Professional Aromatherapists and Professional Organizations

I published an article a week or so ago on professional aromatherapy organizations.  Although, it doesn't cover all the professional aromatherapy organizations out there, I tried to include a sample of the main professional aromatherapy organizations in the English speaking world.  These organizations do not "regulate" the aromatherapy industry but do provide a tier of "professionalism" for those aiming to be a "professional aromatherapist" in an often unregulated world (especially in the United States).

For further information, here's the link to the article:

Professional Aromatherapy Organizations

The "Quality" of Aromatherapy Teaching

As I've discussed in previous posts, including distance learning aromatherapy courses, essential oil suppliers and aromatherapy information to be found on the internet, finding "quality" aromatherapy information is difficult.  Especially if you don't know what you should, or should not be, looking for.  Its no different when you are assessing the "credibility" of an aromatherapy teacher, or an aromatherapist who is holding aromatherapy information seminars.  As someone who is planning to set up some aromatherapy information seminars in the coming year, and also take some further education in aromatherapy, I thought I would look at how you can assess the "credentials" of your prospective aromatherapy teacher/instructor!

Regulations and rules vary from country to country for aromatherapy, so I can only write about what I know and have learned from my time in both the U.K. and the U.S.  However, there are some general points you should be checking off your checklist before signing up for an aromatherapy course/information seminar with a prosective aromatherapy teacher/instructor.  These include:

•  what are the qualifications and experience of your aromatherapy teacher/instructor?
• how long has your aromatherapy teacher/instructor been practising aromatherapy and in what format? (i.e. treatments, products, writing etc)
• what is your aromatherapy teacher/instructor's reputation in the aromatherapy world?  Find all the information you can on them to verify their credibility, i.e. interviews, magazine articles, web site reviews etc
• who did your aromatherapy teacher/instructor train with themselves for their aromatherapy qualification?  This can tell you a lot about the "seriousness" of your aromatherapy teacher/instructor.  If they themselves trained with a highly respected aromatherapy "authority", chances are your training/instruction will be of the same standard.
• what kind of aromatherapy class are they offering?  If it is a "diploma" in aromatherapy, is it accredited by an aromatherapy organization?  Or is it a simple information session, which will not give you the "credentials" to practice aromatherapy, but enough information to stimulate your interest for further study or use a few blends safely at home?
• do they belong to a professional aromatherapy organization?
• is it instruction in "true" aromatherapy and the use of "pure" essential oils?
• can the aromatherapy teacher/instructor answer your questions personally?
• what is the cost of the course/class/session?  Is it "over the top" or "reasonable" for the information you will get?  Prices can vary from several hundred dollars for a 2 day course to several thousand dollars for a diploma course.

Aromatherapy regulation is different in the United States and the United Kingdom (the United States is essentially unregulated, so be very cautious as to who you give your money to and for what kind of an aromatherapy "course").

With regards to my own situation in holding aromatherapy seminars, here are a few pointers that I will be informing prospective clients of:

• I will be holding aromatherapy information seminars and not classes that will "qualify" you to set up as an aromatherapist
• my aromatherapy information seminars are simply a way of imparting enough aromatherapy information to stimulate your interest into further study of aromatherapy (and direction to accredited diploma courses) or allow you to use aromatherapy at home on yourself
• you will not receive a certificate or diploma to practice aromatherapy at the end of the day!  But I will direct you to who you can obtain an accredited qualification from.

Basically, my aromatherapy information seminars will be an "extension" of my aromatherapy articles, web sites and other information I have written over the past couple of years but giving me a chance to meet people face to face and rely more information and understanding.

I have been thinking a lot on how to plan aromatherapy information seminars in the coming year, so if you have some thoughts on something specific, please let me know.  Otherwise, I will do my very best not to "sell" you on something I am not, but give a quality and informative session!  I also have a few other unique selling points to add to these sessions, so watch this space!  And I hope to see you in Sedona some time soon!

N.B.  I will release aromatherapy information session content and dates on the "Aromatherapy Notes" blog when they are set up (probably early next year) :)

Aromatherapy or Aromatherapie?

