How to distingush a quality program WAS: EO and pregnancy.

[Guest guest]

This is a very interesting topic. I admit that if I could I would seriously

study aromatherapy/herbalism if there were more of a " standard " . But, after

having taken an interest in the two subjects for the last few years, I feel more

comfortable keeping the learning and tinkering to a hobby. As the topic

originally developed off the question of how does one distinguish a quality

program, there seems to be too much misinformation and " blind leading the blind "

teaching. I like Tina's idea of learning from and working under a Master

Herbalist with a trusted knowledge and background. Susan

 

ATFE , " tisserand " <rtisserand wrote:

>

> Hi Marcia,

>

> My remark about grumpy know-it-alls was directed at myself. I certainly can't

imagine why you thought it was meant specifically for you, and I fervently hope

that this is not about to become bloody! It is my impression that there is some

poor quality aromatherapy education and some good quality education, but I don't

know enough about individual schools to usefully comment. I do see a worrying

amount of misinformation circulating, with some of it presumably originating

from schools, and some of it definitely from purveyors of essential oils. And, I

do think open discussion on many of these issues, as happens on this forum, is

extremely healthy.

>

> But anyway, I was talking loosely about the " evidence base " for aromatherapy,

which is something I consider myself well informed on, and not " aroma-politics " .

But basically yes, you're right, I have not made great efforts to familiarize

myself with the politics of aromatherapy. I am very involved with the AIA, I

know nothing at all about ARC, and NAHA doesn't seem to be doing much these

days, as far as I can tell. But I agree, let's not examine this, I didn't think

I was, I don't especially want to, and I'm not at all sure how I got here. Must

be my karma for saying that the blind were leading the blind. Fair enough. But I

didn't mean you - I have great respect for your knowledge. Your not blind. Not

even close.

>

> Robert

>

>

> ATFE , " Marcia Elston " <Marcia@> wrote:

> >

> > Although I admitted to being a crotchety curmudgeon, it is always my

> > intention to bring positive encouragement and I certainly did not intend for

> > my comments to mean that I infer all educators don't know anything. It is

> > far more complicated than that simplistic analogy. My frustration has been

> > with the lack of leadership in the general aromatherapy community here in

> > the U.S. which is so fragmented that meaningful, progressive, accepted

> > standards for education or practice have not developed in the 20 years since

> > aromatherapy has been introduced here, and it appears turf wars have

> > superceded the general cooperation necessary for real purpose throughout

> > that history. I'm not sure, Robert, how well you are informed since moving

> > here with regard to aroma-politics in the U.S. and I suspect you have pretty

> > much avoided them at all costs. One certainly can't blame you, if so, and

> > from what I've heard, aroma-politics haven't been so great across the pond,

> > either. And, I'm not sure that this forum is exactly the place to examine

> > and evaluate the situation, let alone begin a comprehensive resolution. The

> > observations in your last paragraph, however, are, while extremely

> > discouraging if this is to remain the status-quo, a glaring confirmation of

> > my frustration. And, as seen by Trish's response, I'm not alone. Many

> > people have shared their concerns over the years, and are soured to the

> > point of not participating in any of the organized efforts. People on

> > internet lists like AFTE grapple with their desire for factual direction,

> > and while those of us more knowledgeable can offer tidbits here and there,

> > what is generally needed is an organized, systematic, well respected group

> > effort to elevate aromatherapy as a needed and respected profession as well

> > as to support the individual layperson to safely use essential oils in

> > self-care. What we have now are three separate organizations (NAHA, AIA,

> > ARC) who appear to be at cross or dual purposes, and myriad educational

> > institutions, all teaching their own brand or style (some islands unto

> > themselves not connected to any organized efforts), many not approved or

> > designated by any of the three institutions. Leaving aromatherapy itself to

> > the winds when it comes to possible (more likely probable) legislation for

> > either the practice or the substance (essential oils) because there is no

> > coherent voice from within the emerging practice to establish credible

> > authority. The same has happened within the natural perfume community, even

> > smaller than that of aromatherapy, with factions splintered and at odds with

> > one another.

