The Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy International Seminar

AISLING BASKILL (UK)

The use of Complementary Therapy in two Edinburgh hospitals to support staff and patients with challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic

Aisling has spent the last 18 years practising as a Complementary Therapist in Edinburgh. After personally benefitting from Complementary Therapy during a stressful period in her life, Aisling trained as a Massage Therapist in 2004 and then as a Reflexologist in 2010.

She began working in NHS hospitals in Edinburgh 12 years ago, firstly within the Palliative Care and Oncology services across the Western General and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Hospitals and then expanding to respiratory medicine and medicine of the elderly within the last couple of years.

Aisling will be sharing her own experience as a complementary therapist working within a respiratory ward at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to help meet challenges for post-covid-19 patients.

ANNE HALLY (UK)

The use of Complementary Therapy in two Edinburgh hospitals to support staff and patients with challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic

Anne has been a Complementary Therapist for 20 years. Initially, she trained as a Massage Therapist after seeing the amazing effects that came about when she gave her young autistic son a “gentle back rub” before bed.

Anne went on to complete her Complementary Therapies (Aromatherapy) BSc degree at Napier University Edinburgh in 2000 and was awarded the Class Medal.

After several years of combining work in the NHS, hospice and private practice, Anne now works exclusively at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

She leads a small team of dedicated therapists, offering comfort and support to patients to alleviate symptoms, promote relaxation and ease side effects of their disease and treatments. The team work closely with Palliative Care and Oncology, seeing both inpatients and outpatients. The Complementary Therapy team have become a valuable resource to both patients and staff.

Anne will be sharing how the Complementary Therapy team at Western General Hospital supported staff during the covid-19 pandemic.

CAMILLA WEIJBURG (UK)

Blending in: Establishing an aroma stick service for symptom-management in an NHS radiotherapy department

Camilla is Lead Complementary Therapy Specialist in Cancer and Service Co-ordinator at Dimbleby Cancer Care, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

She has been working as a Therapeutic Bodyworker in clinical settings for over 20 years, using clinical aromatherapy, neuromuscular therapy, reflexology, reiki, auricular acupuncture, relaxation techniques and stress management strategies to assess and provide therapeutic care to individuals and groups.

After graduating from the University of Westminster, Camilla continued taking on roles within their School of Integrated Health and the associated Polyclinic, alongside starting up her own private practice, delivering training, and running workshops. She has supervised and mentored many students and colleagues over the course of her therapeutic career, and is fervent about quality improvement and service development.

The first time Camilla was able to realise her dream of working in end of life and cancer care was by taking on the role as Lead Complementary Therapist at St Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney. As Lead, she was in charge of developing policy and clinical guidance, run induction training and supervision for therapists, and designing holistic projects in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders – frequently reaching for aromatherapy to help patients and carers to better manage symptoms and support wellbeing at end of life.

In 2015, Camilla joined the Dimbleby Cancer Care team at Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust as Lead Complementary Therapy Specialist and Service Co-ordinator. There she works clinically, runs training for nurses and volunteers, as well as managing all aspects of service delivery and development over 5 diverse service areas, across 4 different sites. She is passionate about patient-centred care, and has developed and delivered projects in collaboration with King’s College Hospital, delivered talks for Guy’s Cancer Academy and presented service improvement outcomes at research conferences as part of her wider remit.

CAROL ROSE (NEW ZEALAND)

Integrating Clinical Aromatherapy in Palliative Care: Ways in which we can bridge the gap

Carol Rose is a Clinical Aromatherapist, Educator and the Lead therapist at her local hospice. As a Registered Nurse, she specialised in oncology and palliative care across several UK cancer centres, including the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she completed a BSc (HONS) in Palliative Nursing. It was here that Carol first discovered aromatherapy which has been an area of intense interest throughout her nursing career.

