Aromatherapy Study Programs

How long does it take to learn Aromatherapy?

Since there is currently no official accreditation, the length of coursework varies quite widely from several dozen to several hundred hours to receive a school's individual certification.

Different people will certainly progress at different rates when learning Aromatherapy. An Aromatherapist who has been practicing for 10 years may feel knowledgeable in only 60 essential oils. It may take a year or more of practice to really get to know 10 essential oils intimately. Others may progress more rapidly. More may not be better in exposure to the numerous essential oils. Like many of the healing arts, it is suggested that you place emphasis on getting to know your key tools before venturing on to others.

Basic levels of instruction may allow you to safely and effectively use essential oils to enhance your quality of life, to enhance the quality of your other caregiving practices, or for home use. Basic levels of instruction may answer such questions as:

What is Aromatherapy?
What are essential oils?
How do they work on the body and the mind?
How can I safely use them?

More advanced levels of study are for those who may want to have a private consultation practice, to work in a clinic, or to combine more in-depth Aromatherapy knowledge into their other natural health and/or allopathic health care practices.

Advanced levels of study may allow you to delve into areas such as production of oils, oil chemistry, advanced knowledge of effects of oils on the body and mind, understanding of the link to memory, mood and emotion, advanced treatment methods and applications, the science of blending oils, safety and toxicity information, and additional bio-specificities of various oils and their medicinal and traditional uses.

What is the value of studying a specific course with a reputed practitioner or institution?
It is very important to have a comprehensive knowledge of Aromatherapy before beginning your practice for both safety and quality reasons.

Education and experience are key when applying essential oils for particular medicinal results. While Aromatherapy may be considered a simple home remedy to some, it is in fact both a specific science and a complex art. Essential oils consist of mixtures of complex chemical components. Many of these compounds have powerful healing capacities when appropriately applied, but some can be harmful. Safety data is mandatory knowledge for anyone using essential oils on the skin, as many are can be irritating or sensitizing as well as photo-toxic. In fact, using excessively high doses of essential oils in a bath could result in skin rash and other allergic responses, lethargy, and possible liver and central nervous system damage. When is your goal is to heal, having as much and as thorough of an education as possible is definitely in your, and your client's, best interest.

A well-trained and well-educated Aromatherapist works with a client to develop a blend of oils that will best suit the client's needs. The essential oils chosen may work well together aesthetically or may address a particular complaint. For example, to address muscle pain effectively, it is necessary to create a blend of essential oils that will relieve the tension of the muscle and will also act upon the client mentally and emotionally to address the underlying cause of the muscle tension. This is the "synergy" of blending oils. Creating these synergies to most effectively practice the art of Aromatherapy requires the knowledge, awareness, and practice that can be acquired most effectively through extensive study with trained professionals.