There is lots of controversy out there about having a RA (Registered Aromatherapist) in addition to a CA (Certified Aromatherapist)   or CCA (Certified Clinical Aromatherapist).
In a lot of states including mine in New Jersey, a CA means squat.  It is not a recognized profession. When going on an interview to a medical facility the first thing you are asked” Are you licensed?”  Well we are not.  Without a license the facility, even an alternative healthcare facility cannot apply your fee to any insurance company especially Medicare.  Yes some get special grants for Aromatherapy but those grants are really not a lot of money. Do not expect to get a decent fee  for your services, because the facility cannot pay you.  They do not just get a grant for Aromatherapy, they use this money for other services for the patient not covered by insurance. So you only get a small piece of it.
Having a RA then means nothing, it is only a piece of paper and since most facilities do not recognize your CA what is the point?  We do not live in a perfect world, especially here in the Northeastern part of the USA.
I battle this all the time.  My specialty is working with Hospice and seniors.  I have been turned down by nursing homes only because I do not have a license.  They do not care that I have over 700 hours of aromatherapy education nor 10 years of experience in this field and 3 yrs clinical experience working with hospice patients. They want the license so they can bill the insurance companies to get back what I would be charging them.   Is this fair?  Absolutely not, but in our world of medicine or alternative medicine, having the ability to charge Medicare or other insurance companies is the most important to them.  Take the fact that our methods are sometimes better than traditional methods in the cases of stress and pain with less side effects and might actually make the client or patient feel a bit better.  I am not saying to take away traditional medicine but Aromatherapy compliments it alongside it.
I just found in the state of Maine there is a bill up now for a vote  called An Act Relating to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Licensure
 (here is the website you can go see for yourselves-  http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_129th/billtexts/SP042801.asp) which forces everyone in the health field  to certain rules and standards or they cannot practice, this includes Certified and Clinical  Aromatherapists  and yes even those who are RA’s.
If this passes this will basically wipe out our profession. We will no longer be allowed to consult without a license. Now since our profession is not licensed then what will be the point of taking more courses if one cannot apply them to anything?  What will happen to all us Certified and Clinical Aromatherapists who have worked our butts off taking the certification courses, plus thousands of dollars spent on taking these and additional courses to further our education!
If this passes in Maine (and the reason they want this bill is because of all the unsafe usage of essential oil and all the accidents that have been happing), other states will eventually follow.
​
Instead of arguing over which piece of paper we should have we should be banning together, writing to our congressman and senators and push to make our profession licensed, otherwise the only aromatherapy you will be doing is to yourselves.

We as Aromatherapists see this every time especially when on social media like Facebook.  I actually saw a post by a fellow aromatherapist who talked about this same subject and she is so right so I wanted to give my take too.  I belong to many Aromatherapy groups and when I look at posts there is always someone saying: "I got this rash all over my body or I have not slept in weeks, or my toes hurt etc etc".  Then the next thing you see is 50 answers from well meaning people with so much advice it makes your head spin.  Some one says "Use Lavender it will allow you to sleep all night",   "Have you tried Almond oil it might help with the rash,"  "oh for your back have you tried Wintergreen?"  Has any of these well meaning people thought first:  Is she allergic to Lavender? how about that this other person might be allergic to nuts and you are now recommending Almond Oil?,  and last but not least for the one with back pain, umm, wintergreen essential oil should not be used with individuals on anticoagulant medication  because this chemical methyl salicylate which is in this oil,  can increase the effects of blood thinners which can cause hemorrhaging even used topically.  What if she is on a blood thinner?

Now if these 50 people told her she should talk to a trained Professional Certified Aromatherapist I guarantee you this would stop happening.  I am betting at least 3/4 of these people have not had enough education in Aromatherapy.  Some took a class or two, some actually read a book about Aromatherapy.  Certified Aromatherapists, lets see, It took me 1 year to be certified.  I went to a reputable school where I had to take a course (that actually took me months to complete) on Aromatherapy, pass a 50 question test,  do 20 case studies on humans and write a very large research paper, also take an Anatomy and Physiology Course (again months to complete and pass its 50 quite hard test) then I became certified.  Add to the fact I took another extensive certification course in aromatic medicine, plus the numerous other courses I took, and actually are still taking because things change all the time,  and to keep my certification where I am now a clinical aromatherapist, I have to take continuing education courses to keep my certification.   I am asking those out there to please think before you answer one of the questions thrown out on social media.

