Berkeley Herbal Center

Berkeley Herbal Center Herbal Medicine The Center is committed to educating healers in successful careers as practicing herbalists and herbal educators.

The Berkeley Herbal Center encourages and renews a living knowledge of the healing powers of plants through the study and practice of traditional Western herbalism. Established in 1995, the Berkeley Herbal Center is a leading educational and clinical center for sustainable systems of Western herbal-based healing. Based in Berkeley, California, the Center offers the most comprehensive, integrated e

ducation in Western herbal medicine and practice, and is one of very few schools nationwide with clinical internships in Western herbalism. Western herbalism provides critical healing solutions to economic, physical, mental, and spiritual challenges in a changing health care environment. Based on time-honored traditions practiced worldwide today, Western botanicals offer a highly effective, affordable healing modality that is in balance with our natural resources. Throughout history, plants have been central to all forms of medicines; worldwide, 20,000 documented species are used for medicinal purposes. Approximately 75 percent of the world population depends on botanicals for their basic health care needs, according to the World Health Organization. In addition to providing primary healing for a wide range of health challenges, herbs can increase the effectiveness of modern drugs, decrease their side effects, and sometimes replace them. The indigenous knowledge of plants and plant medicines is based on a deep relationship to the land, place, and home. This understanding is handed down through many generations using natural wisdom and scientific study. While allopathic drugs burden our natural resources and create waste contributing to global pollution, the use of local plants deeply benefits the body and the earth. The Center offers two distinct professional tracks to prepare students for careers in clinical herbalism:
A three-year program of Foundational, Therapeutic, and Clinical training through evening classes designed for working adults
An intensive two-year Apprenticeship program for full-time, daytime students covering the entire 3-year program tracks

Graduates of either program have all the knowledge they need to practice effective clinical herbalism. They take care of their communities by serving non-profit clinics, developing private practices, working with medical professionals, and teaching the next generation of practitioners. BHC specializes in teaching graduates how to develop successful careers in herbal healing practices. Our support for students continues long after they complete their program, with peer practitioner groups that provide ongoing collaborations, a sense of professional community, and lifelong learning. .

Join Gualikuya Mariposa & Batul True Heart for a 6 Week Journey into the sacred work of endings.🪾♥️Gualikuya Mariposa (t...
04/29/2026

Join Gualikuya Mariposa & Batul True Heart for a 6 Week Journey into the sacred work of endings.🪾♥️

Gualikuya Mariposa (they/them) and Batul True Heart (they/them) are Two-Spirit, Q***r, and Indigenous traditional healers, community herbalists, and death companions. They met in Huchiun aka Oakland in 2015 as students of Cecemmana, a three-year clinical herbalism program at Ancestral Apothecary school, founded by Atava Garcia-Swiecicki. Their friendship grew over the years as they got to know the plants, sat in ceremony, and continued to follow their ancestral medicine journeys. For years, Batul and Gualikuya have been making relations and learning with elders and other traditional healers in the practice of Cuaranderismo, a holistic, earth-based health-care system that works to keep all elements of our being in balance. For five years they co-taught the Curanderx Toolkit at Ancestral Apothecary. Through their recent project, Floripondio End of Life Planning and Services, Gualikuya and Batul offer culturally-conscious death care and education to Q***r, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and all Comrades, honoring traditional medicine practices. With deep listening, presence, and the support of the elements and their ancestors, Batul and Gualikuya specialize in holding space for individuals during times of transition.

In this 6-week course, we will support folks in facing and embracing endings. Each week we will take time to remember traditional, nature-based ways of relating to the end. Together, we will explore what it means to live, love, grieve, and let go. With the assistance of the ancestors, plants, ceremony, and each other, we will be in the practice of facing, feeling, and integrating the inevitable outcome of death. This class is for death workers, healers, and/or grievers looking to make a relationship with death.

