Join us for a rare opportunity to hone your clinical skills under the guidance of two of the world’s foremost herbal educators!

This 5-day workshop is designed for advanced students and practitioners of natural medicine, including herbalists and naturopaths, and will take place at Innisfree Farm & Botanic Garden, a 7-acre herb farm and registered botanic garden on Vancouver Island.

If you are a practitioner or senior student of natural medicine, you do not want to miss this transformative opportunity to deepen your herbal expertise. 

Lecture Topics & Descriptions

Compounding and Administration of Aqueous Solutions in Clinical Practice – Dr. Kenneth Proefrock  

Join us for a demonstration of this specialized art of compounding therapeutics, as it applies to botanical eye drops/eyewashes, nasal sprays/washes, nebulizer solutions and hydrogels for the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions. We will discuss the interesting legal landscape around compounding materials for patients, as well as equipment (filters (types and sizes), rotary evaporator, freeze dryers, etc), documentation and then follow-up considerations. We will also address the particulars of preparing sterile items with aseptic technique and beyond use dates. Therapeutic agents include Berberis spp, Mahonia, Algerita, Bismuth compounds, Ligusticum, Licorice, Phytolacca, Ceanothus, Scutellaria, Larrea, Nicotiana spp., and amino acids such as N-Acetyl-Cysteine, Glutathione, Agmatine, and Lysine.

Herbal Treatment of Neuro-degenerative conditions – Dr. Kenneth Proefrock

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability across the globe, currently affecting 15% of people worldwide. Absolute patient numbers have increased considerably over the past 30 years and the burden of chronic neurodegenerative conditions is expected to at least double over the next two decades. The world health organization and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service have already made alarming statements that “available resources for neurological services are insufficient in most countries of the world compared with global need for neurological care” and that “neurological services are not sustainable in their current form and redesign is needed”. We discuss clinical approached and strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Parkinson’s disease, and motor diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, hereditary spastic paraplegia, progressive muscular atrophy, and psedobalbur palsy with an emphasis on maintaining a healthy nervous system and in-depth discussion of interventions for the more commonly occurring manifestations,

Botanical Medicine Approaches to the Treatment of Auto-immune Conditions – Dr. Kenneth Proefrock 

We begin with a primer on auto-immune immunology and the current research, using particular auto-immune conditions as our stepping off point and discussing in-office compounding considerations. We will cover broad theoretical and practical considerations regarding causes, prognosis, remission and relapse. We will compare and contrast allopathic models with naturopathic models of treatment regarding specific autoimmune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis as a model for articular conditions, Graves disease as a model for endocrine conditions, MS as a model for neurological autoimmunity, and lupus as a model for connective tissue conditions. We will address a wide range of interventions and their rationale, with special attention on the lymphatic system and botanicals that affect its functioning. 

Fabulous Flavonoids: Key Herbs for Cancer Care – Chanchal Cabrera

Flavonoids are more than just colourful compounds in plants. Their biological functions, influence numerous pathways in the body, making them invaluable in clinical settings. In this class we will explore the biochemistry of flavonoids, their chemical structures, how they function in the body, and how their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make them effective in supporting patients through their cancer journey.

You will learn about :

• Antioxidant Action: Flavonoids neutralize harmful free radicals, protecting cells from oxidative damage.
• Vascular Tonic: Many flavonoids support healthy blood vessels, improve circulation, and reduce blood pressure.
• Anti-inflammatory: Flavonoids like quercetin and apigenin have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, making them beneficial in conditions like arthritis or asthma.
• Anti-cancer Properties: Flavonoids have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth and prevent metastasis, providing a natural adjunct to cancer treatment.
• Neuroprotective: Some flavonoids also support brain health, improving cognitive function and reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Phyto-estrogens : Isoflavones act as selective estrogen response modifiers – used to balance and normalize hormone levels and reduce risk of breast cancer

Interactive Herbal Medicines Meet & Greet – Chanchal Cabrera

Tour the 7-acre herb fam at Innisfree and meet dozens of the medicinal plant allies you utilize in clinic.

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Meet your Instructors:

Dr. Kenneth Proefrock, NMD

Dr. Kenneth Proefrock graduated from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1996 with his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and specialty training in sports medicine. Prior to naturopathic medical school, he received degrees in Chemistry and Zoology from Northern Arizona University and worked as a Research and Development/Quality Assurance Chemist for Procter & Gamble.

For the past 28 years, he has been engaged in Naturopathic medical practice in Surprise, Arizona and, for the past 17 of those years, he has been focused on the clinical aspects of neurologic injury and the development of innovative and customizable interventions using autologously derived materials alongside botanical and nutritional interventions.

He is the current president for the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE), the chairperson for the biochemistry portion of the Naturopathic Physician’s Licensing Exam (NPLEX), and co-founder and current President of the Naturopathic Oncology Research Institute (NORI).

In his spare time, when such a thing really exists, he is in the desert exploring abandoned ruins, practicing primitive archery, gardening, home brewing, blacksmithing, wildcrafting, reading and writing poetry and studying obscure and old texts on spiritual matters, healing, and philosophy.

Chanchal Cabrera, MSc, FNIMH, RH(AHG)

Chanchal is a medical herbalist and has been in clinical practice since 1987 with a specialty for the past 20 years in holistic oncology. She is the author of Fibromyalgia: A Journey towards Healing and her latest book Holistic Cancer Care: An Herbal Approach to Preventing Cancer, Helping Patients Thrive during Treatment, and Minimizing the Risk of Recurrence. She held the faculty chair in Botanical Medicine at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster 2004-2016, and she publishes widely in professional journals and lectures internationally on medical herbalism, nutrition and health.

Chanchal is also a certified Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing) practitioner, a certified Master Gardener and a certified Horticulture Therapist. Chanchal lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia where she and her husband manage Innisfree Farm and Botanic Garden, a 7 acre internationally registered botanic garden specializing in food and medicine plants, and where they host apprenticeships in sustainable food production and herbal medicine. The farm also hosts Gardens without Borders, a federally registered not-for-profit society established to run the botanic garden and provide horticulture therapy.