Four Week Course: Introduction to Aromatherapy

Running Tuesdays, 10am-2pm, September 20th through October 11th.

Registration is now open.

Aromatherapy is the art and science of using essential oils, hydrosols, and aromatic extracts to restore or maintain wellness of mind, body, and spirit. This course is designed to give students a foundation in the holistic and therapeutic modality of aromatherapy.

Introduction to Aromatherapy Syllabus (PDF)

Course Goal: Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to: understand and apply basic skills of aromatherapy. Understand and explain safety, contraindications, and cautions of aromatherapy to the community. Introduction to Aromatherapy is part of The Barefoot Dragonfly 200-hour practitioner course designed to prepare students for a career path as an aromatic therapies practitioner, or aromatherapist. No prerequisite is required for students to attend this course.

Class Location: The Barefoot Dragonfly Classroom located at 7601 Pheasant Rock Road, Austin, TX 78729.

Class Hours: 16

Instructor: Amy Kreydin, NBCR, CCAP, BD

Office Hours: Before and after class by appointment

Instructor Bio: Amy Kreydin, Board Certified Reflexologist and Clinical Aromatherapist, has been in private practice since 2004. Kreydin received her certificate as a Certified Reflexologist from the Palmer Institute in Salem, MA in 2004, and was awarded her board certificate in Reflexology from the American Reflexology Certification Board in 2006. She trained at a Harvard teaching hospital in Boston, MA and obtained her Certified Clinical Aromatherapy Practitioner (CCAP) in 2011. She has lectured and taught classes in massage and acupuncture schools, hospitals, and clinics since 2007. Kreydin is passionate about whole body wellness and loves helping folks reach their health goals to live an abundant, vibrant, and balanced life.

Required Materials:

• Materia Aromatica Student Manual written by Amy Kreydin
• Writing paper and utensils should be brought to each class

General Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• List milestones in the history of aromatherapy.
• Identify the extraction and production methods and quality control for essential oils, CO2 extracts, absolutes, and the differences between these and fragrance oils.
• Demonstrate organoleptic testing process for each aromatic.
• Discuss and demonstrate knowledge of each aromatic and its materia aromatic, including biophysical actions, safety guidelines, methods of extraction, Latin binomial, and countries of origin.
• Describe routes of absorption, including olfactory, dermal, respiratory, vaginal, rectal, and oral.
• Discuss and demonstrate knowledge of functional group chemistry.
• Demonstrate knowledge of current information on safety guidelines, including special guidelines for pediatrics, pregnancy, and the ill.
• Discuss and demonstrate knowledge of the olfactory system and ways aromatic therapies can support disorders associated with this body system.
• List pathways to becoming an aromatherapist.

General Class Structure: The class will be conducted once a week unless otherwise noted. During lab sessions, students will develop their practical skills and discuss any challenges they encounter with respect to new material.

Methods of Instruction: The class will be taught with a combination of audiovisual presentations using overhead projector, whiteboard or paper chart, lecture, demonstration, and laboratory.