Our Work

All our surplus funds are reinvested in raising awareness of aromatherapy as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and preventative healthcare medium. We are one of the few UK charities to have invested in research into aromatherapy and its alleviating effects. We are committed to allocating more funds to research over the next decade. Every project we fund directly addresses the needs and concerns of people who are looking for an alternative to over-the-counter drugs, or help with pain management or the alleviation of symptoms.

We fulfil our objects in a number of ways:

• Disseminating responsible and ethical educational material as widely as possible to the public through our journal, advisors, editorial contributions, speakers, regional group support, helpline by phone, email, social media, website, support groups and post.
• We work closely with charities for specific conditions, especially those where proven research shows that aromatherapy can have a positive effect and alleviate symptoms.
• We provide our volunteer therapists with equipment and resources which enable them to support carers and those in need. These volunteers work after diagnosis by GPs/ consultants in hospices, hospitals, during clinical interventions, or where no conventional treatment is offered.
• We improve standards in aromatherapy by collaborating with international government bodies and sharing our expertise. We aim to inspire change and elevate universal standards.
• We fund, support and encourage research.
• We sponsor and integrate with other charitable causes and projects to improve the provisions available for palliative care patients and disabled children.
• We provide and also support our volunteer therapists to be of assistance in a crisis and traumatic situations including displacement, terrorist attacks and natural disasters such as the Japanese Tsunami of 2011 hurricanes, 9/11 etc.
• We respond to the needs of the public by introducing specific courses, including the Aromacare course which specialises in using essential oils with children and the elderly with disabilities/restrictive conditions. The course includes a manual and easy to manage guide so that more and more carers can adopt these techniques to improve the quality of care they provide patients and themselves. 
• We fund our therapists to teach communities who would benefit from integrating aromatherapy into their environment, for example nurses, shelter leaders and care homes for those with dementia etc.

Elevating Public Perception of Treatments
The IFA improve and elevates public perception of aromatherapy by providing qualifications that exceed the national core curriculum, thereby providing the public access to knowledgeable clinical professionals who partake in evidence-based practice. We provide a rigorous two-year quality assurance training programmes enabling us to promote competent and confident aromatherapists for the safety of the public with an extended knowledge base. All our courses ensure a fair and accessible route to an IFA qualification and encompass equal opportunity and diversity for learners. This in turn has given rise to public confidence in the profession and dedicated practitioners who have helped countless clients over the decades as well as in their own communities and place of work. All of which cascades down to the public who then have a better understanding of how they can use essential oils at home from the aftercare advice they have received caring for themselves and loved ones.

Research
We are one of the few UK Charities to have invested in research into aromatherapy and its alleviating affects and funded a endometriosis and rheumatoid arthritis research trial. We are committed to allocating more funds to research over the next decade. 

For more information of how you can help click here.

Examples of charities and NHS hospices we have worked with in the past:

For more information of how we can give you a helping hand click here.