Since moving to New Zealand, Carol completed a Diploma in Aromatherapy and continued overseas advanced studies in Clinical Aromatherapy. Her love of nature, coupled with her vast nursing experience, enables her to connect deeply with patients and their families to offer aromatherapy approaches tailored to their individual needs. Addressing a person’s uniqueness is an area Carol is strongly passionate about. It underpins the educational programmes she teaches for healthcare and allied health professionals, as well as her presentations at national and international conferences on subjects related to aromatherapy in oncology and palliative care.

Carol has published a number of articles in the International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy (IJCA), Aromatika and Aromatherapy Today, is a member of the IJCA Editorial Advisory Board and Fellow of the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network (ICAN).

In 2023, Carol has several exciting new projects on the horizon, including the release of her first book, “Integrating Clinical Aromatherapy in Palliative Care”, to be published by Singing Dragon.

https://www.thearomary.co.nz

CELINE HILPIPRE (FRANCE)

Clinical aromatherapy for dermatophytosis (fungal skin infections)

Dr Celine Hilpipre, PharmD, is a French therapist, lecturer at the University of Strasbourg and consultant in clinical aromatherapy both for humans and animals. She graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne with specialisation in ecotoxicology, and post-graduate studies in clinical aromatherapy.

Celine is a member of the French National Expert Group for the implementation of clinical aromatherapy in healthcare institutions. As director of PharmD thesis, each year, Celine supervises students for the completion of their thesis on the use of essential oils. Celine regularly intervenes in hospitals to train health professionals and support teams to implement aromatherapy protocols. Her work covers different units such as oncology, palliative care, psychiatry and dialysis.

She also runs her own clinic where she provides phyto-aromatherapy advice for health and well-being. Recently, she developed a therapeutic approach to address issues of smell loss. Celine believes that aromatherapy is a beautiful tool offered by Nature to complement conventional medicine, and even sometimes, to treat health issues when conventional medicine is no longer an option.

https://www.riedarom.com

DAMIANA SCUTERI (ITALY)

Characteristics of bergamot essential oil for clinical translation in the management of pain and behavioural disorders

Damiana Scuteri MsPharm, PhD, is Contract Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Calabria and Researcher at the S. Anna Institute, Regional Center for Serious Brain Injuries.

Her interests encompass basic and translational research of neurotherapeutics for dementia and pain. Author of more than 60 research articles (scopus source) in indexed journals (h-index = 18), Professor Scuteri serves as section editor, guest editor or member of the editorial board for indexed journals and member of the Italian Societies of Pharmacology (SIF), Neuroscience (SINS), Neurological Rehabilitation (SIRN) and Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS).

Affiliation: Pharmacotechnology Documentation and Transfer Unit, Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition, University of Calabria, Rende (Cosenza), Italy and S. Anna Institute, Regional Center for Serious Brain Injuries, Crotone, Italy

Debra Reis (USA)

Implementing Aromatherapy in the Oncology Setting: The journey towards integration

Debra Reis is an author, speaker, and Clinical Nurse Specialist focusing on holistic health and supportive therapies, including aromatherapy, relaxation techniques, and gentle movement therapies.

She is the Coordinator of the Healing Care Program at the ProMedica Cancer Institute, sharing holistic therapies for those with a cancer diagnosis.

Deb became interested in integrative health in the mid-90s. She states "I knew deep in my soul that there had to be more than just putting the physical pieces of the human body back together and using pharmaceutical drugs to treat."

Deb became interested in supportive therapies by first being introduced to Healing Touch, which opened doors to becoming certified in holistic modalities such as Aromatherapy, Healing Touch, and several others.

She describes her teaching philosophy as combining science-backed research, ancient energetic wisdom, and practical first-hand experience.

Debra Reis is the founder of the Supportive Therapy Engagement Program (S.T.E.P.), which provides integrative therapy programs, mentoring, and consulting services to increase resiliency and team cohesiveness with nurses and other healthcare providers.

https://www.debrareis.com/

DIDIER PESONI (LA REUNION, FRANCE)

The toolkit of a French medical aromatherapist: aromatic medicine for respiratory pathologies

Didier Pesoni is a pharmacist and medical aromatherapy educator.

