Intermediate~13 hours12 lessons

The Six Tissue States and Building Formulas

Move from recipe-following to deliberate formula architecture

Twelve lessons that take the six-tissue-state framework into actual formula construction. You will learn the architecture of a working formula — lead, support, synergist, catalyst, harmonizer — how to choose each role, how to balance energetics across the formula, and how to set ratios that produce the action you intend rather than the action the recipe happened to land on.

Taught by Deidre Starner, Master Herbalist

What you'll learn

Identify the dominant tissue state(s) of a clinical situation from intake and assessment data
Build a 4-7 herb formula with deliberate roles for each herb (lead, support, synergist, catalyst, harmonizer)
Balance the energetic profile of a formula so the cumulative action matches the intended direction
Set ratios and doses that reflect the role each herb plays rather than equal-weight defaults
Document your formula construction with reasoning a colleague could read

Course outline

1
Course Welcome — What Formula Architecture Means
25 minFree preview
2
The Six Tissue States in Clinical Context
50 minFree preview
3
The Anatomy of a Working Formula — Lead, Support, Synergist, Catalyst, Harmonizer
50 min
4
Choosing the Lead Herb — The Most Important Decision
45 min
5
Selecting Supporters — Building Around the Lead
45 min
6
Adding Synergists — Why a Formula Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts
40 min
7
The Catalyst and the Harmonizer — The Optional but Useful Roles
35 min
8
Energetic Balance Across the Formula
45 min
9
Dose and Ratios — How Much of Each Herb
45 min
10
Formulas for Hot-Tense Patterns
50 min
11
Formulas for Cold-Lax Patterns
50 min
12
Capstone — Build, Use, and Document Three Formulas
70 min