Course Details
Mondays, May 11 - June 22 (excluding May 25)
6:30 - 9:00 pm
$595.00 (with payment plans and tuition accommodations upon request)
1250 Addison St, Suite G, Berkeley CA, 94702

Secure your spot today on berkeleyherbalcenter.org

Spring is here—and with it, an invitation to grow, reconnect, and return to the rhythms of the land. 🌻🌾⛲️Saturday, May 9...
04/28/2026

Spring is here—and with it, an invitation to grow, reconnect, and return to the rhythms of the land. 🌻🌾⛲️

Saturday, May 9 | Mother Earth Market
Join us for Berkeley Herbal Center’s Mother Earth Market, a vibrant, seasonal celebration of the Earth and all her stewards.
11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Monday, May 11 - June 22 (excluding May 25) | Embracing Endings for QTBIPOC & Comrades with Gualikuya Mariposa & Batul True Heart
In this 6-week course, we will support folks in facing and embracing endings. With the assistance of the ancestors, plants, ceremony, and each other, we will be in the practice of facing, feeling, and integrating the inevitable outcome of death. 
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Sunday, May 17 | May Herb Walk
Enjoy an herb walk in the hills where you’ll learn about locally abundant medicinal plants with a Berkeley Herbal Center staff member. 
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Sunday, May 17 | Late Spring Gardening with Steve at Bancroft Community Garden
Come connect to place and season in Bancroft Community Garden as we explore how our ancestors honored the turning of the seasons through plants, planting, and harvest.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Tuesday, May 26 | May Herb Club 
Deepen your relationship with plants, share experiences, and connect with future friends. Herb Club members receive our herb of the month prepared three ways, a monograph written by a practicing herbalist, recipes, journal prompts, poems, and more. May’s herb of the month is heart awakening Hawthorn!
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 30 | Exploring Energy & Essences with Karen Beckles & Abby Silverman
Join us for a day of exploring energetic modalities to support ourselves during complex times! Karen Beckles, a reiki master, will guide a simple, grounded experience to help you connect with your own energy. Abby Silverman, will be introducing flower essences and how we can reconnect to the natural world by working with plants & their unique spirits through our ever changing journey.
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

To learn more or sign up for classes, please visit berkeleyherbalcenter.org 🍀

Consultas herbales gratuitas en línea con Pía Giudice 🌷Recibe atención herbal personalizada de la practicante estudianti...
04/20/2026

Consultas herbales gratuitas en línea con Pía Giudice 🌷

Recibe atención herbal personalizada de la practicante estudiantil Pía Giudice, quien ofrece sesiones individuales, atentas y adaptadas a tus necesidades—todo desde la comodidad de tu hogar.

Pía es una herbolaria argentina, profesora de yoga y madre de dos, radicada en Medellín, Colombia. Su camino hacia la medicina herbal nace de su experiencia personal a través del embarazo, la maternidad y una profunda relación con las plantas de Colombia. Es fundadora de Aflora Ritual , una línea de infusiones herbales medicinales a granel.

Su trabajo se enfoca en el apoyo al hígado, el equilibrio hormonal, la digestión, la inflamación crónica y la regulación del sistema nervioso, con un enfoque basado en la autoobservación, la suavidad y el cuidado sostenible. Actualmente, trabaja exclusivamente con personas hispanohablantes y entiende la sanación como un proceso compartido y comunitario.

✨Consultas gratuitas
✨Incluye 20% de descuento en tus fórmulas herbales personalizadas
✨Basado en un enfoque holístico y accesible

Ya sea que busques alivio, equilibrio o apoyo a largo plazo, estamos aquí para ayudarte a reconectar con tu salud—de forma natural.

Agenda tu cita hoy.

Join us for Berkeley Herbal Center’s Mother Earth Market— a vibrant, seasonal celebration of the Earth and all her stewa...
04/14/2026

Join us for Berkeley Herbal Center’s Mother Earth Market— a vibrant, seasonal celebration of the Earth and all her stewards. Gather in the beauty of Strawberry Creek Park for a joyful day filled day rooted in connection and care. At this Market you will find:

Art
Teas
Elixirs
Perfume
Herbal Remedies
Astrology
Vintage Clothing
Massage
Food & Drink
This event is free and open to all!