Fifteen years ago, after obtaining his doctorate in biological and pharmaceutical science at the University of Nancy (France), Didier Pesoni left to live on the Reunion island.

He first worked there as a pharmacist and then quickly discovered and became passionate about essential oils whose traditional use in the Reunion is well established.

For the past 8 years, Didier has acted a consultant for one of the leading aromatherapy laboratories in France. In 2006, he created his own training organisation, OT formations, one of the French leaders in the teaching of aromatherapy for health professionals.

Didier is the author of two books, the last of which, "Essential oils: Handbook" has enjoyed enormous success in France and is now translated into English.

https://www.otformations.com/en/

EILEEN HACKMAN (UK)

Integrating personalized complementary care in acute settings: examples, tools and techniques for clinical practice

Eileen Hackman is the Clinical Lead within the Complementary Health and Wellbeing (CH&WB) service at The Christie NHS foundation Trust in Manchester, England.

Eileen has over 20 years’ experience as a nurse, with 14 of those years within the Oncology field, in addition to many other specialists’ areas including: - Intensive Care, Acute Medicine, Burns and Plastic Surgery, Palliative Care, Research, Acute & Chronic Pain Management, and Complementary Therapy.

Eileen has 17 years’ worth of experience within Complementary therapy, being trained in Reiki, Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy, Massage and is completing her Level 3 Aromatherapy diploma.

Eileen has a passion and vision to use integrative holistic care to provide comfort, build resilience, and empower all service users, through innovation, collaboration, education, and research.

ELISABETH SACKL-PIETSCH (AUSTRIA)

Essential oils as part of an integrative approach between conventional medicine and complementary medicine in the clinical setting and medical practice - a goal-oriented approach?

Dr. Elisabeth Sackl-Pietsch MBA MPA is a general practitioner and specialist in anesthesiology and intensive care.

Since 1990, her field of activity has covered the clinical routine in the hospital, University Hospital Graz, LKH-Hochsteiermark Standort Bruck/Mur and, since 2018, also in private practice.

For several years, she has focussed on the care of chronic pain patients. In addition to conventional medicine, the complementary medical approach and the holistic view of patients is an essential concern to her.

The main pillars in her therapy planning include medications, Traditional Chinese Medicine and the use of essential oils. This field of application covers all age groups, from pregnancy to geriatrics, including psychological well-being, as well as the last stage of life and palliative medicine. In particular, cooperation with the nursing sector has provided a great input for delivery of effective care.

https://ordination-esp.at

EMMA TYRER (UK)

Blending in: Establishing an aroma stick service for symptom-management in an NHS radiotherapy department

Emma Tyrer is Senior Complementary Therapy Specialist in Cancer & Deputy Lead at Dimbleby Cancer Care, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Emma has worked as a complementary therapist in clinical settings such as hospice care, GP surgeries and NHS hospitals for around 20 years. For the past 12 years Emma has specialised in cancer care and worked at Dimbleby Cancer Care, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, where she utilises clinical aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, relaxation techniques and stress management strategies to help patients better manage the stresses, symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatment. Alongside clinical practice, Emma supports service development and evaluation, and is lead therapist for the satellite Guy’s Cancer Centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Kent where she supports, mentors and teaches volunteer therapists undertaking the services’ Honorary Complementary Therapist Programme.

Emma and the Dimbleby Cancer Care Complementary Therapy Team were awarded the 2022 René-Maurice Gattefossé International Award for Clinical Aromatherapy from the Gattefossé Foundation.

Emma has spoken at international conferences, and during her time at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Emma has been recognised as an End of Life Care Champion integrated into the hospital palliative care team; worked as an Inclusion Agent to promote equality and diversity issues for both patients and staff; and supported NHS staff as Staff Support Well-being Advisor during the Covid-19 pandemic.

FIONA MURPHY (UK)

Skin toxicities incurred by cancer treatments: the role of an oncology skin care specialist

Fiona Murphy has been a skincare specialist for 18 years, and an oncology skincare specialist for the past 8 years. She is also a complementary therapist, soul midwife and therapeutic yoga teacher.

