Alternative to Aromatherapy: Essential Oil Practitioner
By Leelo Bush, PhD
Freedom to practice quality client care without unreasonable, out-dated restrictions or limitations.*
Why Is There A Need for This New Profession?
As far back as 2015, the Aromatherapy industry was already aware of a disruption taking place in their profession. Those with a public forum expressed their concern about multitudes of untrained or poorly trained essential oil consultants flooding the market.
In her blog article, Demetria Clark, proprietor of Heart of Herbs, an Aromatherapy and Herbalist school in North Carolina, discussed the challenge. And her worries were not about the quality of oils provided by MLM suppliers, but rather the lack of training among the representatives. While we do not endorse or necessarily agree with everything Demetria says, it’s important to note that she speaks for many of her colleagues. Her words are echoed by numbers of callers to our academy, applauding us for creating the Board Certified Essential Oil Practitioner course.
A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. I have personally heard essential oil sellers claim miracle medical cures and recommend oils that were not appropriate and even could cause harm. When I entered the world of essential oils many years ago, I immediately saw a need for better training. Eventually in 2014, we founded the Essential Oil Academy and I began creating the curriculum that finally was introduced in the beginning of 2018. Yes, it took almost four years to develop the training and systems to manage large numbers of students.
"I just want to help people live better. I don't want the
restrictions associated to being an Aromatherapist."*
Read Demetria’s article HERE. Hers is not the only voice. I have heard many others express similar concerns.
In defense of the MLM essential oil suppliers, their rapid growth, nothing short of a modern marketing phenomena, has presented challenges I don't think anyone was ready for. The greatest has been education. Suddenly there are MILLIONS of essential oil reps around the world. Many of them are new and untrained. Others think because they have been around essential oils for years, they know all there is to know. Yet science keeps progressing. Production methods and scientific testing methods are continually refined and improved. The industry is changing and we need to remain educated if we want to help others and at the same time, do no harm.
Most of those who become essential oil consultants, state they never planned to do it. They discovered essential oils, saw their benefit and could not resist sharing them with those they care about. You might say they acquired an accidental profession. A majority know they need training but with all the information on the web, much of it contradictory, they don't know what to believe or who to trust. Recently a new student told me, "I just want to help people better. I don't want to become an Aromatherapist." And if that sounds like you, thank you for your honesty. We hold Aromatherapists in high regard, but not everyone who seeks knowledge on the use of oils wants to become one. Now there is a terrific professional option.
As a professional educator and certification curriculum creator, I knew I had the knowledge and skills to create the training to meet this need. And judging by the flood of interest we have had, I was right. We have had everyone from novice essential oil consultants, to essential oil teachers, massage therapy instructors to psychotherapists and others register for this course. It is clearly the right solution at the right time.
Are You Already an Essential Oils Expert?
Receive Your Certification by Examination
Having a credential to validate your knowledge and skills is of increasing importance. This is particularly vital for those who sell essential oils, so that their customers can be confident in the advice they are receiving. A 2018 survey showed that almost unanimously people prefer to receive their oils and advice from a certified individual. Learn more about Certification by Examination HERE. With this certification option you also receive a safety net including study guide and option to retake the exam if needed.
Now, with training and certification, dedicated Essential Oil consultants, advocates and distributors can increase their knowledge, credibility and earning potential.
The Essential Oil Academy is here to fill a training gap in essential oil industry education, not to compete with Aromatherapy. Our mission is to offer independent, accredited training and certification for essential oil representatives so that you can help others more effectively and more safely. With millions of others like you, why should someone trust you? Now with our training and certification, you can show them you have an independent Board Certification to validate your education and knowledge.
What Is The Difference Between An Aromatherapist and Essential Oil Practitioner?
“Aromatherapy is a caring, hands-on therapy which seeks to induce relaxation, to increase energy, to reduce the effects of stress and to restore lost balance to mind, body and soul,” says Robert Tisserand, one of the world’s leading experts in aromatherapy.
Essential Oil Practitioners are consultant/educators who provide individual consultations to private clients and education to groups on the proper use of essential oils, to help others achieve their health and wellness goals, be they emotional or physical.
Typical descriptions of the Aromatherapy profession include a "spiritual" or soul support aspect. In contrast, we do not address spirituality in Essential Oil Practitioner training because it's different person to person.
We welcome all faiths and there is no requirement for you to have a particular spiritual worldview. You are free to express what you believe in the work you do. Just be candid with your client if your faith perspective plays a part in your consultation.
Both EOPs and Aromatherapists are complimentary practitioners.
Ideal candidates for the EOP profession are those who are already essential oil wellness advocates, consultants or distributors or passionate users of essential oils.
Restrictions placed on Aromatherapists
To be clear, at Essential Oil Academy we teach the SAFE and EFFECTIVE use of essential oils. We teach the importance of dilution and even provide dilution charts. As complimentary practitioners, we agree that Essential Oil Practitioners should not diagnose their clients' health concerns. However, we believe there may be specific essential oils that may provide benefit when used internally. Not all essential oils are suitable for internal use or ingestion, which is another reason that in-depth training is necessary.
The main differences:
Aromatherapists provide hands-on therapy where Essential Oil Practitioners provide consultations and education. EOPs do not have as great an exposure to liability since they do not physically administer the essential oils.
Aromatherapists may work in a medical facility. EOPs may offer consults in a spa.
Either may have their own practice or work with a group of practitioners.
* Aromatherapists are discouraged and often forbidden to recommend or advocate for internal use of essential oils as well as raindrop therapy and AromatouchTM technique and may lose their credential for doing so. EOPs are encouraged to learn and embrace new scientific evidence in order to support their clients with updated methods of using essential oils, including the knowledgeable, internal use of select essential oils. The Essential OIl Academy is forward thinking and progressive. We are not stuck in the past, required to believe obsolete research, now that testing and refining methods for essential oils have been vastly improved.
EOP training does not include spiritual guidance or counseling. There are more appropriate courses to address those topics.
The EOP will innately bring who they are and their own beliefs to their sessions. An EOP may provide a brief faith statement in their brochure about their views. This academy believes in freedom of expression and neither discourages nor encourages the discussion of spiritual topics. Those matters are best left to each party’s discretion.
When we receive phone calls from prospective students, we tell them if they want to become an Aromatherapist, there are great schools out there. We don't train Aromatherapists. Our course is for those who feel they need the equivalent depth of training without the aromatherapy hands-on component and restrictions. Our graduates just want to help others live better and more safely. And maybe, they don't want the additional liability exposure with hands-on therapy.
Essential Oil Academy is not right for everyone, but we hope this article has helped you better understand if we are right for you.
If you are ready to register, start HERE.
Learn more about the course HERE. (You'll find the tuition options and registration link near the bottom of the page.)