The Qi Dynamic: A Problem Based Learning Environment for TCM Herbalists

All material in this course is the creation of CHA or reproduced here under contract to CHA.

Case study literature has been an important part of Chinese medicine for many centuries. Through the case study genre, literate pre-modern Chinese doctors revealed their diagnostics, clinical reasoning, medicinal formulations, and literary skill. Some of these works are revered not only for their clinical value but also for their literary excellence. As such, these works provide modern doctors and scholars of Chinese medicine with a window into the pre-modern Chinese medical mind. Bob Damone will present his translations of some of the most renowned examples of these case studies and discuss their clinical significance.

This two-hour workshop presents several different examples of cases translated by the presenter, and will discuss the clinical relevance of these cases to the modern practice of Chinese medicine. The presenter leads a deep exploration of the clinical reasoning revealed in the selected case studies. Examples from some of the major famous Chinese physicians and case study authors will be distributed and presented including the case studies of Ye Tian-Shi. The presenter will emphasize the modern clinical application of the ideas exhibited by each case study. The selected case studies provide a view into the clinical reasoning of these famous doctors. The presentationn takes the form of a lively discussion that includes Bob Flaws, Z'ev Rosenberg and Misha Cohen.

Mr. Damone is a professional, engaging, and very experienced teacher. He has been a faculty member at three major institutions of Chinese medical education and consistently receives only the highest evaluations from his students. He has attended numerous faculty in-services on modern teaching methodology including adult learning theory, questioning methodology, and case-based learning theory. Bob has been translating Chinese for almost 15 years and currently is a translator and editor for Paradigm Publications. His current project is Ten Lectures on Formulas from the Personal Experience of Jiao Shu De, the companion volume to Jiao's critically acclaimed medicinal text. He is also editing a translation of a classical gynecology treatise. Bob recently gave up the Chair of Clinical Studies at PCOM to pursue advanced studies in Chinese language and to devote more time to his translation work. He maintains a private practice and consultation service in San Diego, California.
[back to courses] [back to top]

David Frierman, L.Ac. was raised in southern California. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1966 with a BA in Anthropology, and then pursued a career in music. In the early 1980's David began to study martial arts with a taijichuan master. Master Chen was also an accomplished acupuncturist and herbalist, and David began his studies of Chinese medicine with him. After a few years David enrolled in acupuncture school and graduated in 1989 from the San Francisco College of Acupuncture. He began a community-based low-fee acupuncture clinic with two classmates in Portland Oregon. In 1996 he began volunteering one day a week at Outside-In, a private, non-profit social service agency that focuses on homeless youth. Due to the generous efforts of the staff of Outside In, the National College of Naturopathy Medicine, and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, this clinic has developed into a full service Chinese Medical Clinic serving the needs of the homeless and indigent. It is open five days a week for a total of 48 hours, with low cost or free acupuncture and free herbs. Most of the clinic shifts are staffed by Interns from NCNM and OCOM supervised by senior Chinese supervisors. David remains Clinical Director and supervises some shifts of Interns. David recently wrote Clinical Nephrology in Chinese Medicine with his revered teacher Dr. Wei Li.

This lecture consists of several parts. The first reviews current thinking about the most commonly mentioned herbs that raise yang, each herb's special use and representative formulas for that use. The second discusses "bearing" in regards to these herbs, but also in the relation between macrocosm and microcosm with references to the yi jing and Li Dong Yuan's ideas about the role of central qi. This section ends with a brief discussion of the importance of bearing in current approaches to difficult diseases and in a few illustrative formulas. The third section discusses yin fire. This is a lengthy discussion that puts yin fire in the context of Chinese medicine's history of concern about fire and its relation to yuan and zhen qi. It discusses yin fire as pathological ministerial fire and its implications. It reviews contemporary scholars' theories of the mechanism of qi deficiency causing heat and fire, and ends with a discussion of Li's theory, which relies on the wu xing. The fourth section discusses Li Dong Yuan's use of herbs to raise yang, first his general theory, then his use of individual herbs. The last section answers the question, "why did Li decide to formulate Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang when he had been using jing fang successfully?" It also briefly reviews Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and some related formulas.
[back to courses] [back to top]

Craig E. Mitchell, M.S., L.Ac is a graduate of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is the translator of Shang Han Lun: On Cold Damage, Translation and Commentaries (Paradigm), on which he collaborated with Nigel Wiseman and Feng Ye. He worked with Andy Ellis at the Spring Wind Herb Company in the early 90's. From 1994-97, he lived and worked in Taiwan, studying and practicing Chinese medicine. During this period he studied intensively with Nigel Wiseman in the area of medical Chinese. Teaching since 1997, Craig is currently the Dean of Students at the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine where he sees patients and teaches in the areas of Chinese language, herbal medicine, and classical Chinese medicine. He maintains a private practice in Seattle. Recently, he participated in the translation of Ten Lectures on the Use of Medicinals from the Personal Experience of Jiao Shu-De (Paradigm), which was published in 2003. He is currently participating in a follow-up to this work, which considers Jiao Shu-De's use of medicinal formulas.
[back to courses] [back to top]

What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 Modules? They look the same.

Fees and Refunds

Because of the specially designed format of this online learning enviuronment, CHA is able to offer each module of 10 CEUs for only $50 each. A refund of 50% is available prior to being admitted to the password protected materials.