> >

> > Since a good part of my professional life has been spent working within

> > NGO's and the nonprofit sector, I am well aware that solid cooperative work

> > can be done to elevate organizations (with research, standards and ideas)

> > into go-to authorities. This is the root of my frustration; I know it is

> > possible.

> >

> > Certainly Bob Harris's database and journal are valuable tools for the

> > individual professional or layperson, however, this doesn't solve the

> > overbearing problem of the continuation of poor educational practices out

> > here in the marketplace and therefore the perpetuation of misinformation.

> >

> > I don't mean to appear pompous or grumpy, but I do admit to being

> > frustrated.

> >

> > Be Well,

> > Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence

> > http://www.wingedseed.com

> > http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com

> > http://www.aromaconnection.org

> > " We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. " - Winston

> > Churchill

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ATFE [ATFE ] On Behalf Of

> > tisserand@

> > Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:30 PM

> > ATFE

> > How to distingush a quality program WAS: Re: EO and

> > pregnancy.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Tina, Susan,

> >

> > I agree there is a distinct lack of " evidence base " in many of the claims

> > made for essential oils. With some claims that are made, the evidence base

> > turns out to be in vivo animal testing, and sometimes for a constituent, not

> > the whole oil. (Some of the information that comes out of France falls into

> > this category - look at the references in l'Aromatherapie Exactement.) There

> > are French, and other European medical practitioners that use essential oils

> > in their clinics and hospitals, and there are some in Asia too. Some

> > clinical information is published only in Mandarin, and a few good articles

> > have been published in French.

> >

> > The International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy and the International

> > Journal of Essential Oil Therapy publish some good reviews of the

> > literature, and attempt to link this with clinical practice, with the kind

> > of global perspective I am talking about.

> >

> > But, there is no large cache of hard clinical data on essential oils. It

> > does not exist. Not only are trials few and sparse, but this reflects the

> > very small number of people that practice clinical aromatherapy. There have

> > been a number of small-scale trials, some of which found an effect beyond

> > placebo, and some of which didn't. There have even been a few larger-scale

> > trials, though some of this information concerns oral administration, which

> > raises another issue - what kind of an aromatherapist do you want to be?

> >

> > In the end, the aroma-massage therapist has to make the best of things in a

> > world where the blind often lead the blind, where books are written copying

> > information from other books, and where ageing, pompous, and sometimes

> > grumpy know-it-alls tell them repeatedly that they don't know anything. So

> > naturally, they fall back on what they have been taught, and what they have

> > read. And actually, I am very encouraged by the way things are now shifting,

> > with integrative medicine, often including aromatherapy, being more and more

> > widely embraced because doctors are recognizing that their patients can

> > benefit. A few dots do need connecting though, so that practitioners have

> > their eyes open, and not closed.

> >

> > Robert

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Here's a good place to start, Susan. (assume you are in the U.S.).

 

http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/

 

Be Well,

Marcia Elston, Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence

http://www.wingedseed.com <http://www.wingedseed.com/>

http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com <http://www.wingedseed.blogspot.com/>

http://www.aromaconnection.org <http://www.aromaconnection.org/>

" We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. " - Winston

Churchill

 

 

_____

 

ATFE [ATFE ] On Behalf Of SusanP

Thursday, January 21, 2010 10:02 PM

ATFE

How to distingush a quality program WAS: Re: EO and

pregnancy.

 

 

 

 

This is a very interesting topic. I admit that if I could I would seriously

study aromatherapy/herbalism if there were more of a " standard " . But, after

having taken an interest in the two subjects for the last few years, I feel

more comfortable keeping the learning and tinkering to a hobby. As the topic

originally developed off the question of how does one distinguish a quality

program, there seems to be too much misinformation and " blind leading the

blind " teaching. I like Tina's idea of learning from and working under a

Master Herbalist with a trusted knowledge and background. Susan