Saturday, May 9
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Strawberry Creek Park
1250 Addison St, Berkeley, CA

Join Gualikuya Mariposa & Batul True Heart in Embracing Endings 🥀🖤🦋In this 6-week course, we will support folks in facin...
04/08/2026

Join Gualikuya Mariposa & Batul True Heart in Embracing Endings 🥀🖤🦋

In this 6-week course, we will support folks in facing and embracing endings. Each week we will take time to remember traditional, nature-based ways of relating to the end. Together, we will explore what it means to live, love, grieve, and let go. With the assistance of the ancestors, plants, ceremony, and each other, we will be in the practice of facing, feeling, and integrating the inevitable outcome of death. This class is for death workers, healers, and/or grievers looking to make a relationship with death.

What to expect:
* Weekly exploration of different death-related topics (including prompts and meditations for looking at our own relationship to loss and endings, remembering nature-based ways of relating to grief, and delving deeper into subjects such as sudden death and the many types of grief, etc)

* Weaving in of the foundations of Curanderismo (a holistic earth-based health care system that works to keep all elements of our being in balance) as support in the process of facing loss

* Weekly medicine-making demo of herbal & floral remedies and rituals that help while we face and feel our way through life and death

* Foundations for connecting and building relationship with ancestors

* Weekly at home heartwork assignments that support in making relationship with death

* Personal check-in & closing time each session

* Final class presentations and reflections

Date: Mondays, May 11 - June 22 (excluding Memorial Day, May 25)
Time: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm 
Place: Berkeley Herbal Center, 1250 Addison St., Suite G, Berkeley CA, 94702

Herbal Giveaway Alert!Win an initial virtual herbal consultation + 2 follow up appointments, plus 20% your custom herbal...
03/30/2026

Herbal Giveaway Alert!

Win an initial virtual herbal consultation + 2 follow up appointments, plus 20% your custom herbal formulas

All offered by our incredible cohort of online clinicians!

How to Enter:
1. Like this post
2. Follow us
3. Tag 3 friends

5 recipients will be selected and announced on April 13th

As the earth awakens, so too does our practice. This April, the Berkeley Herbal Center opens its doors to a tapestry of ...
03/23/2026

As the earth awakens, so too does our practice. This April, the Berkeley Herbal Center opens its doors to a tapestry of experiences where plants become teachers, medicine is made by hand, and community is woven through every gathering.

APR 4 | Living by the Womb Workshop
In this womb-centered workshop, we’ll begin by mapping out some anatomy of the reproductive system and offer an overview of the hormonal symphony occurring within us all.
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

APR 7 | Herbal Tea Tailoring for Wellbeing
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll slow down and engage your senses as we explore 12 herbs through mindful tasting, plant stories, and traditional herbal actions.
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

APR 11 | Spring Vinegars with Shereel Washington
Join herbalist Shereel Washington to learn how to make a fun and tasty springtime “cider” and a slurry of fresh Cleavers. 
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

APR 17 | Aries New Moon Gathering: Spark of life, Vitality, & Ginger
Together, we will explore the themes of igniting the spark of life, tapping into our deepest wells of vitality, and utilizing our monthly plant ally, Ginger.
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

APR 18 | April Herb Walk
Enjoy an herb walk in the hills where you’ll learn about locally abundant medicinal plants with a Berkeley Herbal Center staff member.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

APR | 26 Weeds as Medicine:Forgotten Allies
Come discover the medicine that is often overlooked, thrown out, and under-appreciated.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

APR 27 | April Herb Club: Nettle
Herb Club members receive our herb of the month prepared three ways, a monograph written by a practicing herbalist, recipes, journal prompts, poems, and more. 
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

APR 28 - MAY 23 | Introduction to Herbalism
Students will explore the physiology and common imbalances of the digestive, nervous, immune, and respiratory systems, while learning corresponding herbal actions and remedies.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

🌷Happy Spring Equinox🌷In lieu of the renewal and rebirth of spring, we’ve got special news for you…We are rebranding and...
03/18/2026

🌷Happy Spring Equinox🌷

In lieu of the renewal and rebirth of spring, we’ve got special news for you…

We are rebranding and expanding our in-house product line! On top of that, Berkeley Herbal Center products will soon be available online!

