2018/2019
plant spirit medicine
healer training course Course Overview
Plant Spirit MedicineBlue Deer Center
Margaretville, NY www.bluedeer.org
[email protected] www.plantspiritmedicine.org
PLANT SPIRIT MEDICINE“The kind of life we live today in our society is very different than what any other people have ever lived before. The particular stresses we endure have squeezed the juice out of our connection to spirit. So our medicine needs to be different from what it was in the past because our illnesses are different from what they were in the past. My training and years of clinical work have convinced me that the overwhelming majority of our health problems, of all kinds – our physical health problems and our mental and emotional health problems – are caused by pain in our hearts, our spirit, our soul…“ Eliot Cowan
What is Plant Spirit Medicine? Humans and plants have lived together for countless generations. We are family. Our plant relatives are generous and helpful, offering us food and medicine. Like us, plants have spirit, and their spirit can nurture and heal us. Plant Spirit Medicine brings us into balance and harmony. It is the shamans’ way with plants. A millennial practice known to all peoples, it was rediscovered in the West by Eliot Cowan, and has proved just as effective in today’s world as in times past.
Who teaches this course and how did it come about? The Plant Spirit Medicine course is taught by Eliot Cowan and Alison Gayek. The course was developed by Mr. Cowan, who also authored the book, Plant Spirit Medicine. Eliot has been teaching, leading healing retreats, and maintaining private practice for many years. He began to study and practice herbalism in 1969, then temporarily set it aside to study acupuncture. He received his Licentiate, Bachelor and Master of Acupuncture degrees from the late J. R. Worsley at the College of Traditional Acupuncture, Leamington Spa, England, and served on the faculty of that institution in 1979-1980.
In the early 1980’s, Eliot once again turned his attention to herbal healing. Following a recommendation by Dr. Worsley, he began seeking the guidance of the plants themselves to support the healing of his clients. In this way, Eliot rediscovered the ancient shamanic practice of Plant Spirit Medicine.
Eliot has continued his healing work through the traditions of the Huichol people of Mexico. He completed his shamanic apprenticeship with the late Don Guadalupe Gonzalez Rios.
Alison Gayek has been teaching Plant Spirit Medicine with Eliot Cowan since 2002. Always looking for the path that spoke to her heart, Alison found herself reading Plant Spirit Medicine in 1996 and immediately knew that she would study and practice this healing modality. She began studying with Eliot Cowan in 1997 and graduated from the Plant Spirit Medicine course in 1999. Since then, Alison has maintained a strong effective Plant Spirit Medicine practice. As a teacher, Alison teaches the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training Course, graduate clinicals and skills courses, and also works to teach, mentor, and support new graduates as they start their own practices. In addition,
she is a qualified clinical consultant and provides clinical consultation for students and graduates. Alison has continued her healing work through various pilgrimages with Eliot Cowan and David Wiley. She is a Granicera -- a Weather Shaman -- in the Nahua tradition indigenous to Central Mexico.
The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training CourseClasses in the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training Course consist of 10 teaching sessions spread over approximately two years, with substantial practice and home study between sessions. This course is a serious course of study that prepares students for a profession as a Plant Spirit Medicine spiritual healer. Like any viable profession, it requires a good amount of learning and work. There are no prerequisites. Any student who dedicates him or herself to the work will have the preparation necessary to begin a practice and help others.
The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training Course consists of the following: 1. Course Work 2. Clinical Weeks 3. Clinical Practice 4. Learning how to Learn: A Course on Learning 5. Clinical Consultation Upon Graduation 6. Home Study
Course WorkSessions 1-6 are dedicated to learning the practice and theory of Plant Spirit Medicine. During these sessions, students will develop the capacity to understand what a client needs at a fundamental level, as well as the skills to provide it. Students learn:
• Traditional Chinese Five-Element Theory
The five element methodology is one of the most enduring of the classical oriental philosophies, having stood the test of centuries of use. It invites us to view the world as a cycle of transformation of the energies of sunshine, earth, air, water, and growth. It allows us to see people in a deep, even poetic, way, rekindling our senses and expanding our capacity for empathy.
The curriculum includes all aspects of five-element theory; the ability to see, hear, smell and feel what a person really needs at a core level; traditional pulse diagnosis; treatment planning, client management and ethics; skills in listening and rapport.
• Basic shamanic dreaming
The healing comes from building friendships and alliances with the plant spirits. You will learn how to enter non-ordinary states of consciousness (non-drug induced) in order to apprehend the healing qualities of the spirits of different plants.