After her own cancer diagnosis aged 25, everything in her life completely changed including her life purpose. She noticed over a period of time that many people in a similar situation as her own developed skin issues from their cancer treatments. She also discovered that little information existed on how to cope with and treat these side effects.

She then went on to train in oncology skincare therapies and created her own company Sparkle through Chemo - the first skincare clinic in the UK that was completely dedicated to people journeying with cancer. Her experience has permitted her to gather data using tools such as MYCaW to demonstrate the benefits of oncology skincare from both a physical and emotional perspective.

She also worked in the Royal Free Hospital, London as a complementary therapist alongside oncology skincare therapies.

Fiona works with a number of different cancer charities, hosting skincare and well-being workshops alongside writing articles for magazines and skincare companies.

She is an associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine and attends regular seminars and events. She had the opportunity to speak in the UK parliament on the importance of oncology skincare at the APPG meeting for ovarian cancer and, in 2021, became the first oncology skincare specialist employed in a UK hospital setting.

Fiona’s aim is for everyone who is diagnosed with cancer be able to access an oncology skincare specialist.

https://www.sparklethroughchemo.co.uk

GIACINTO BAGETTA (ITALY)

Neuropharmacological profile of the essential oil of bergamot

Giacinto Bagetta MD and Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology, is Chairman of Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology Department of Pharmacy, Health Science and Nutrition at the University of Calabria, Rende (Cosenza), Italy.

His interests encompass basic, translational and clinical aspects of neurotherapeutics. Author of more than 270 articles (scopus source) in indexed journals (h-index = 48), Professor Bagetta has also co-edited nine books published by Elsevier, CRC and Portland Press including “Aromatherapy: Basic mechanisms and evidence based clinical use” (CRC Press, 2015).

Before being associated to the Current Opinion in Pharmacology and Frontiers in Pharmacology, Professor Bagetta also served as member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Neurochemistry, Neuroscience Methods and Journal of Chemotherapy, among others, and as selected member of national and international research funding committees.

INGRID KARNER (AUSTRIA)

Essential oils and the tension between Therapy and Wellness: An Austrian perspective

Ingrid Karner studied Health Sciences and Education and is a lecturer in medical aromatherapy and aroma care.

Since 2000, she has been offering consultations for private individuals and companies as a VAGA-certified aroma practitioner. Ingrid has been passing on her knowledge in the form of seminars and training courses since 2005 and founded the Aromainfo.at Academy in 2007, where aroma courses are offered for doctors, pharmacists, nurses, therapists, masseurs and interested lay people.

Ingrid is co-author of the book "Die Kraft der wertvollsten Pflanzenöle" (a German-language book about fatty plant oils and plant fats), inventor of aromuli® (which are globules flavored with natural essential oils, handcrafted in Graz, Austria) and, together with her husband, is editor of the Aromainfo Database (an online research tool for aroma professionals that filters by indications, effects, precautions, and lists hundreds of studies, dissertations, and master's theses, as well as practical experience with essential oils). Ingrid is also the founder and chairman of the board of VAGA - Vereinigung für Aromapflege und gewerbliche Aromapraktiker (the largest Austrian professional association for aroma professionals) and represents the interests of aroma professionals in several functions in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Among other things, she advocates for bureaucratic simplifications in cosmetics production and labeling.

https://aromainfo.at

Dr Jane Buckle (UK)

Dr Jane Buckle will be opening the fourth edition of the Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy International Seminar.

Dr Jane Buckle trained as a nurse in London in the 1960s and specialised in Intensive Care. After taking various aromatherapy courses, she introduced clinical aromatherapy into mainstream medicine. She has a BPhil in Complementary Therapies (University of Exeter UK), an MA in Clinical Aromatherapy (Middlesex University UK), a PhD in Healthcare Management (Columbus University USA) and was an NIH-funded Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (University of Pennsylvania USA). She has written 3 books on the role of clinical aromatherapy in healthcare and is widely published. She received the AIA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and the James Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award the same year. Her research into the effects of essential oils in Intensive Care was the first to be published in a nursing journal (1993). She was a peer reviewer for leading journals for over 20 years. She has spoken at conferences worldwide, and her courses have been taken by over two thousand nurses and other health professionals.

