Your sector

Return to:

Your sector

Aromatherapist

Introduction

So you've decided you want to run an aromatherapy business. Maybe you've recently completed a relevant training course, or perhaps you're looking for a change of direction or a business option that might allow more flexible ways of working. This guide will take you through the issues you need to consider and give you practical pointers on getting started.

Sector trends

Aromatherapy - the use of healing essential plant oils - is used to treat a wide range of complaints, ailments and conditions. The oils are most commonly massaged into the skin but they can also be inhaled, used in cold compresses or in hot baths.

Recent years have seen a huge increase in, and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), for a number of reasons:

  • GPs have little time to devote to their patients
  • conventional healthcare has become more impersonal
  • patients are concerned about the increasing use of powerful drugs
  • many conditions such as asthma do not respond satisfactorily to conventional treatment
  • patients are better informed and more willing to try alternative therapies
  • complementary therapists are providing an increasing professional service
  • the medical profession has acknowledged the benefit to patients of providing both conventional and complementary treatment
  • the number of complementary therapists has grown, so that people can more easily access them

The five most common therapies are acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, herbalism and homeopathy, although aromatherapy is becoming increasingly popular. Currently only the osteopathic and chiropractic professions are regulated by law.

However, many complementary therapists in all disciplines have been pushing for regulation to be introduced. Statutory regulation would help therapists to reassure both potential clients and medical practitioners that they have received training to a certain standard and that they comply with a code of practice. The Department of Health has recently published proposals for how acupuncture and herbal medicine could be regulated, and the Aromatherapy Consortium, which consists of many professional bodies that represent aromatherapists, worked towards voluntary self-regulation for the whole profession. The Aromatherapy Consortium was intended as an interim body to give the profession enough time to decide on the structure of the voluntary self-regulatory body.

The General Regulatory Council For Complementary Therapies (GRCCT) was set up in 2007 as a voluntary federal regulator for the complementary therapies, including aromatheraphy. You can find out more about voluntary registration on the GRCCT website. In April 2008 a similar regulatory body the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) was launched to maintain a register of qualified complementary and natural therapists including aromatherapists. Find out more on the CNHC website.

Registration with a regulator is currently voluntary for aromatherapists and there is no programme of compulsory statutory regulation planned at the moment.

Although NHS funding of aromatherapy remains a rarity, during the 2000s a number of NHS Trusts began using the treatment for women in late pregnancy and childbirth, and an increasing number of midwives are now trained in aromatherapy.

Although in general demand for aromatherapy treatment is relatively strong, you will have to decide whether:

  • there is enough demand in your area to support your proposed aromatherapy practice
  • you will be able to compete against existing aromatherapists and other complementary therapists in your area
  • you will be able to weather the current downturn in the economy - most clients pay for aromatherapy treatments themselves and in times of economic recession are likely to cut back on expenditure on 'luxury' goods and services like these

There are very many associations that represent the interests of aromatherapists. Many of these worked together as the Aromatheraphy Consortium to set up the Aromatherapy Council in 2006.

Some of the organisations representing aromatherapists are:

Many associations require members to comply with a code of conduct and to obtain certain recognised qualifications.

Elsevier Science publishes a number of journals that will help you to keep up-to-date with developments.

Choice - Health and Wellbeing is a bi-monthly magazine that contains articles about different therapies as well as business information to help you to run a successful practice.