Mandeville School Integrate IFA Aromacare into their Specialist and Therapeutic Provision

Recently, four teachers from special education school Mandeville School in West London, qualified as IFA Aromacare practitioners. The IFA were delighted to assist with the introduction of this course into Mandeville School and partially funded the training. 

The Aromacare Certificate course is designed for children who are too sensitive to receive normal aromatherapy treatments and incorporates the safe use of essential oils and massage. This new skill allows Mandeville teachers to add another valuable non-verbal, sensory dimension to their pupils’ daily regime. Whether the child is verbal or non-verbal, Aromacare offers a new channel of communication, reducing stress levels and contributing to a soothing and nurturing environment, important for the healthy development of all children.

In a relatively short time, the team have incorporated Aromacare into their pupils’ daily routine and found the results to be both encouraging and exciting: 

“Just over a year ago, Justyna shared with me that Kyro (her pupil) loves to use his sense of smell. Justyna researched how this could be developed and found the International Federation of Aromatherapists. We now have four fully trained teachers at Mandeville and they are cascading their knowledge and the benefits of massage and smell to nearly 100 staff at school! 

Children are benefiting enormously from this therapeutic approach which compliments and supports other therapeutic approaches already offered at Mandeville.” commented Bryony O’Brien, Deputy Head.

The IFA Aromacare Certificate is designed to develop knowledge and understanding of the therapeutic application of essential oils combined with the healing power of touch/massage. Using a limited selection of essential oils based on their safety and efficacy, the course provides teachers/carers with the necessary skills to provide therapeutic sensory treatments within their existing care regimes. It is a practical, hands-on training, combining knowledge of essential oils and massage to communicate caring and understanding with the children, and as a means of stress relief, particularly for those who have prohibitive physical and mental conditions. It enables teachers/carers to add a new dimension to their clinical/educational care, providing them with a variety of skills to apply essential oils safely and effectively in a therapeutic context for those who, for whatever reasons, are unable to tolerate a standard massage or more invasive treatments.

Clinical aromatherapy has been practised for over 100 years in Europe, practiced widely by medical practitioners. In more recent times the therapeutic effect of clinical aromatherapy has been the subject of many successful clinical trials and medical research and the IFA is currently collaborating with the Northumbria University Department of Psychology on clinical trials measuring the effectiveness of essential oils in lowering cortisol (stress hormone).

The IFA would like to thank Colleen O'Flaherty-Hilder (MIFA 1245) for managing the project on behalf of the IFA and the generosity of her time and expertise.