Phytotherapist: training, course, information, overview of schools and offers

Training courses to become a phytotherapist are only suitable for newcomers to the sector to a limited extent. Some schools require basic medical training, for example as a doctor or pharmacist. Other schools also accept people without any knowledge of medicinal plants for their phytotherapy courses. Therefore, please contact the respective educational institutes directly.

Phytotherapists use plants, parts of plants and preparations made from them to treat and prevent diseases in phytotherapy jobs. The focus of treatment is on the person in their entirety and complexity. The classic form of preparation of herbal remedies is tea. In addition, medicinal plants are also used in the form of herbal pills, tinctures, juices, poultices, ointments, syrups and oils.

People without experience in healthcare and medicine should expect to undergo extensive training in phytotherapy in order to acquire basic medical knowledge and knowledge about medicinal herbs and to practice applying this knowledge in practice. You should therefore expect up to two years of in-service training to become a phytotherapist, with some schools also offering a longer training period, depending on your choice of modules.

Modern phyto-therapy is characterized above all by the characterization, isolation and justification of the effects of plant substances. Medicinal plants are understood as active ingredient formers and carriers.

Continuing education, further training in phytotherapy, which is aimed at experienced doctors who wish to take up a new specialty as a supplement, is structured completely differently from training for people who have little or no experience in healthcare, medicine or alternative medicine. For this reason, the content of the individual phytotherapist training courses also varies.

As an example, here are the contents of a training course for beginners with no previous knowledge:
Cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases; bile and liver; bladder and kidneys; nervous system; skin; gastrointestinal tract; thyroid gland; hormonal disorders; tea knowledge; witch herbs; poultices, compresses and compresses; immune system; phytotherapy in pediatrics; cancer treatment; spice plants; organizing and activating inner forces, practice days and excursions.

For more information, please contact the schools. Contact us now quickly, easily and without obligation using our contact form or use the "Ask a question" button to get in touch with the right contact person directly.

In a phytotherapeutic training course you learn the following:

• General basic knowledge
• Botany
• Life cycle, metabolism, growth and structure of plants
• Medicinal plants according to topics such as the cardiovascular system, digestive system, musculoskeletal system,
• Sensory organs, skin, respiratory system, endocrine system, lymphatic system, nervous system, immune system,
• Urogenital system, pediatrics, gynecology, men's health and their diseases
• the medical system
• Basics of spagyric medicine
• Monastic herbal medicine
• Arboriculture
• Use of finished preparations
• Dosage of phytotherapeutics
• Forms of preparation
• Pharmaceutical processes
• Signature theory
• The theory of juices and their medicinal plants
• Herb cultivation according to Demeter
• Cooking with herbs and flowers
• Gemmotherapy
• Introduction to aromatherapy
• Introduction to homeopathy (potentization)
• Anamnesis and communication in naturopathy - phytotherapy, legal foundations, framework conditions, case work

Phytotherapy cannot be studied in the strict sense. The SMPG (Swiss Medical Society for Phytotherapy) represents phytotherapy in the medical profession and in pharmacy. The training offered by the SMGP requires a degree in medicine, veterinary medicine or pharmacy.

Depending on the school, phytotherapy is offered with different specializations, such as Eastern herbal medicine (TCM), Ayurvedic herbal medicine or Western phytotherapy. It is therefore essential that you enquire about the focus of the phytotherapeutic training before registering.

Training in phytotherapy is intended as a supplement or extension of basic training in conventional or complementary medicine. This is the best approach for phytotherapy training. After all, anyone who does not have this training has little chance of using this therapeutic method professionally.

The following requirements should be met for phytotherapeutic training:

• Completed basic education or high school diploma
• good powers of observation
• Strong communication skills
• Empathy

In naturopathic training courses, phytotherapy plays an important role as a therapeutic agent alongside other methods. In addition, there are various shorter or longer training courses that are limited to phytotherapy, i.e. herbal medicine. They are aimed at people with a conventional medical background (e.g. nurses) who wish to integrate alternative healing methods into their work.