I offer online workshops a few times a year, and in-person workshops whenever I have an opportunity. I travel quite a bit within the continental US, so if you would like to host an in-person workshop for your friends and community feel free to get in touch!
I’m perpetually in the process of developing new workshops, which will be added to this page as they are announced 🙂 Whatever’s latest will be at the top of the page.
Testimonials are at the bottom of this page
No content of any listed offering or any future offering is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. All information presented is educational in nature and should not be considered medical advice. I hold no medical license of any type.
Pain, plants, and peace.
This workshop covers a variety of holistic pain management strategies for individuals and practitioners, primarily focusing on chronic pain.
Upcoming class date: Sunday March 3rd, 4:00PM-5:30PM EST
Registration: Send an email to mildewamyx(at)protonmail(dot)com and specify the email or phone # you would like me to send the class link to.
Requirements: This is an intermediate-level workshop that assumes familiarity with western herbal terminology and herbal medicine making. (pssst! All background knowledge required is covered in An Anarchist Free Herbal)
Suggested donation: $15-$45; NOTAFLOF
Recording policy: Registration is required to receive the recording. There will be an UNRECORDED q&a portion at the end of the class.
Background
I’ve been in pain every day for over half my life, from a varying combination of joint instability, neurological problems, and repetitive injuries. Like many chronically ill and disabled people, my experience of pain is not just a sense of urgency or a signal to stop doing something: It’s brain fog, immobility, dissociation, low empathy, a short temper, mood swings, both an ever-present sensation and something I have to actively remember to address. Naturally, I’ve spent a lot of my life thinking about and discussing extreme pain. Many friends and accomplices and I have been dissatisfied with pain management options available via western medicine; especially when we’ve been presented with potentially-dangerous long-term NSAID prescriptions or non-indicated medications with unpleasant side effects. Herbalism can offer a wider range of potential management strategies that can be compatible with western medical treatment for underlying conditions or offer relief to those of us who have chosen not to pursue or continue medical treatment for any number of personal reasons.
Course Description
Over the years, I’ve developed a set of specific indications centering around different experiences of pain, which I will now share with you! We’ll talk about ways of conceptualizing and communicating about pain and explore a wide variety of pain management options—Not just analgesic herbs (although don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty!) but strategies and practices for living with chronic and long-term pain like sensory redirection, ritual, nervous system support and more. This workshop intends to develop a rich, multifaceted and adaptable toolkit that focuses on increasing quality of life in difficult situations with strategically-targeted, doable steps.
Herbal Harm Reduction
Herbal Harm Reduction is a six-week course for people who use drugs, community members and care workers on use-aware autonomous health management.
Upcoming class dates: Saturday, January 6th through Friday, February 16th. Students have the option of attending live lectures and completing assignments according to the class schedule, or working at their own pace from recorded lectures until March 31st. See class schedule below.
Registration window: November 15th-December 20th
Requirements: This is an advanced course, however complete beginners to herbalism are more than welcome and extra resources and support will be provided to anyone who needs it!
Time Commitment: 8-10 hours total. See schedule below for more details.
Suggested donation: $100-$600; sliding scale details below. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Recording policy: Class recordings will be available to registered participants only. There will be UNRECORDED q&a segments at the end of each class session, and I will be available to answer questions privately outside of class time.
Course Description
Background
I’ve been working on this course for the past two years, building it off my own experiences as a disabled, mad drug user and the knowledge I’ve gained in conversation with other drug users. It’s my attempt at helping to bridge an education gap: the harm reduction movement has made incredible strides in emergency prevention and response–both developing better knowledge and making it more widely known–but we lack the same widespread involvement in holistic health, with topics like side effect mitigation, chronic illness management, and responding to or preventing secondary health complications. While drug use, stigma and prohibition do add challenges to addressing user health–and the same principles of harm reduction apply: we cannot completely eliminate risk–drugs don’t make our bodies inhuman or unrecognizable in the eyes of medicine. We can adapt existing health knowledge to try to address our needs.
The two foundational principles of this curriculum are:
- Harm reduction and disability justice are inextricably intertwined–we cannot discuss one without the other.
- We all have the right to prioritize what we want for our bodies and lifestyles and use whatever tools we can to achieve that.
Content
This class will have three 2-hour lectures, two out-of-class assignments, and an additional assignment for herbal beginners. A few of the topics we’ll cover are: identifying, understanding and problem-solving health concerns; common stumbling blocks and barriers; the connections between chronic illness and drug use and the practical overlap between use-aware health and chronic illness management; and lots, lots lots of stories and tips from the lived experiences of myself and my community members.