She was an invited speaker at the World Economic Forum in 1999, and a speaker at the 2010 Gattefossé Foundation meeting.She created the ‘M’ Technique, a registered method of gentle, structured touch. It has been used in 60 hospitals in the USA, 40 hospices in the UK, in Japan and Australia as well as in Special Needs and Dementia. She is now retired.

JONATHAN BENAVIDES (THE NETHERLANDS)

Aromatic support for improving body image post-mastectomy

Jonathan Benavides has been a psychologist specialized in communication problems since 1986 and has always been interested in research and integrating different disciplines. In 2002, he began studying advanced Clinical Aromatherapy in the UK and since then he has continued to extend his knowledge.

Besides working with autism, ADHD, trauma, depression and pain management, Jonathan has been working within the palliative homecare system in The Netherlands since 2009, incorporating his skills for providing comfort.

Over the years he has developed, used, trained, and lectured in diverse therapeutic interventions (conventional and non-conventional). Jonathan is also a Reiki Master, a HEARTS Process (UK) teacher, pain specialist, anointer, coach, counselor, and international teacher and lecturer.

He is also the Airmid Institute Ambassador to The Netherlands. Director Essentia Nobilis (NL).

Over the last 15 years in his clinical practice, Jonathan has also worked with many women (32-59 y/o, 6-15 months after mastectomy and/or breast reconstruction surgery) with symptoms of diminished self-esteem, fear, depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Since 2011, he has researched quality of life and breast cancer and developed a self-care therapeutic integrative intervention. This intervention teaches cancer survivors to apply safely aromatherapy, imagery, and gentle self-touch to regain confidence, enrich their quality of life and enhance their body image.

https://www.essentianobilis.com

Julia Falkenstein (Germany)

The use of aromatherapy for chronic intestinal problems in a naturopathic setting

Julia is a clinical aromatherapist, naturopath, and health consultant in Berlin. She began her journey as an aromatherapist in the 2000s in France and Belgium and has since studied and practiced aromatherapy for over 15 years, graduating in clinical aromatherapy in her home country Germany with IFPA accredited Primavera Academy. She has completed numerous courses and has studied with leading aromatherapists. In addition to aromatherapy she studied holistic medicine, becoming a certified naturopath in 2020. She holds certifications in various essential oil related disciplines and is an active member of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), Forum Essenzia and Aroma-Forum-International in Germany. Originally trained in communications and working in international teams, Julia focused on work related health after graduating, implementing aromatherapy into motivational and destress trainings for teams and employees before opening her naturopathic practice.

In 2022, Julia joined a naturopathic clinic in Berlin as the leading naturopath for aromatherapy. She focuses on the holistic, yet aromatherapeutic treatment of environmental and stress-related chronic diseases, the immune system and gut health.

Julia organizes the regional aromatherapy working group of the Aroma-Forum-International specialist association in Berlin since 2018 and organizes lectures and events related to all things aromatic. She has been Executive Administrator of ICAN International Clinical Aromatherapy Network since 2023.

Julia is currently is focusing on sustainable work with regional and local materials and suppliers and the dissemination of information on the topics of resource conservation, mindfulness and sustainability. In addition to clinical work, Julia gives workshops and training courses for teams and employees.

KATHERINE GENTIL (USA)

Clinical Aromatherapy as Adjunct Support for Trisomy 21

Kathy MS, MEd, CCA, BS first served in the US Air Force in a variety of missions, culminating as an operations research force structure analyst. She eventually retired to be a stay-at-home mom to care for her medically complex child. Her son has Trisomy 21, autism, and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), among other medical challenges.

She began her journey using aromatherapy in 2014 while seeking adjunct support for her son’s PAH. After seeing rapid and positive results, she was excited to start learning the science of essential oils and saw the potential for helping her son across the spectrum of his conditions, especially the impacts of Trisomy 21.