• Relationship with Plant Allies
Students visit a number of local wild plants and befriend the spirits of those plants. You will learn the method for expanding and refining your plant spirit materia medica with the plants that grow in your own area, enabling you to bring the appropriate plant spirits to each of your clients.
• How to Develop a Practice
Students will learn the necessary aspects of opening a practice, including how to give an effective public talk, setting up and manage a successful practice, setting up a treatment room, maintaining clients, setting fees, maintaining ethics of client care, appropriate dress code, advertisement, scheduling, confidentiality, consultation skills, self care as a healer, and professionalism.
Homework The Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training course requires considerable self-study and homework. All of the homework and self-study is directly related to becoming a healer and is necessary in order to be able to practice this medicine and work with clients. Please expect approximately 6-10 hours of homework per week between sessions.
Clinical Presentations/PracticumDuring the Practicum sessions, students will hone their assessment skills and learn about treatment planning and healer-client relations. During sessions 5 & 6, each participant will perform treatments under Eliot Cowan’s or Alison Gayek’s supervision, demonstrating their understanding of the Chinese pulses and other aspects of traditional five element assessment, and the clarity of their relationship with their plant spirit allies. Students will put into practice what they have learned and prepared for in sessions 1-4. In order to present clients in sessions 5 and 6, students must have completed all homework and passed the necessary requirements.
Through the repetition and uniqueness of the client presentations, students solidify the material learned and gain an understanding of the application of the various aspects of practicing this medicine.
Clinical WeeksOnce students have reached this point in their education, they have learned a tremendous amount and are prepared to follow treatments, allowing them to acquire grounding and confidence in the practice of Plant Spirit Medicine.
Session 7 is dedicated to following treatments given by your teacher (Alison Gayek) in order to give you the grounding and experience necessary.
Session 8 is a time for you to lead the treatments under the guidance and careful watch of your teacher (Alison Gayek), preparing you to work on your own.
After you complete these sessions, you will work on your own. Each of these phases prepares you for your practice by allowing you to observe many different clinical situations.
GraduationWhen students complete all 8 sessions successfully, they will be eligible to graduate. It is at this point that students will be ready for Clinical Consultation (see below). In addition, students will be eligible to become practicing members of the Plant Spirit Medicine Association, and to be inducted as Associate Lay Spiritual Healers of the Temple of Sacred Fire Healing.
Clinical ConsultationIt is when a student graduates and begins his/her tenure as a Plant Spirit Medicine healer that his/her real learning begins. This is a time when support is essential. Clinical consulting provides the new graduate a way to call upon an experienced consultant who will oversee and guide the new healer in his/her practice. For the six months following graduation (initial period of working on one’s own), students are required to work with an authorized and trained Plant Spirit Medicine Clinical Consultant in order to reinforce what they have learned and gain confidence and grounding in the medicine. The consultant and healer will meet on a regular basis to review charts, answer questions, and provide support in whatever area is needed.
Course On Learning All students will be required to complete a course called The Enemies of Learning. This course develops the flexibility of mind necessary for effective learning in the Plant Spirit Medicine course and beyond. The instructor is Daniel Sprinkles, a shaman in the Huichol and Nahua traditions.
Temple of Sacred Fire Healing After completing the clinical requirements, students will be eligible to be inducted as a lay spiritual healer in the Temple of Sacred Fire Healing. This induction provides students with legitimacy, credibility, and recognition within society. Please see the Section entitled “Total Costs” at the end of this document for the healer fee structure.
Plant Spirit Medicine Association As a student or upon successful graduation you will be invited to join the international Plant Spirit Medicine Association, an organization dedicated to providing mentorship, fellowship and other support to those who practice Plant Spirit Medicine. Students who have satisfactorily completed their course work and clinical work will be eligible for full membership in the association. Please see the Plant Spirit Medicine website for the membership fee structure (www.plantspiritmedicine.org).
Continuing Professional DevelopmentGraduates of the course are encouraged to maintain and improve their skills through a program of Continuous Professional Development as continuing one’s education upon graduation is the hallmark of a dedicated and effective healer. A range of postgraduate workshops and courses are available.
Plant Spirit Medicine Book For first hand accounts and more about the reality behind this transformational, yet gentle, healing see the book Plant Spirit Medicine by Eliot Cowan. To order a copy, contact your local book store or a Plant Spirit Medicine healer.
Santa Cruz CA Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training CourseDates The Plant Spirit Medicine Course will begin in May 2018 with the subsequent sessions as follows.
