Our Story

Our founder, Dr. John R. Christopher had great success helping people overcome health issues. He was also a master teacher and preferred to teach people how to take care of themselves and support them in that process. As he grew in popularity he began to transition from teaching health principles patient by patient and started to lecture to larger groups.

Dr. Christopher saw the need for more people to understand the principles of vitalism that he used in his practice. He spoke of having an herbalist in every home and a master herbalist in every community. That is an undertaking too large to be accomplished with one on one teaching or even lectures to large groups. It would take more depth of training to create a network of people who could help others utilize these principles. In 1953 Dr. Christopher established The School of Natural Healing to teach seminars for students to be able to learn and then go on to teach and help others around them.

In 1979 Dr. Christopher’s son David began developing a home study course as a natural continuation of the training provided in Dr. Christopher’s seminars. As a home study school, we were able to provide the Dr. Christopher methods and principles to more people, especially those farther from where the lectures and seminars were held. We were also able to add more to the curriculum to give our students more on each subject. The Master Herbalist Program grew to include 22 levels of instruction all based on the vitalist principles that Dr. Christopher taught.

Over the years we have worked to include new ideas and methods from the natural healing industry while staying true to the original principles we based the school upon. As technology became available we were able to provide an online solution for our students who felt more comfortable with that method of study. We still hold seminars for our graduating master herbalist students as a nod back to our heritage, and as a way to personally get to know the master herbalists that will be representing Dr. Christopher and his school in their neighborhoods.

We have been able to help many students from all over the world to learn to take care of themselves and others. Some choose to just become an herbalist and help their family. Others choose to become master herbalists and help in their communities. We are happy to provide education for all as they help us get closer to Dr. Christopher’s goal of an herbalist in every home and a master herbalist in every community.

We hope that you will consider joining us in continuing Dr. Christopher’s legacy as we work to help as many students as possible to be able to take care of themselves and those around them.