I want students to walk away with a deep understanding of the herbal principles that I have found useful in managing my own health and supporting others. Not only will we cover common areas of concern in segments organized by body system: We’ll analyze what to look for when selecting herbs and how to build your own herbal toolkit that is accessible to and effective for you. Between lectures, students will complete out-of-class assignments using a curated resource packet to familiarize them with navigating information sources, health problem-solving, and the process of applying herbal knowledge at an advanced level. I will share my own herbal toolkit as a chance for participants to compare notes and discuss pros and cons: not as an authoritative “correct” approach. Experienced herbalists will have opportunities to ask questions and discuss specific herbs throughout the class.
We will also discuss skills and information relevant to herbal harm reduction in a care work or mutual aid setting; e.g. ways to support and assist someone through the process of assessing their own health and choosing herbs that they would like to try.
Information presented in this class is drawn from a combination of scientific studies and reputable health institutions; accepted herbal knowledge both traditional and contemporary (largely western); and personal experience, anecdotal evidence and unverified hypothesis from myself and others in my community. I will do my best to be transparent about my sources throughout the class and welcome discussion of source validity. It is my goal to encourage research, interrogative vigor, and responsible peer support.
Please note that (like all my workshops) this is not a certificate course. It is not my place to grant permission for others to engage in care work.
Class schedule/what to expect
This class will be held over a private Discord server, which is a free messaging platform similar to Slack. This is where class materials and announcements will be organized as well as discussion spaces.
Students are welcome to access class materials, post in the discussion channels, ask questions and request feedback on assignments in any time-frame that suits them. The class Discord server will be available until March 31st.The live class schedule is as follows:
WEEK 1: SATURDAY, JAN 6th through FRIDAY, JAN 12th expected time commitment for week: 30-90 minutes
Welcome week: Students will receive the invitation link for the class Discord server on or before January 6th, and we’ll spend the week making sure everyone can access all materials and student chats. There will be a 30-90 minute assignment covering background herbal knowledge necessary for the course for herbal beginners (and anyone interested in a refresher!)
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Join the class Discord server, take a look around, introduce yourself (optional) and contact me with any technical difficulties.
- Complete “Introduction to herbal actions, specific indications and contraindications” lesson (either by watching a pre-recorded video or doing a short reading assignment)
WEEK 2: SATURDAY, JAN 13th through FRIDAY, JAN 19th: expected time commitment for week: 2 hours
Lecture one: Saturday 1/13/24 3:00-5:00PM EST. Recording will be posted sometime Sunday, 1/14/24
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Work on herbal selection worksheet #1
WEEK 3: SATURDAY, JAN 20th through FRIDAY, JAN 26th: expected time commitment for week: 10-60 minutes
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Work on herbal selection worksheet #1; upload worksheet to student chat before end of week*; participate in discussion.*
WEEK 4: SATURDAY, JAN 27th through FRIDAY, FEB 3rd: expected time commitment for week: 2 hours
Lecture two: Saturday, 1/27/24 3:00-5:00PM EST. Recording will be posted sometime Sunday, 1/28/24
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Participate in forum discussion*; work on herbal selection worksheet #2
WEEK 5: SATURDAY, FEB 4th through FRIDAY, FEB 9th: expected time commitment for week: 10-60 minutes
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Work on herbal selection worksheet #2; upload worksheet to student chat*; participate in discussion*
WEEK 6: SATURDAY, FEB 10th through THURSDAY, FEB 15th: expected time commitment for week: 2-3 hours
Lecture three: Saturday, 2/10/24 3:00-5:00PM EST. Recording will be posted sometime Sunday, 2/11/24
Optional debrief meeting: Thursday 2/15/24 7:00-8:00PM EST. An informal chance to ask any unanswered (or tangential/slightly off-topic) questions and share thoughts, feelings and observations about the workshop. Meeting will not be recorded.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- Complete anonymous participant feedback survey!
*engagement is not mandatory but strongly recommended! Students who are uncomfortable posting assignments in the private class discord but still want feedback may email them to me directly.
Attendance and sliding scale
Anti-carceral politics are a keystone of my practice; including holding safe space for survivors of psychiatric incarceration and abuse. Current military and current or former police, psychiatrists/psychologists/psychiatric nurse practitioners, and anyone working in any capacity in a corrections facility or a non-voluntary psychiatric facility are banned from attending.
In order to account for the amount of time and energy I’m putting into this class while still remaining accessible, Herbal Harm Reduction uses a slightly adapted version of my standard sliding scale system.