To prepare for this incoming abundance, we are running a spring equinox sale on all current tea blends and single use herbs at 30% off.* This limited offer is happening Wednesday 3/18 to Sunday 3/22.

Tend to your body this Spring with a blend and staff that’s ready to support you!

*This sale will not include any additional faculty or student discounts.

Store Hours
Sun - Fri: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sat: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
1250 Addison St.
Suite G.
Berkeley, CA
94702

Spring is bursting at the Berkeley Herbal Center ✨🌹🍀🌻🌱🪻🌿✨From herb walks and seed starting to plant medicine workshops a...
03/13/2026

Spring is bursting at the Berkeley Herbal Center ✨🌹🍀🌻🌱🪻🌿✨
From herb walks and seed starting to plant medicine workshops and moon gatherings — our calendar from now through May is overflowing with ways to deepen your herbal practice and connect with community.

Save this post so you don’t miss what’s coming next 👇🏽

MAR 17 | New Moon Gathering in Pisces

MAR 21 | Winter Herb Walk

MAR 28 | Seed Starting Workshop at Bancroft Community Garden

MAR 29 | Seasonal Nourishment with Chelsea Feldman

MAR 31 | Herb Club: Reishi

APR 04 | Living By the Womb” Herbal Workshop

APR 07 | Herbal Tea Tailoring for Wellbeing with Laura Ash

APR 11 | Spring Vinegars with Shereel Washington

APR 17 | New Moon Gathering in Aries

APR 18 | April Herb Walk

APR 26 | Weeds as Medicine: Forgotten Allies

APR 27 | April Herb Club: Nettle

APR 28 - MAY 3 | Intro to Herbalism: 5 Part Series

15 MAY | New Moon Gathering in Ta**us

17 MAY | May Herb Walk & Late Spring Gardening at Bancroft Garden

26 MAY | May Herb Club: Hawthorn

Our community clinic offers accessible, affordable herbal care while supporting the next generation of clinical herbalis...
03/05/2026

Our community clinic offers accessible, affordable herbal care while supporting the next generation of clinical herbalists. First-year clinicians work directly with clients and develop personalized protocols, while all formulations and plans of care are reviewed and approved by experienced clinical mentors—so you receive thoughtful, supported care at an accessible price.

In-person clinic: Mondays, 10:30am–5:30pm
Online appointments: Available throughout the week

This week we’re highlighting two of our in person first-year clinicians:

Helena del Pesco
When Helena began studying the healing properties of plants, she experienced an overwhelming sense of gratitude paired with urgency. Our intimate and interdependent relationships with plants are fundamental to who we are as humans, yet so often overlooked. In this moment of heightened anxiety and state-sanctioned violence, Helena feels deeply motivated to share plant knowledge passed down by mothers, grandmothers, Indigenous healers, and justice seekers with anyone seeking support in connecting to plant allies and their medicine.

Lauren Thomas
As a plant ally, Lauren’s feet are rooted in ancestral traditions that honor the wisdom of plant medicine, while her grounding in the sciences keeps her deeply appreciative of the growing body of research affirming their power.
With a trauma-informed clinical approach, Lauren is drawn to places where Western medicine may not offer enough support—persistent symptoms without clear resolution and a longing for care that honors our full human complexity. She specializes in supporting burnout, anxiety, depression, postpartum mothers rebuilding their energy and sense of self, and clients seeking holistic care for complex or long-term conditions such as Type II diabetes. Her work centers on nourishment, restoration, and reconnecting clients to the wisdom and resilience already within them.

Address

1250 Addison Street, Ste G
Berkeley, CA
94702

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 2pm
Thursday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+15109308050

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