The modern day concept of aromatherapy is accredited to Rene-Maurice Gattefosse (1881 - 1950), a French chemist, who famously plunged his burned hand into a vat of lavender, instead of water, and found that he did not suffer the scarring and burns he feared.  This new practice of the use of essential oils was therefore named "aromatherapie," the French word for aromatherapy.

When I moved to Sedona, I put a bit of thought into the name for my new aromatherapy practice.  Describing what you do and where you do it is always sound marketing advice for a business.  However, in tribute to the modern day birth of aromatherapy, I amended my business name to reflect its French origin, so rather than be "Sedona Aromatherapy" I became "Sedona Aromatherapie" (although technically, in the French language, "aromatherapie" would precede the location).

Unfortunately, most people simply do not "get" why my business name is "Sedona Aromatherapie" and not "Sedona Aromatherapy."  The common comment is that I've mis-spelled the word (subsequent explanation that it is actually the French spelling is lost on most people) and the majority of my mail is addressed to "Sedona Aromatherapy."

So, I've become resigned to the fact that I am known by both "Sedona Aromatherapie" and "Sedona Aromatherapy" (and use both names as such).  Apparently, cultural practice and aromatherapy knowledge does not always translate - literally! :)

If you want to read the original French version of  Gattefosse's "Aromatherapie", it is now translated into English and available at Amazon as Gattefosse's Aromatherapy.

A Modern Herbal by Maud Grieve: Available in Both Book and Online Format

A Modern Herbal, Maud Grieve, Amazon

If you are serious about understanding the botany of the plants used in aromatherapy, you may want to check out A Modern Herbal by Maud Grieve.  Although the book was first published in 1931, it still contains a lot of relevant information about medicinal plant uses.  Not only can you purchase the book through book retailers, such as Amazon, there is also an online format offered at Botanical.com.

Who was Maud Grieve?

Maud Grieve (1858-1941) founded The Whins Medicinal and Commercial Herb School in England.  She had extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and eventually shared this knowledge through the publication of A Modern Herbal in 1931, although she had published literature on herbal medicines during World War I (1914-1918).   A Modern Herbal has extensive descriptions of medicinal plants and herbs, including botanical profiles, medicinal uses and recipes.

Although you need to remember that the book was published nearly 80 years ago, much of the information in A Modern Herbal is useful to aromatherapists today, regarding plant profiles and medicinal properties.  Just remember that this is not a book about essential oil properties exclusively.  However, I have found it to be a good starting point for much of my article research, particularly as a source of one of the more "reliable" resources online.  I would recommend A Modern Herbal as a book for the "serious aromatherapist who wishes to understand more about the botany of medicinal plants." :)

Essential Oils as Disinfectants

Use Essential Oils to Disinfect Your Dog's Sleeping Area 

Some essential oils are particularly suited to certain jobs!  For example, last week my dog got sick and left, well, quite a mess overnight in his sleep area.  So how to get rid of the smell and make sure the area was sanitatory once again?

Essential oils to the rescue!  In this particular incidence, I used a couple of drops of both pine and lemon essential oil in water and washed down affected area of the floor.  Within a short period of time, the area once again smelt more pleasant.  Not only that, pine and lemon essential oil possesses antiseptic and bactericidal properties to make sure any germs that were still lurking were banished too :) 

Examples of other essential oils that I could have used for the same job include:

• lavender
• eucalyptus
• cypress.

The result was one happy me - and one happy doggie - who now had a more pleasant sleeping area once again.  And I hadn't exposed him to any offensive house cleaning chemical products either :)

One last tip, add a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil to the bedding and water when putting into the washer for both antiseptic purposes and a more fragrant outcome!

Aromatherapy Magazines

Its hard to find quality aromatherapy information both in print magazines and online - and there are not many magazines and journals solely dedicated to the practice of aromatherapy.  However, there are a few magazines out there aimed at international aromatherapists and aromatherapy students including:

• Aromatherapy Today
• Aromascents
• International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy
• International Journal of Essential Oil Therapeutics.

For more information read:

Aromatherapy Journals and Magazines