What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the art and science of using plant aromatics to restore balance to the mind, body and soul to support the body’s innate ability to heal.
But what is it used for?
Most commonly aromatherapy is used to relieve stress and promote relaxation. However, the usage of aromatherapy is not limited to just stress reduction. Throughout time, aromatherapy has been used to treat physical as well as mental conditions. These conditions are as varied as humans themselves, but include depression, anxiety, insomnia, burns, bacterial and fungal infections, and high blood pressure.
Throughout time?
Oh yes! The usage of essential oils goes back to ancient civilizations. The Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used aromatics. De Materia Medica, written in the first century by Dioscorides, describes essential oil healing properties. The term “aromatherapy,” however, didn’t surface until the 1930s. A chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé is credited with coining the term in writing Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles, Hormones Végétales.
It’s been around for a while, but is it safe?
There are safety concerns around the usage of essential oils in this information age where recipes can be found all over the internet. Those concerns have merit. An aromatherapist should understand proper dilution amounts, side effects, and contraindications for any oils used. We would encourage you to inquire about your aromatherapist’s level of training and certifications, especially if you have pressing health issues. A serious and qualified aromatherapist will always err on the side of safety.
Speaking of safety, what about Raindrop Therapy?
SoulFire Healing Arts does not perform Raindrop Therapy. The Aromatherapy Registration Council (ARC) prohibits Registered Aromatherapists from using or teaching Raindrop Therapy, Raindrop Technique, Aroma Touch or any other unnamed therapy that involves the usage of neat essential oils on skin. ARC has done so based on public health concerns and risk. SoulFire Healing Arts follows all ARC recommendations and prohibitions.
So what happens during an aromatherapy consultation?
Prior to your aromatherapy consultation, you’ll be given a detailed intake form where you will provide details on your physical and mental health. During the initial consultation, you and your aromatherapist will discuss:
- Your intake form
- What conditions you are looking to support via aromatherapy
- Your personal preferences with respect to scents of all kinds
- Aromatherapy options (oils, lotions, personal diffusers, room diffusers, sprays) that might best support the condition you are looking to address.
Your aromatherapist will then take all of the information you have shared with them and formulate a blend specific to you in the delivery method that you have agreed upon. In most cases, you will be able to pick up your blend later in the day or within a day or two.
After a week or two of using your blend, your aromatherapist will then follow up with you either in an in person follow up meeting, phone call, text message, or email to discuss your blend’s effectiveness as you perceive it. If your blend requires adjustment, your aromatherapist will discuss possible changes at that time.