After some time in self-study, she made the commitment to go further with formal education and completed the 20-month graduate level certificate of aromatherapy from American College of Healthcare Sciences. She also received clinical level training through Rhiannon Lewis’ Advanced Clinical Aromatherapy Level 1 course in France.

Kathy continues to learn through in-person and online courses, and has incorporated herbal studies along the way, expanding the plant extract options she can incorporate for care.

Parallel to her aromatherapy journey, in 2015 Kathy was introduced to the Trisomy 21 Research group which focused on looking at the biochemistry of Trisomy 21, and how the over expressed genes on the extra 21st chromosome impact health. Research was geared toward identifying nutraceutical approaches to help reduce the impact long term. She took this focus and researches what aromatherapy and herbal options could be used to address physiological needs. Kathy hosts a social media group in providing aromatherapy and herbal support to families of children with Trisomy 21. She also helps family, friends, and referrals to her as needed with aromatherapy care.

Lorraine Spiteri (Malta)

Balancing pockets and hearts: A Maltese example of combining business with service to the community

Lorraine has been a qualified aromatherapist for six years. She is also a clinical reflexologist and specializes in pain management, usually combining both therapies in her approach. Since the conception of AromaHub two years ago, she has been working alongside her aromatherapy tutor and mentor Marika Fleri. Lorraine believes that combining aromatherapy and reflexology have a profound effect on the receiver.

Lorraine is the Maltese co-ordinator for the International Council of Reflexologists.

She now runs AromaHub together with Marika Fleri where they strive to make a change in the quality of people’s lives. In the knowledge that sickness and pain impose a financial burden on patients, AromaHub constantly seeks to find ways to continue providing access to complementary care irrespective of financial constraints.

https://aromahub.mt/

Lorena R. Lizarraga-Valderrama (England)

Anxiolytic and antidepressant-like-effects of essential oils: preclinical findings

Dr. Lorena Lizarraga, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, is a Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham within the School of Psychology. She has spent 9 years in preclinical research in the field of neuroscience.

Her interests include preclinical and translational research methods in neuroscience to study cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, normal aging, and depression.

She became interested in essential oils whilst looking for new botanicals to reformulate all product ranges for Made for Life Organics. She was fascinated for the effects of essential oils in the nervous system and used the scientific evidence to enhance the wellbeing properties of the organic cosmetic products.

In 2020 she published her review paper “Effects of essential oils on central nervous system: Focus on mental health in Phytotherapy Research.

She is now studying the effects of psychedelic drugs in behaviour using in vivo pharmacological models. She is validating an associative learning test to identify better treatments for cognitive impairments in anxiety disorders and depression.

MADELEINE KERKHOF (THE NETHERLANDS)

From Bright Flower to Healing Power, Calendula CO2 extract in the spotlight

Madeleine is founder, CEO and Senior Educator of Kicozo, Global Knowledge Institute for Integrative & Complementary (Nursing) Care based in The Netherlands.

She is a highly respected expert and world-renowned educator in Clinical Aromatherapy (AromaCare), AquaCare and other complementary therapies, specialised in the care for the frailest patients and elderly, in oncology, in palliative and end of life care. Madeleine is a member and advisor to the Dutch Nurses Society and Palliactief (NL), of the American Holistic Nurse Association, AIA (education committee), NAHA (approved educator), IAAMA, IFPA, EONS, EAPC. She is also a Fellow of the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network.

Madeleine is also the author of Dutch National Guidelines on Aromacare and Aquacare in Palliative and Cancer care (2022).

Madeleine is author of many articles and books including:

“Complementary Nursing in End of Life Care” (2015) and “CO2 Extracts in Aromatherapy, 50+ Extracts for Clinical Applications” (2018). Her new English language book “Clinical AromaCare – Aromatherapy for Clinic and Practice” is expected in the spring of 2023. Madeleine teaches at Kicozo’s campus where she heads a team of tutors. Kicozo is accredited by the Dutch Board of Nursing Quality.

