Due to high demand getting a properly insured and qualified aromatherapist will cost more money than getting an unqualified aromatherapist. And I have lived in Ipswich long enough to know that people in Ipswich want to know what they are paying for, whether it is aromatherapy or archery.
I qualified as a member of the Register of Qualified Aromatherapists (RQA), and when this merged with the International Society of Professional Aromatherapists and the International Federation of Aromatherapists to form the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA) I became a founding member. I am also a member of MLDUK, the professional association of Manual Lymphatic Drainage practitioners as well as being a registered general nurse (I have worked in both Ipswich Hospital and Ipswich Nuffield Hospital).
All very impressive, I can hear you say, but what good will this do for me?
Learning Aromatherapy
Before I could join the Register of Qualified Aromatherapists I had to study aromatherapy both in the classroom and by studying with more experienced aromatherapists. This meant that the aromatherapy I learned was not simply picked up from a couple of paperbacks (if that). By getting an unqualified aromatherapist, you are getting a person who studied and qualified, not just as a nurse, but as an aromatherapist.
Aromatherapy Code of Ethics
As an aromatherapist who belongs to a professional body I have to abide by a code of ethics. I have to use real essential oils, I am not allowed to misrepresent myself and I have to recommend that aromatherapy clients go to a doctor if aromatherapy on its own won't help them.
If I don't follow this code of ethics then I can be suspended or even expelled. If a person simply sets themselves up as an aromatherapist, they may be cheaper but they are cheaper for a reason.
Continuing Professional Development in Aromatherapy
Every member of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists has to take part in Continuing Professional Development. This can involve learning new techniques as well as getting refresher courses. Aromatherapy is relatively new in its French form and there are always new techniques and I think that its important that Ipswich people have access to these new findings.
Aromatherapy Insurance
I have a very good insurance policy that does not just cover aromatherapy but covers some other areas of alternative medicine. It costs a bit of money, but it gives my clients some peace of mind and that is important to me.
I get the insurance through the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists, and the insurance company deals with them due to the high professional standards that they maintain among aromatherapists.
Not all Aromatherapists are the Same
I am a believer in a decentralised economy and society, I'm a bit of a hippy like that really, and so I strongly believe that we need self regulation rather than state regulation whenever possible. So I do not call for a lot of regulation and I'm perfectly relaxed about people calling themselves aromatherapists when they are not qualified and do not belong to a professional body.
In the end it is up to the buyer, and I believe that the professional difference does tell out, and that with aromatherapy you get what you pay for.