6 contact hours · 2 weeks · 2 hours of recorded lecture weekly + a 2-hr supplemental live session
Psychological first aid isn’t only for emergencies — it’s for anyone who regularly holds space for others in distress. This course covers practical, evidence-grounded tools for caregivers, herbalists, family members, and providers of all kinds who find themselves supporting someone through crisis, grief, or overwhelm, and who need to do that sustainably without burning out in the process.
What This Course Covers
This course addresses the practical and emotional skills required to show up effectively for others — without losing yourself in the process.
- Core principles of psychological first aid and when they apply
- How to assess and respond to someone in acute emotional or psychological crisis
- Communication skills for high-stress, high-emotion situations
- Recognizing the limits of your role and when to refer
- Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and provider self-care: what is this, and how to protect yourself
- Building sustainable support practices for long-term caregivers
Who is this course for?
This course is for people who give a lot of themselves in service to others — herbalists, doulas, caregivers, community health workers, and family members who regularly work with people in pain. If you want to learn how to support someone through crisis or trauma without absorbing it yourself, how to process difficult experiences, and how to set boundaries that make long-term caregiving sustainable — this course was built for you.
What You’ll Be Able to Do
- Apply core psychological first aid principles in real situations
- Communicate effectively with someone in acute distress
- Recognize when a situation exceeds your scope and refer appropriately
- Identify early signs of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue in yourself
- Build personal practices that support long-term sustainability in a caregiving role
Prerequisites: None. Completing Family Mental Health — Herbs for Emotional Wellness first is recommended but not required.
Course material also does not overlap with content in other Family Herbalism Program or Apothecarist courses.