Session 1 Vajrapani, Santa Cruz CA. 7 days, arrive, May 14, depart May 22, 2018Session 2a Vajrapani, Santa Cruz CA. 4 days, arrive, August 23, depart August 28, 2018Session 2b Vajrapani, Santa Cruz CA. 3 days, arrive, October 9, depart October 13, 2018Session 3a Vajrapani, Santa Cruz CA. 3 days, arrive, December 12, depart December 16, 2018Session 3b Vajrapani, Santa Cruz CA. 4 days, TBD (Spring 2019)Session 4 Blue Deer Center, Margaretville, NY. 7 days, dates TBD (Summer 2019)Session 5 Blue Deer Center, Margaretville, NY. 7 days, dates TBD (Fall 2019)Session 6 Blue Deer Center, Margaretville, NY. 7 days, dates TBD (Early Spring 2020)Session 7 Location and Dates TBD (2020)Session 8 Location and Dates TBD (2020)
The timing for sessions 7 and 8 will be determined during session 6 of the course. Only those students who have completed their homework and initial qualifications will be able to progress to sessions 7 and 8. It is upon successful completion of sessions 7 and 8 that a student graduates and qualifies as a Plant Spirit Medicine healer. Sessions 7 and 8 can be held within a couple of months of week 6, allowing you to move quickly toward graduation.
Venues Sessions 1 to 3bVajrapani Institute for Wisdom Culture, Boulder Creek, CA.
Vajrapani Institute is a sacred, 70-acre retreat center located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the stillness of the California redwoods. While secluded in a peaceful forest, it is also conveniently located to the nearby major cities and airports of San Francisco and San José.
Sessions 4 to 6Blue Deer Center in Margaretville, NY.
Located in the Catskill Mountains on 96 acres, the Blue Deer Center has over 200 species of plants and is recognized as a sacred place of healing, making it the perfect location to call our home. To step onto the land is to enter a natural sanctuary where the waters, the air, and the people warm our hearts, connecting us to one another and to the divine.
For more information about the mission of the Blue Deer Center, please see their website at www.bluedeer.org. And for more information about Plant Spirit Medicine, please see our website at www.plantspiritmedicine.org.
FoodVajrapani Institute is renowned for the deliciousness of its vegetarian cooking and offer excellent, balanced, vegetarian meals. Due to the complexities of cooking for a group, Vajrapani ask guests to eat what is being offered rather than making special food requests. However, Vajrapani do their best to cater to medical-related dietary restrictions. If you have medical dietary needs, we
suggest bringing along snacks to supplement the food on offer. There is a small communal refrigerator in the dining room where you can store some food if needed.
Please communicate your needs fully and specifically to the class coordinator at least one month before your arrival.
The Blue Deer Center has an excellent set of chefs. The food is deliciously prepared using fresh, local ingredients. Many participants claim they come for the food alone! Meals are taken as a group and consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner. For special dietary requests, see the options on the registration form on www.bluedeer.org.
Admissions and Enrollment PoliciesEligibilityThe Plant Spirit Medicine Healer Training Program is open to all persons who have a commitment to learning to use the plants for healing. No previous clinical, shamanic or herbal experience is necessary. The course will cover all topics necessary to becoming a healer.
This course is potentially life-changing, so be prepared for personal growth. You will be supported in this growth by learning to establish a deep connection to your healing abilities, as well as a connection with the divine natural world.
As previously mentioned, you are strongly encouraged to have received Plant Spirit Medicine treatment yourself before completion of the course.
How do I find a Plant Spirit Medicine healer to treat me? Every person who has received a certificate as a Plant Spirit Medicine lay spiritual healer is uniquely qualified to bring the blessings of Plant Spirit Medicine to you. For a directory of healers in the USA, Australia, Canada, Europe, Mexico and the U.K., visit the Plant Spirit Medicine Website www.plantspiritmedicine.org or contact us at [email protected].
To EnrollIn an effort to provide an effortless registration process, we have set it up so you can register online.
Register Online: To complete your registration, go to the Blue Deer Center website (www.bluedeer.org) and complete the application form and make your $300.00 registration fee.
If you would like to talk to our admissions coordinator about the course or to request more information, contact Karla Refoxo at 845 586 3225 extension 333 or [email protected]
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AbsencesStudents are required to attend each of the ten weeks of class in order to graduate. Missing more than one day of class will jeopardize your ability to graduate. Any exceptions to this will require permission of your teachers and will require payment for make up work on a case by case basis.
Make Up WorkIf a student requires make-up work outside of the classroom, a flat fee will be charged. All of the information taught in the class is relevant and necessary for graduation.
Break in EnrollmentIf a student must postpone study, he/she will be required to re-apply for admission. Upon acceptance, the student must demonstrate competence in the material studied up to the point of break in enrollment. Depending upon the comprehension of material, the student may be required to re-take weeks already completed. The student will be required to complete all weeks in successive order before she is eligible to graduate.
