How to become a Certified Aromatherapist. . .
. . .and choose the best Aromatherapy School!
We wish we could say just Google a school and pick the best one (us of course 😉!), but the truth is, there is a lot more to consider.
Understanding the Requirements to be an Aromatherapist.
First look at what the requirements are for the area you live in. For example let's say you lived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to be a practising aromatherapist and offer aromatherapy services you will be required to obtain a business permit. If you dig deep into this process, you would learn you need to be a member of a professional association and each association will require a minimum standard of education.
Need business permit (prerequisite is professional association member)
Need professional association membership (prerequisite is recognized education)
Need education (must meet requirements for association membership)
Even if the area you live or intend to offer your services, does not require a permit, there is also the consideration of what true education and qualifications look like.
For example, you could probably find 20 schools offering aromatherapy courses and certifications in Toronto, Ontario, but only 1 or 2 are actually recognized by the Canadian professional association (Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists). So understanding what the minimum requirements are is so important to your certification goals and future business practice.
So what are the requirements in Canada?
To join the largest and leading aromatherapy association established in 1993, you would need over 400 hours of aromatherapy education that includes aroma chemistry, safety, anatomy and physiology and materia aromatica to name a few. Essentria Aromatherapy School offers over 425 hours of education.
Additionally, this association (Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists) requires you to write their national exam and pass with a minimum mark. This is an important consideration because if we expect the public to respect the qualifications of aromatherapy education, we should be interested in proving we have obtained at least 75% or more of the 400+ hour education.
Other associations throughout the world may or may not have an examination requirement, but we know that all things certified in most other industries require a test, so it's reasonable and a greater benefit to complete education with an examination in our opinion. After all, would you hire a lawyer because they attend law school or because they were called to the bar?
What are the Canadian standards of education?
Some of the highest in the world really! Sounds odd to say that but when you compare other associations throughout the world you’ll notice some have qualifications that are for 50 hours, 200 hours, 300 hours, etc.
A 50 hours course could be completed in a month or less, and unless the person completing this very short course comes from a background in medical sciences, like a doctor or nurse and they plan to pair it with another healthcare modality, it's just not enough education to be considered a certified clinical aromatherapist (or Certified Aromatherapy Health Professional). Essentria has a 50-hour course to allow people who already have established health practices such as massage therapists to add essential oils to their treatments but knowing they are not fully Certified Clinical Aromatherapists.
A 400+ hour course will take the average person 1-2 years of part-time study and is equivalent to approximately 10 post-secondary credits. A student dedicated to full-time study may complete this level of education in 6-8 months. This is far more education than a short 50-hour course and so it should be since an aromatherapist is a trained healthcare professional. We have had students take as little as 5 months to complete our course where it was taken as a full-time course and that was their main focus, while others take the full 2 years, taking it as a part-time course.
5 Things to look for in an aromatherapy school
This is actually very unique to each student as everyone has their own individual learning style. There are some things to consider though when investing in your aromatherapy education.
1) Recognized by Associations
First being recognized is important. Schools that are recognized go through a vigorous process of meeting and/or exceeding standards set by an association. If you find a school that hits all the things you are looking for in a school, but they are not recognized by the association you plan to join, it's best to contact the school and ask why. Only the school will be able to tell you why they have not joined an association. Essentria is recognized by both leading associations in North America, the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists (CFA) and National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA).
2) Cost
Cost matters, but it's not always clear, what if your money is best spent with one school over another because the costs vary considerably. For example, there may be fabulous schools you can attend in the US for $2000US+ in tuition, but the hours don’t meet Canadian association requirements.
You can also take a $30 online aromatherapy diploma course that offers 50-100 hours of education and no one will recognize it because the institution offering it is not recognized anywhere.
But you can also look at all the schools meeting all the same criteria for the associations and the costs vary again considerably based on location, instruction type, what’s included in the costs, etc.
We recommend doing research on cost based on associations you want to obtain membership with so you have a real idea of what your education should cost. In Canada, the average aromatherapy 400+ hour course will cost $900 - $2000. Essentria chose to keep prices at an affordable rate so that everyone can learn to use essential oils safely.
What is the price advantage at Essentria Aromatherapy School?
All pricing is in Canadian Funds (CAD)
We are brand neutral and invite all those interested in learning regardless of brand preference
No taxes on school courses
There are no additional textbooks required in order to complete the course.
What you see is what you pay
We value student success over high-profit margins, so our prices will remain competitive and some of the lowest in the industry
We offer a diverse set of courses with opportunities to expand your business and holistic knowledge from experienced trained professionals, a one-stop aromatherapy school
You will be supported by 3 fully accredited and recognized professional aromatherapy instructors, we do not outsource our business to contractors
Purchase the Clinical Aromatherapy Certification Bundle and save 25% everyday!
3) Tax Credit on Tuition
Something else to consider is if you can actually use your tuition as an income tax credit. Some educational institutions will go through a process of becoming designated by the government in their area to offer this. In Canada the term is designated educational institution and any school recognized this way will provide a tax form for you to claim your tuition and if you work with a tax specialist you will claim a dollar amount for every month of study too. Essentria is a fully recognized school with the government of Canada so can proudly offer tax receipts for Canadian students.
4) Teaching Style
Rachael, Nikki & Rhonda like to have fun!
Teaching style and how the course is offered is so important. Some schools only offer exclusively in-person courses, some schools will offer exclusively independent learning.
Some schools offer online courses with easy access print, but no videos, some will offer videos but little to no support otherwise and some will offer the whole package.
You need to ask yourself, do I learn better in person or independently? Then you need to evaluate what level of support you need based on your answer. Such as; Do I need an in-person instructor to walk me through things or would online support be enough? Do videos matter? Some people love them, some don’t care for them. Is the institution you are considering offering the support you are looking for both in your aromatherapy education program and potentially after when you decide to use your qualification for employment or starting your own business.
Essentria’s fully online course is great for anyone looking to learn at their own rate fully online. There are some videos throughout the course, and more videos being added as time goes on to continue to help students on their educational journey.
5) Connection to Instructors and school’s offerings
Nikki Fraser, Rachael Dean & Rhonda Greenbury
Lastly, look at what you feel connected to about the school you are considering. Every school has unique instructors and aromatherapy is typically a second career, so you will find a diverse range of backgrounds in the instructors for every school. Some schools will have the knowledge and expertise to help you put your education to real income-generating use and will teach with that in mind, while others will focus heavily on something they are more proficient in. For example, a school run by a nurse may focus on medical sciences in their curriculum, where a school run by a past nutritionist may focus more on chemistry and properties, or a school run by an education professional may focus on the education over any specific area and so much more. Getting to know who the instructors are can be helpful (click here to learn about Essentria’s instructors). If you have a family of young ones, you may not feel as connected to an instructor without little ones or you may feel very connected because they have a very mothering vibe. Only you can assess your connection.
Stay tuned for part 2 - “9 Reasons why to choose Essentria Aromatherapy School”, to see exactly how Essentria can be the right fit for your aromatherapy education!
Try our free Introduction to Aromatherapy course
You can get a feel for our teaching style and how the online course works.
There’s no commitment, pressure, or obligation.
