Faculty Bios
The Faculty at the NAIMH
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Are all experienced in and committed to the Vitalist model of healing
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Are professional-level practicing herbalists
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Integrate dietetics, nutrition, and lifestyle into their therapeutics
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Have twenty or more years of experience in natural medicine
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Are skilled, experienced educators and student-mentors
Paul Bergner
Medical Herbalist, Clinical Nutritionist
Paul is the Director the NAIMH, core clinical and classroom faculty and a primary mentor for our audio courses. He has studied, practiced, and taught natural medicine since 1973, with formal training in naturopathy, medical herbalism, clinical nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, flower essences, yoga therapy, and bodywork, including undergraduate studies in pre-medicine and psychology, and 50 semester hours of doctoral level medical studies at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine.
He has published the Medical Herbalism journal since the founding of the NAIMH in 1989, and has written seven books on medical herbalism, nutrition, Chinese medicine, ethnobotany, and naturopathic medicine. He has also edited periodicals on clinical nutrition and naturopathic medicine. aul is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. Paul has taught clinical herbalism and clinical nutrition since 1989. He has mentored more than 400 students through clinical residencies at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, and the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism in Boulder since 1996.
He is currently a clinical faculty mentor to students at the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism in Boulder and the Acorn School of Herbal Medicine. He also has taught nutrition academically at both the undergraduate university and master’s level. He lectures on the topics of medical herbalism and clinical nutrition nationally and internationally.
Heather Luna
Clinical Herbalist, Clinical Nutritionist
Heather Luna is the Founder & Director of the ACORN School of Herbal Medicine in Nevada City, CA. Her school is continuing the legacy and tradition of NAIMH in the teaching and practice of Vitalist Herbalism. She is the primary instructor of the Footprints in Medical Herbalism program, the Advanced Herbalism in the Vitalist Tradition program, and supervising clinician of the Free Clinic & Clinical Residency program. Paul is a supporting instructor on each of these programs.
ACORN's programs are modeled after the courses created by Paul for NAIMH. Paul's audio lectures and course curriculum are used in the first and second year programs. ACORN's Clinical Residency program follows the roundtable format where third-year student interns see real clients in a professional clinic setting.
She is a graduate of the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, and the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism. Her teachings are rooted in both medical and folk herbalism. Her passion for Nature has guided her in a practice of herbs, nutrition, bodywork, apitherapy, and vitalism for the past 25 years. Heather's professional practice includes appropriate guidance in herbal and nutritional counseling, specific dietary programs, coaching through food allergies, therapeutic and uterine massage, flower essences, and a wide variety of natural medicine protocols. Heather is a master in the art of "self-care" and teaches the use of simple and effective healing strategies sustained by a close relationship to Nature.
Mentoring: Another way of teaching at a distance
The educational method employed in all our distance learning audio courses is mentoring. Mentoring is a teaching method that allows the establishment of a unique relationship between teacher and student. The mentor does not simply lecture the student, or grade their quizzes, but provides information, guides the student through experiences where they can learn first hand, and tailors the education processes to the questions, curiosity, motivations, and intentions of the student. The mentor encourages questions, seeking the spark of curiosity in the student, and then can tailor information according to those questions. Often, the mentor will answer a question with a question. “How does one use Lobelia for a topical application?” may be answered with: “Have you looked in Wm Cook's Physiomedical Dispensatory on your resources disk?” Then the student learns how to use the tool rather than receiving parroted information. Or the answer may be an internet link, a previously published article on the topic, or suggestions to purchase a particular book as a permanent reference. The response may be to teach the student to use other research tools, or to engage in extra hands-on assignments. All the courses at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism have a basic format, study materials, questions, and exercises, but no two students receive exactly the same education. Those who actively engage in questions receive supplemental materials and information according to their own line of inquiry, curiosity, or passion.