The above times do not include study hours; this could easily add an additional 200 hrs. There is no time limit to complete these courses. Students commonly take between 1-2 years to go through the entire program.

The Certified Herbalist Certificate you receive from ICH confirms that you have completed a high level course of training in Chinese medical theory and herbal formulation. You can now consider yourself a qualified herbalist who is able to effectively diagnose and prescribe herbal formulas in accordance with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Concerning State Licensing for Herbalists
At this time, no state has authorized separate licensing for practicing herbalists. In many states, only a licensed Acupuncturist or Naturopath can legally prescribe herbs using a western diagnosis. However, that does not prevent you from seeing patients and suggesting formulas for them in accordance with Chinese Medical theory.

So it is not using herbs that is at issue but diagnosing a western named disease and suggesting a treatment, without having a medical license issued from the state you practice in.

There are thousands of herbalists practicing in America and Europe. In the West, Herbalists have been accepted as healers for hundreds of years. In China Herbalists have been mainstays of the medical healing arts for thousands of years.

Acupuncture School and Licensing -
You can now receive credit for ICH courses.
The Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture in Arizona, is the only school in the USA licensed to use our courses for their herbal program. Through a special arrangement, students who complete our program will now qualify to "test out" and receive credit for the work they have done with ICH. This can shorten the time you need to spend in Acupuncture school and lower your educational fees.