“In 2014, Dr. Leelo Bush founded the first Academy dedicated to Essential Oil Practitioner training, establishing an entirely new profession. After years of observing the growing demand for credible essential oil education, she recognized that not everyone who needs this training wants to become an aromatherapist. 

For many, the traditional aromatherapy path does not align with their goals, needs, or financial realities. Out of this gap, the Essential Oil Practitioner profession was created—providing a practical, accessible, and respected certification. Since then, we have trained and certified practitioners worldwide who are now bringing safe and effective essential oil use into homes, businesses, ministries, and wellness practices.”

How Essential Oil Practitioners Differ from Aromatherapists

While both fields work with essential oils, the training paths and professional goals are distinct.

Essential Oil Practitioners (EOPs) focus on the safe, practical application of oils for everyday life—supporting personal wellness, family care, and client services. Our programs equip you with clear, evidence-based protocols you can begin using right away. The emphasis is on accessibility, real-world use, and the ability to integrate oils confidently into your home, practice, or business.

The EOP program is also ideal for those who want to add confident use of essential oils to an existing profession. Many of our students come from helping professions such as life coaching, counseling, massage therapy, nursing, holistic health, ministry, and wellness coaching. It is equally valuable for those who work in health food stores or who sell essential oils, because independent certification has become the new gold standard for credibility in today’s marketplace.

Aromatherapists, by contrast, often follow formal accreditation pathways that require high-hour commitments and are tied to specific governing organizations. While valuable in their own right, these programs can feel out of reach for those who want credible training without years of study or affiliation with a particular body.

By choosing the Essential Oil Practitioner path, you’re entering a profession that is modern, business-friendly, and flexible—while still being rooted in rigorous knowledge and safety standards. You gain both the competence and the confidence to apply essential oils effectively in today’s fast-growing wellness landscape.

This Academy's "Statement of Purpose and Mission"

"The practice of using essential oils to enhance your health, lifestyle and capacity for wellness dates back thousands of years to the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese and other cultures. It is written about in the Holy Bible countless times with directions for use and even recipes for anointing oils.

When modern science discovered methods of making pharmaceuticals and synthetic antibiotics that were more readily available, natural, God-designed solutions took a back seat. Over time, we have learned that science can not duplicate or replace the perfectly created supportive properties of the plants available directly from the earth.

When times of financial difficulty arose and traditional, modern health care became either unavailable or financially out of reach for many, essential oils were re-discovered. This practice has grown by enormous strides, particularly in the last decade. Independent essential oil  distributors now number in the millions across the globe.

As an early adopter of natural health, wellness and essential oils as well as professional educator, I soon saw the need for competency in the use of essential oils. I created the curriculum, curated knowledge from all the great minds in our industry, then hired a staff of writers and creators to help me develop what is now the Essential Oil Practitioner Certification Course. You will find it offered on this website.

It is the mission of this academy to provide professional-level education and credentials to those who already love essential oils and want to learn how to use them in their life and practice.

We honor all of you who have embraced the riches provided by intelligently designed nature and the wisdom of postmodern practitioners.  It is with these resources that we are now called to make our planet a healthier, kinder, gentler place for one and all."

~ Dr. Leelo Bush