Let the studies begin

Let the studies begin

by | Dec 26, 2013 | Sylla's Confessions

After half a decade of playing around with oils on my own, I wanted to expand my offerings and share the knowledge I had collected. One big influence in this endeavor was Kurt Schnaubelt. Original Swiss Aromatics started up in 1983 and his Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy offered a home study course by 1985. Once I took this course in 1985 I felt I could add the missing parts of what I did as a practitioner, so I created my own course, less technical, more practical and down-to-earth, so I thought. My first classes were live but eventually I created the correspondence course and in 1989 the Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy was created as my educational arm, separate from the oils. A few years later, I closed my salon, Rumors, where I had begun offering aromatherapy treatments and classes and moved my office to my home so I could focus on devoting myself to the collection of knowledge and experience within this field that had become my passion.

 

I was a founding member of the American Aromatherapy Association that formed in 1988 and served two terms on the Board. Besides meeting Robert Tisserand at that meeting, I met Kurt, Victoria Edwards, Jeanne Rose, Marcel Lavabre and many other people like me, either with a business or a passion for aromatherapy! A small group, we went on to have another conference or two before disbanding. More about that later!AATA

 

 

From that time on I studied everywhere I could. Here is my aromatherapy educational highlights timeline: 1987-present

 

Aromatherapist Certification: Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, 1987.
Certificate: Tibb Herbal Health and Healing, Hakim Moinuddin Chisti, N.D., 1988.
Certificate: Robert Tisserand Seminar, FL, June, 1988.
Certificate: Medical Aromatherapy Seminar, Dr. Daniel Penoel, San Rafael, CA, 1988.
Certificate: AATA, Maggie Tisserand, Dr. Daniel Penoel, CA, 1989.
Certificate: Medical Aromatherapy, Dr. Daniel Penoel, CA, 1989.
Certificate: AATA, Robert Tisserand, Dr. Daniel Penoel, Dr. LePraz, CA 1990.
Therapist Certificate: Herbal Essence Therapist Training, Dr. Dietrich Gumbel, FL, 1990.
Diploma: International Training in New Crops: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Purdue University, IN, and University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, August 1993.
Certificate: Medical Aromatherapy Training, Martin Watt, Essex, UK, 1995
Diploma: International Training in Essential Oils: Advanced Studies, Part One and Two; Purdue University, IN, 1996-97.
Certificate: Aromatherapy Intensive, Dr. Malte Hozzell, Orto De Provenco, France, 1997.
Diploma: Flowering Plant Systematics Course, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, 1999.
Advanced Certificate: Aromatic Energetics and the Five Elements; Gabriel Mojay, FL, 2001
Certificate: Aromatic Kinesiology 1, Robbi Zeck, CA, 2004: FL, 2011, 2009. and Level 2, 2014.

 

And during that time I worked with many others including Martin Watt, Dr. Trevor Stokes, Dr. Robert Pappas, Tony Burfield who helped me learn more.  Over time all this resulted in my most major papers and presentations listed below. ( * papers can be found on the AIA site under Research.)

 

Major papers and presentations: 1996 – present:
“Percutaneous Confusion or the Evidence on Cutaneous Absorption of Essential Oils,” Sheppard-Hanger, S., The World of Aromatherapy, Frog; Berkley, CA; 1996
*”The Ravensara Dilemma- A comparison study of the taxonomy, chemical constituents, safety and an aromatherapy market survey of essential oils from the plants: Ravensara aromatica, Ravensara anisata, Cinnamomum camphora,” Sheppard-Hanger, S., NORA newsletter, 2 (2); Feb 1997. Purdue paper.
* “Aromatherapy treatment of behavior and emotional disorders,” Sheppard-Hanger, S., Stokes, T., Aromatic Thymes, Winter 1999 Volume 6.4.
“Aromatherapy Treatment of Psychological Disorders,”, Sheppard-Hanger, S., Stokes, T., presented Australian Aromatherapy Conference, Sydney, 1998, (pic below) and also at the Canadian International Conference on Aromatherapy(CICA), Canada, 1999.

