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) :)