IF YOU ARE FINANCIALLY STABLE: Please use the tool below to determine your suggested donation range, and place yourself as you see fit. Note that this tool is not exhaustive and you know your situation better than I do! You are more than welcome to donate less or more than the suggested range. I will not ask you for your score or what points apply to you. Payment plans are also available: Please contact me via mildewamyx(at)protonmail(dot)com to discuss.
If you can’t afford to donate, or know you can only donate a very small amount, that’s okay! Just give what/if you can and don’t worry about it.
Everyone is welcome regardless of their ability to donate AND regardless of their identity or relationship to drug use, because I firmly believe that it is universally beneficial for more people to have a deeper understanding of user health. However: I would like to gently remind folks that I live in extreme poverty, teaching is my main source of income as a disabled person, I make less than minimum wage doing this and my ability to offer accessible education hinges on the small handful of very lovely people that donate larger amounts to cover those that can’t afford to donate.
Donations will be accepted during registration unless otherwise discussed.
Holistic Trauma Care
Holistic Trauma Care combines a theory of trauma and healing rooted in mad liberation and the desire model with herbal knowledge for a rounded, flexible toolkit that acknowledges the myriad of ways trauma can manifest. We’ll talk about the physical effects of trauma and stress on the body, breaking out of unwanted cycles (from sleep disturbance to thought patterns), and more. Currently online only.
Next workshop date: TBD!
Requirements: Open to all, see “background knowledge”
Time Commitment: 3 hours, including a 10 minute break
Suggested donation: Tier 1 $35-$55, Tier 2 $65-$85, Tier 3 $95-$115
Recording policy: A recording of the workshop will be available to registered participants. If you want to ask questions but do not wish to be on the recording, there will be a teaching assistant on the call you can privately message during the workshop to ask anonymous questions on your behalf. I will also be happy to answer questions privately after the workshop via email.
NOTE: Tiers are part of a sliding scale system, workshop content does not differ between tiers whatsoever. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Sliding scale information here.
Course Description
Philosophical background
This is a really personal workshop for me. I want to share with you the approaches to trauma that I’ve learned through personal experience; mentorship from Mad herbalists, medics, and loved ones; one-on-one work; and stories I’ve been told by the people around me. The contents of this workshop are not intended as a prescription: I’m not here to tell you what you should be doing with your body or life or what the ontologically correct approach to trauma is. I am certainly not here to talk with any medical or psychiatric weight. Think of it more as a talk than a class: I’d like to present to you some ideas, stories, and tools that you might chose to incorporate, adapt or build upon on your own path.
The same criticisms of western psychiatry that inform my Herbal Emotional Support workshop and my manifesto are deeply entrenched in this offering; however, we will talk very little about psychiatry directly.
Background knowledge/The herbs
This workshop is open to all experience levels, from total beginners to seasoned herbalists and care workers. However, it’s not an introduction to herbalism and other knowledge, like basic herbal medicine making and use, will be needed to apply workshop contents. I’ll note topics throughout that beginners will find useful to research, and provide some sources at the end of the workshop. If you want to get up to speed beforehand, An Anarchist Free Herbal (download link) covers introductions to all background topics we’ll touch on and only takes most people about an hour to read.
I will outline key herbs for each section; but the main information I want to convey are types of herbal actions and protocols that might be helpful, so you can apply that information to your own herbal practice and preferences.
Attendance and expectations
Our focus will be on autonomous and self-managed care rather than providing care for others; but care workers (herbalists, counselors etc.) are welcome to attend and ask questions about using workshop content in a care work setting.
Participants are welcome to ask questions and volunteer stories from their personal experiences, but will not be asked to share any personal information or history to the group.
Recording and notes/outline will be emailed to registered participants. If you know ahead of time that you won’t be able to attend live and are just registering to receive the recording, please let me know on the registration form so I can plan accordingly for live attendance numbers.
Current or former police officers, corrections officers and psychiatrists; current military; and anyone working in any capacity in a non-voluntary psychiatric facility are banned from attending.
Herbal Emotional Support (individual version)
This workshop aims to accomplish two things:
- Give people the tools for effective, self-managed emotional care using readily-accessible plants
- Provide a space for people to explore ways of thinking about and interacting with their mental & emotional experiences that are not reliant on the frameworks of western psychiatry.
It consists of interwoven lecture and question-guided discussion segments.
Note: as of 4/11/22, this workshop has been renamed from Herbal Emotional Support and Regulation to Herbal Emotional Support, and I have also edited some description details to match relatively small shifts in the workshop focus and curriculum. These changes are a part of my practice re-evaluation related to my manifesto, made in order to focus on a desire model as opposed to a mainstream mental health model. The majority of the workshop has not changed.
online course:
Next workshop dates: Unannounced
Requirements: Open to all levels of herbal knowledge, including complete beginners.