 

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“Collaborative psychotherapy aromatherapy treatment of behavior and emotional disorders: Psychosensory Aromatherapy Research Project”, Sheppard-Hanger, S., Stokes, T., Research Project. University of South Florida, Summer 1997.
* “Super Clone “88 ” Melaleuca alternifolia – what is its value?”, Sheppard-Hanger, S.,Burfield, T., presented at First International Phyto-Aromatic Conference, France, March 2000.
* “Artemesia– a new high azulene oil from the Pacific northwest”- Sheppard-Hanger, S., Pappas, R., presented First International Phyto-Aromatic Conference, France, March 2000.
* “Use of Essential Oils and Natural Products to counter side-effects during Radiation Treatments for Cancer”, Sheppard-Hanger, S., Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy Conference, November, 2000.
“Aroma as a sensory reinforcement to motivate engagement by children with autism,” Poster presented at the 17th Annual Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New Orleans, Fisher, B.L.c Stokes, T., Mowery, D., Medina, C, McQwown, S. Sheppard-Hanger, S., Bryant, J.B., and dePerczel, M.Y., November, 2000.
* “The Essential Oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. From South Florida: A High Cryptone/Low Cineole Eucalyptus,” Sheppard-Hanger, S., and Pappas, R., J. Essent. Oil Res., February, 2000.
“Assessment of the effects of music and aroma on relaxation and animation,” Poster presented at the 27th Annual conference of the Association for Behavior Analysis, New Orleans, LA, Wright, M.F., Wallace, J. Healey, C., dePerczel, M.Y., Sheppard-Hanger, S. and Stokes, T., May, 2001.
“Evaluation of Aromatherapy and Core Curriculum Training,” Sheppard-Hanger, S. and Kirk-Smith, M., International Journal of Aromatherapy, Vol 10, 3/4, 2001.
“Effects of contingent touch and aroma on relaxation by children with developmental disabilities’. Wright, M.F., Sheppard-Hanger, S., & Stokes, T. University of South Florida, Tampa. (2006 in review for publication).
* “Aromatherapy Undiluted- Are We in Denial?,” Sheppard-Hanger, S., NAHA Conference, World of Aromatherapy, Boston September, 2006.
* “Scoliosis – Effective Alternative Methods of Treatment”, 2 Parts, Sheppard-Hanger, S., and McCann, D., website NAHA.org, April, 2009
“Aromatherapy in Afghanistan? UAE expands outreach to Troops in Afghanistan -Update on the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc.,” Sheppard-Hanger, S., New Zealand Registry of Holistic Aromatherapists Journal, Summer, 2010. (see United Aromatherapy Effort site)

Early teacher: Kurt Schnaubelt

Early teacher: Kurt Schnaubelt

by | Dec 22, 2013 | Memoirs Of a Vintage Aromatherapist

After half a decade of playing around with oils on my own, using the few available books I had at my disposal, such as Valnet and Tisserand, I wanted to expand and share the knowledge I had collected.  I saw the need to delve further, to really get serious about this new path I had wandered upon, so I began more serious study of aromatherapy!

 

One big influence in this endeavor was Kurt Schnaubelt. Kurt Schnaubelt had one of the first fine lines of “genuine and authentic” essential oils and aromatherapy products available here in the USA. Original Swiss Aromatics was started up in 1983 by Kurt in San Rafael, CA, and you can see an early article about him here. His educational arm Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy offered the home study course by 1985.

 

Over the years Kurt and Monica have brought some high level education in their regular conferences in San Francisco, and the events became a nice gathering place for enthusiasts and something to look forward to. I presented several times including my paper on the work with children and autism and my personal use of oils during breast cancer recovery. Eileen Christina and I shared about our work after September 11, 2001 in the the United Aromatherapy Effort Tribute video. This year is the 30th year celebration and the 8th PIA conference coming in 2014. Read more here.

 

Since 1983, Original Swiss Aromatics and the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy together have been the first to establish the concept of genuine and authentic essential oils in the US, create the Aromatherapy Course, the first comprehensive text on scientific aromatherapy to come out of the US, and the first and foremost course with a pharmacological basis that is internationally recognized.

 

They were the first to bring Robert Tisserand to this country for his first major US seminar in 1988,

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to present Dr. Daniel Penoël, aromatherapy researcher, author, and lecturer, to present, Pierre Franchomme, Master Aromatherapy Scientist to coordinate the original two American aromatherapy conventions in the US, and to speak out not only about the quality of essential oils but to start a rigorous program of purity analysis by GC/MS.

 

Once I took this course in 1985, I felt I could add the missing parts of what I did to a curriculum. I created my own course for practitioners; less technical and more down to earth! This course eventually became the Aromatherapy Practitioner Home study course and eventually in 1989, the Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy was created as my educational arm.  I felt like I could add an East Coast feminine aspect of practice (as a friend used to say) to the table.

 

I honor Kurt in so many ways than being my first teacher. He is a beautiful man with a charismatic German accent who changed the aromatic world in ways we cannot say.  Monica is a beautiful spirit sister. I have fond memories of them both through the years and I feel fortunate to have crossed paths!

see Kurt’s blog here.