Aromatherapy

What is Aromatherapy?

The word Aromatherapy seems to pop up everywhere and is used to describe everything from shower gels to beauty treatments.

But Aromatherapy used therapeutically is the art of blending aromatic plant essences, widely known as essential oils, to relieve stress, enhance health and support the body’s own healing processes. Essential oils are highly concentrated, fragrant and volatile substances that occur naturally in herbs and aromatic plants. They are distilled from berries, bark and wood, seeds, flowers and leaves.

To use for treatment, two or more essential oils are usually blended in a base oil, such as almond, grapeseed or avocado oil and used with massage. Essential oils are also used and applied in other ways by the professional Aromatherapist.

Aromatherapy, as practised by a qualified therapist is a safe complementary therapy for men, women, children and especially older people. It can also be helpful for patients suffering serious or chronic illness, and for specific conditions including:

Aromatherapy does not interfere with orthodox medical treatments, it can help a person to relax and actively promotes the body’s own healing process.

What to expect from your Aromatherapy Treatment

At the initial Aromatherapy session, before any treatment is carried out, a medical and lifestyle history is taken, in strictest confidence. This is to ensure that Aromatherapy is suitable for the person. This consultation takes about half an hour.

A treatment plan is then worked out – this usually entails a massage with specifically selected essential oils, diluted in the most suitable base oil, which is the way of ensuring the full therapeutic benefit of the essential oils. Throughout the massage, towels are used to cover the body.

If massage is inadvisable, essential oils can be used in a number of other ways, such as hot or cold compresses and topical applications.

There may also be some home-care, preparations such as creams, ointments or blended essences for inhalations which can be made up by the practitioner. Also, advice can be given on how to use oils safely, such as in the bath or cold diffusion.

Beneficial effects from Aromatherapy can usually be seen after 2-3 sessions. A typical course of treatment lasts from 4-8 weeks and is reviewed at regular intervals.

Cost of Aromatherapy treatments