Time Commitment: Three 1.5hr sessions spread over three weeks. Light, optional homework.
Suggested donation: Tier 1 $65-$85; tier 2 $95-$115; tier 3 $125-$145
NOTE: Tiers are part of a sliding scale system, workshop content does not differ between tiers whatsoever. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Sliding scale information here.
In Person:
Next workshop date/location: TBD (it could be near you!)
Requirements: Open to all levels of herbal knowledge, including complete beginners.
Time Commitment: Full-day workshop–approximately 5hrs, including breaks.
Suggested donation: Depends on circumstance!
If you’re interested in hosting, please contact me and we’ll see what we can make work! I can’t promise to always be able to commit to plans immediately, but my flexibility varies a ton so if something doesn’t work out I can keep you in mind for when I’m more mobile.
Course Description:
Philosophical Background:
This workshop was developed by the facilitator in collaboration with other street medics, herbalists, and psychiatric survivors. Its contents and presentation are informed heavily by critiques of western psychiatry, specifically the prejudiced diagnostic system; weaponization against marginalized people and social movements; and coercive, carceral approach to treatment. While we recognize that many people benefit from psychiatric treatment, and are not judgemental of those who participate for any reason, we do believe it is a fundamentally harmful system that was designed to control us, not help us. The main goal of this workshop is to make space outside of psychiatry to think about and interact with ourselves and others, WITHOUT presenting a “correct replacement”–it is up to you to choose what and how you want to think.
The Herbs:
A lot of people do not meet their goals when they try to use herbs to reduce emotional suffering because most accessible information about these herbs is incomplete. Many online articles about “herbs for depression” list half a dozen different plants with nearly identical descriptions for all of them–and if you are looking for something outside of a “treatment” for anxiety, depression, or insomnia, the information gets even more vague and often downright misleading. Herbalism does not replicate the effects of psychiatric medication: It is a flexible approach focused on individual wants, not on pathology.
We will cover practical, useful information on common herbs, including: Detailed descriptions of their effects, from both scientific and experiential sources; specific indications (circumstances where a particular herb might be useful): preparation and dosage recommendations; contraindications (circumstances where taking a specific herb might be harmful); and history of use. We will also talk about body awareness and developing self-checks. We will cover potential interactions with psychiatric medications and talk about safely combining herbal and medical approaches.
The Discussions:
What is emotional suffering, where does it come from, and what can be done about it? How can we conceptualize “abnormal” emotional and mental experiences that DON’T cause us to suffer? What does western psychiatry teach us to think about our bodyminds and about each other? What is actually POSSIBLE in terms of using herbs to self-regulate our bodyminds? What if we want to be more in touch with parts of ourselves that are normally pathologized as diseased?
These are some of the over-arching questions that this workshop emphasizes. Between herbal lecture segments, we will discuss what things like suffering, addiction, and “mental health” are, how we think about them, and what new ideas and approaches are possible. Personal sharing is welcome, but not required. Unsolicited advice is not appropriate: This is not a space to tell others how to think and feel.
Attendance:
Those who choose to use diagnostic labels to describe themselves are welcome, as are those who define themselves differently. Active military personnel, present or former police officers, present or former psychiatrists and anyone currently working in any non-voluntary psychiatric facility are not permitted.
Practicing non-medical therapists and counselors are welcome but will be asked to disclose their occupation at the beginning of the workshop, and must be attending for their own benefit. This workshop is not professional development for the mental health industry.
Testimonials
These testimonials were given as an optional response through the anonymous feedback survey I send out after workshop sessions are concluded.
This workshop was really engaging and accessible, with a well-balanced mix of info on specific herbs, thoughtful discussion, and advice for putting it all into practice. Mildew approached difficult topics with care and nuance, and gave us tools and a framework for centering autonomy and self-determination.
(Herbal emotional support; Feb. 2022)
Mildew was great to learn from! It cultivated a space where asking questions felt easy and conversations were natural, and it was also really knowledgeable about the topics we went over.
(Herbal emotional support; Feb. 2022)
Super great! Mildew really worked hard to make the workshop inclusive and a safe space for all to share thoughts and experiences. I usually find group discussions intimidating but I felt totally comfortable and was able to share and interact. The materials covered were accessible and Mildew made itself available to answer any questions outside of class time. This is a great introduction to herbalism, I’m very glad I had the ability to take it!
(Herbal emotional support; Feb. 2022)