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Aromatherapy
Education &
Training
Education
& Training in Clinical Aromatherapy
The popularity of
aromatherapy as a complementary therapy has led to the provision of
numerous training courses, ranging from a couple of weekends to university
validated courses. Courses in aromatherapy are available at many colleges
of Further Education where qualifications have included a NVQ/SVQ level 3
in Beauty Therapy Aromatherapy Massage. Clinical aromatherapy is not
taught as part of the NVQ/SVQ provision. Essential oils have the potential
for powerful therapeutic effects and it is therefore essential that
correct training and qualifications are achieved before setting up in
practice.
It was exactly issues such
as these that led to the formation of the Aromatherapy Organisations
Council in 1991, the UK governing body for aromatherapy. Having unified
the profession by bringing together the 12 professional associations under
one umbrella, the first priority was to develop and agree training
standards.
A positive and flexible
approach for the development and implementation of training standards in
aromatherapy has been at the heart of educational policy from a very early
stage in the AOC’s development with all routes being developed in
parallel.
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The
AOC’s Mandatory Threshold Training Standards
The Core
Curriculum, defining 200 class contact hours, was implemented in 1994 and
has recently been revised to 220 class hours to take into account the
needs of the profession and the National Occupational Standards (NOS).
Extensive home study is required in addition to this and it is open to
professional associations to teach to standards above the threshold
standards.
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The
AOC’s Competence Framework for Aromatherapy
This was
developed from the Core Curriculum, along National Vocational
Qualification (NVQ) guidelines to help training establishments develop
their training programmes and to standardise their assessment procedures.
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A
BSc Degree Course in Aromatherapy
This programme is a
joint development with Middlesex University. The AOC’s Competence
Framework has been accredited at a high level of academic credit and with
the current Middlesex Herbal Degree programme, will form the basis of the
Aromatherapy Degree.
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National
Occupational Standards (NOS) in Aromatherapy
Practitioner members of AOC member professional associations took the lead
in the Government-funded three-year project to develop NOS for
Aromatherapy, which were published in 1998. They have Government
recognition.
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The
AOC’s Common Accreditation Inspection Report & Guidelines
These were adopted in 1996 and set out the criteria for member
associations when accrediting training establishments.
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Statutory
Regulation of Title
This route is currently being explored with a view to taking aromatherapy
forward under the new proposals within the Health Act for statutory
registration to be obtained without primary legislation. It will remove
the confusion as to who is qualified and will protect the public from
inadequately trained aromatherapists.
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AOC
Register of Aromatherapists
The public can be assured that all AOC registered therapists:
- are trained to the
standards defined in the AOC Core Curriculum;
- are fully insured to
practise; and
- abide by a common Code
of Conduct/Disciplinary Procedures.
For a General Information
Booklet and details of training, please send an A5 sae to The
Aromatherapy Organisations
Information supplied by AOC
PR Chairman Sylvia Baker - 6 January 2000
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This page was last updated on 30/11/2006 13:47:13
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