Program Costs and Financial PoliciesTotal CostsThe Total cost of the Plant Spirit Medicine Healer training includes:
• a one-time 300.00 USD registration fee,
• course fees (tuition, accommodation, meals, administrative) per session.
• the Enemies of Learning Course.
• the 6-month period of Clinical Consultation upon successful graduation from the course. (see below).
An annual fee to join the Temple of Sacred Fire Healing and the Plant Spirit Medicine Association ($100 induction fee for the Temple of Sacred Fire Healing with annual donations of $65.00 and $25.00 to join the Plant Spirit Medicine Association as a student, with annual membership fees increasing upon graduation. Please see the membership fee structure on the Plant Spirit Medicine Website (www.plantspiritmedicine.org).
Registration Fee: $300.00 at the time of registration. Payment of the registration fee holds your place in the course and is non-refundable. It is recommended that you register as early as possible as numbers are limited.
Session Fees: Session fees are due two months prior to each session. You can pay your fees online via the Blue Deer Center website (www.bluedeer.org/events ). See payment schedule below.
Enemies of Learning Course: included in session fees.
Clinical Consultation Fees: included in session fees.
PaymentThe Registration fee holds your place in the course. It is made at the time of registration. Session fees are due two months prior to the start of the weekly session.
Session fees due dates:
Session 1 - 7 days, costs $2600. Due 03/14/18
Session 2a - 4 days, cost $1800. Due 06/23/18
Session 2b - 3 days, cost $1400. Due 08/09/18
Session 3a - 3 days, cost $1400. Due 10/12/18
Session 3b - 4 days, cost $1800. Due date TBC
Session 4 – 7 days, cost $2600. Due date TBC
Session 5 – 7 days, cost $2600. Due date TBC
Session 6 – 7 days, cost $2600. Due date TBC
Session 7 – 7 days, cost TBC. Due date TBC
Session 8 – 7 days, cost TBC. Due date TBC
You can make your payment online by going to www.bluedeer.org/events.
For any questions, please contact Karla Refoxo at [email protected] or 845 586 3225.
Enemies of Learning Course PaymentPayment for the Enemies Of Learning Course is included in session fees.
Clinical Consultation FeesUpon graduation, your clinical consultant will meet with you twice a month for six months. Payment is included in session fees.
Cancellation/Refund PolicyWhile we do not anticipate cancellations, if it does become necessary to postpone one’s studies, a student must withdraw from the program in writing, one-month prior to the course week.
Timely PaymentsPayments must be made according to the payment dates outlined in order for the student to proceed. Any tuition exceptions or payment options must be made with the Administrative Director, contact [email protected]
Costs Not Covered in TuitionAs referred to above, the following costs are not covered in session costs and are paid separately:
• Any books purchased during the course (none are required, but you may want to purchase a few texts)
• Induction donations for Temple of Sacred Fire Healing
• Membership dues for the Plant Spirit Medicine Association
• Continuing Education studies after graduation
Course Guidelines and StandardsThe Plant Spirit Medicine Healer training Course requires a serious commitment on behalf of the student. Students on this course will embark upon a journey of personal growth, healing, and learning in order to have the preparedness to open a healing practice. Attentiveness in class and commitment to home study is necessary in order to be prepared for graduation. We also expect students to hold a high degree of personal integrity, as becoming a healer requires dedication to the highest standards of personal excellence.
PracticeIn order to practice ethically, effectively and without harm, students must complete the entire program before they open a Plant Spirit Medicine healing practice or perform healings on other people. Students will be required to sign an agreement stating and agreeing they will not practice any form of Plant Spirit Medicine until they have graduated from the course.
There is a minimum requirements regarding fitness to practise. Students will be assessed continually throughout their studies in these areas, conduct, competence and health. You will be assesed in all these areas. These policies will be introduced to the students during Session 1 of the class.
ConfidentialityWe encourage students to practice a high level of confidentiality so they will be fully prepared to offer a safe, secure environment for their own clients when they begin their healing practices.
EthicsThose who graduate are expected to uphold a rigorous ethical standard. Upon graduation, students will sign an ethical code governed by the Plant Spirit Medicine Association (PSMA).
GrievancesIf a student has a grievance, there are informal and formal grievance procedures that the student may go through. These policies will be introduced to the students during Session 1 of the class.
Plant Spirit MedicineBlue Deer Center
Margaretville, NY www.bluedeer.org
[email protected] www.plantspiritmedicine.org
