooms within existing clinics expanding the use of Western Herbal Medicine into more conventional health care models. We provide ongoing services to support and maintain these rooms.