Also btw it is a profession.  Once I became an Aromatherapist I realized what doctors go through when they go to social gatherings.  Hey Dr Brown can you give me advice please my head is falling off my body, can you recommend what I can do?  as he spoons the dessert into his mouth at our friends wedding.   Well actually now I get the same thing when I go to a social gathering.  Robin can you please recommend an essential oil I can use for the dark spot on my face or the pain in my foot?.  LOL now a days I do not tell anyone what I do in social gatherings. And forget when I am on facebook, do people have radar? they know when I am on?  I open my ipad and all of a sudden I have 20 msgs and half of them are for advice?  Now I do not mind giving free advice occasionally but as long as it is general and educational but if you have a problem set up an appointment with me via the telephone or skype or see me in person and we can go over everything about you,  the meds you are on or not, the allergies you have to certain plants, which plants smell nice or not to you, and a few other things I need to know about the whole you.  Please do not get insulted when I tell you I will not give you free advice.  Dr Brown tells you to make an appointment at his office and he gets paid for that, well guess what? so do I.
We as Educated Trained Professional Aromatherapists, we work very hard at what we do and we are entitled to be paid for what we do.
​So to end I am asking everyone to take a step back and really read what I wrote and please do not be insulted it is not meant in anyway to insult, it is to educate, which is my main focus.

Whenever I go to websites that sell essential oils or even blogs where they talk about oils, I always see the title as Frankincense Oil.  Buy our Frankincense Oil or Lets talk about Frankincense.. The wise men gave Jesus Frankincense, we see this everywhere.   It is wonderful, delightful bla bla bla.   What the heck is it? Which frankincense did the baby get?  is it Carterii, Sacra, Serrata, Frereana, Neglecta,  WHAT!  Actually for baby Jesus it is believed he was given Sacra since it comes from Oman which is closer to where Mary gave birth.  But for the rest of these sites, it is not a guessing game and we cannot read your minds on  which Frankincense you are talking about.

There are 18 species of Frankincense Trees.  You cannot just say Frankincense.  You can say "Frankenstein", there was only one of him. You need to understand also each one has different therapeutic properties and also different chemical makeups.  You can go back to my Frankincense page and read each one, I have a bunch on there and you can download the Frankincense Resins PDF that has all 18 of them there.
​So please if you see it written anywhere as just Frankincense- tell the person or persons WHICH ONE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

     I have been selected to as one of the best 100 blog sites on  the Alternative Health Blog Website.  I am number 75.   You can see it Here

Five years ago I became an aromatherapist. I was always interested in alternative medicine and how it could help when conventional medicine failed or was too invasive or debilitating. I felt the earth had more to give us than the use of manufactured synthetic products. I made sure my family ate well and emphasized natural foods so they would grow up healthy and wise. I tried to follow my convictions but unfortunately I became sick with a blood disease and found I had to take prescription drugs as there was no other way to help me. Although I had no choice but to take the drugs, I did have a choice on how I was going to approach the pain I was having. I researched many methods before I came across the properties and potential of essential oils. I found by using the oils it greatly helped me with pain and with the stress I experienced. I learned how to use them correctly and safely and wanted to share that with friends and family. I decided I needed more and went to a renowned school in the field and became certified. Now mind you, I was 60 years old when I decided to go back to school. Never did I dream I could study again, let alone delve into the sciences; chemistry and physics but I got through it. I have taken many courses since getting my certification and I am now enrolled in several advanced training courses.

I worked with many people but I felt there was missing something. I saw an ad on line from the Stein Hospice Group in NJ looking for a trained Aromatherapist. I applied for and was awarded the position. I had to go through additional training as I was working with the terminally ill. This organization is extremely caring and decided to try Aromatherapy with their clients to help them and their families get through this difficult time of their lives. I am so glad they chose me to help them and I enjoy working with their team. They all have hearts of gold and really care about their clients.

People that need hospice are going down the last trail of life. Many have fears and anxiety of what is going to happen next. Many have Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia and cannot take care of themselves anymore. It is not just for those who are passing on. Aromatherapy is an excellent alternative as long as it is done safely. I learned that many of these organizations do not know how to use Essential Oils correctly. While their intent is to help patients, improper use can actually make it worse. This lack of adequate training has manifested itself in the use of the oils neat (undiluted) on people whose skin is very thin and cannot handle the intensity. Others are using Oils in diffusers but with the wrong dilution (too many drops). I have the ability and have chosen to help this hospice organization use the Oils correctly so as to provide the most effective care to these very special patients

Some patients with Alzheimer’s disease talk to themselves about their past experiences or find themselves living in the past and it can be quite frightening.

Prior to seeing residents, the Hospice sends me an intake form that gives me medical info, allergies they may have, likes and dislikes. This helps me evaluate what is needed and also helps me to decide what oils can be used safely. It is not easy trying to figure out what is needed for each individual. I first have to check to make sure that the selected oils will not negatively interact with or counter the effects of the medicines they are taking. I have to query the family members to determine if there is a smell they like or dislike. I have to be sure they are not allergic to any specific plant.

 I am hoping through the seminars I give and my work at these nursing homes, more will open up to the potential of essential oils, hydrosols and how Aromatherapy can help them or those they love or care for.

It touches my heart that aromatherapy can work for both the elderly and those who are waiting to move on. I will continue to help those in need, despite the difficult paths I must follow.

If you want to take a look at the paper I wrote that explains more please go to

https://aromaticstudies.com/aromatherapy-experience-hospice-patients/