She is a guest teacher for leading schools for Aromatherapy and Integrative Medicine and Nursing in different countries. She travels widely and offers online programs, offering safe and science based continuing education, to train nurses and health care professionals in clinical aromatherapy (AromaCare), and other clinical complementary (nursing) techniques.

https://www.kicozo.info

Marika Fleri (Malta)

Balancing pockets and hearts: A Maltese example of combining business with service to the community

Marika Fleri has been practicing aromatherapy for the past 20 years in Malta. She is specialized in complementary therapy use in oncology, palliative care and with people with life limiting illnesses. For seven years, Marika coordinated The National Cancer Platform which brings together all Maltese non-government organizations working in the field of cancer and she manned a ‘one-stop shop’ concept office at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Center. She was also the clinical aromatherapist in residence at the hospital working with other health care professionals to offer an integrative and holistic approach to treatment. Marika now runs AromaHub Malta together with Lorraine Spiteri. AromaHub’s goal and mission is to be there for clients “Come rain or shine, in health and in sickness, come what may …. every step of the way.”

Marika is a VTCT Tutor, Assessor and Internal Quality Assurer.
She is also Maltese Ambassador for the Airmid Institute.
https://aromahub.mt/

PAM CONRAD (USA)

Evidence based Aromatherapy for Postnatal Depression: the Aromatherapist’s toolkit of care for new mothers

Pam Conrad PGd, BSN, RN, CCAP specialties are Women’s Health and Mental Health Clinical Aromatherapy. As a Purdue nurse, she practiced in medical center hospitals as a Level 1 Trauma ER/OR, Cardiology, Psychiatric and Women’s Health nurse and completed her Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Care Professionals certification course in 2000.

Pam lived and studied advanced clinical aromatherapy and graduate complementary therapy studies with nurses, doctors and midwives in England and France, interning at Queen Mary’s Women’s Hospital London and practicing Prenatal-Postpartum Aromatherapy with Denise Tiran RCM.

Pam went on to complete a PGd in Complementary Therapy Studies in 2004 at University Westminster Graduate School of Integrated Health London.

In 2007, she developed an evidence-based curriculum in Women’s Health aromatherapy, which is the foundation for multiple hospital nursing and midwifery educational programs. To date, it remains the only clinically evidence-based Women’s Health/Obstetrics Aromatherapy course in the USA, Canada, Mexico and South America. Pam continues to teach internationally both in person and online. In the USA, Pam has served as clinical aromatherapy educator and hospital consultant for multiple women’s health, oncology, pediatric and hospice programs.

In 2012, she conducted aromatherapy research with statistically significant positive results on clinical Aromatherapy for High-Risk Postpartum Anxiety and Depression, published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. In 2015 and 2017, she developed curriculum in Spanish for midwives in Chile.

Author of “Women’s Health Aromatherapy - an evidence-based guide for nurses, midwives, doulas and therapists” (Singing Dragon, 2019), this text is also available in Spanish. Pam is currently writing another text: “Women’s Mental Health Aromatherapy” due for publication summer 2023.

http://www.aromasforhealing.com

Sanien de Beer (South Africa)

Carrier oils as amplifiers of essential oils to influence therapeutic outcomes in a clinical setting

Sanien works in Private Practice as a Phytotherapy Practitioner and Therapeutic Aromatherapist. She says “Since childhood I have been fascinated by plants. My first introduction to essential oiIs in 1995 directed my life on a trajectory that I am still in awe of!”.

She has been involved with Holistic Health for the past 25 years and is a qualified Phytotherapy Practitioner, has a Diploma in Nutritional Medicine and is one of the few registered practitioners and trainers of Bach Flower Remedies in South Africa. Through years of practice, she gained extensive experience and knowledge of manual therapies including Clinical Aromatherapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage (Vodder Method) and Therapeutic Reflexology. She is registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa and is a part time Lecturer in the Department of Complementary Medicine at the University of Johannesburg.

Sanien believes that people should be empowered to take responsibility for their own health. Her approach is to look at each person individually and with sensitivity to their specific needs, thus offering patients an integrative approach to health and wellness. Just as a plant has many aspects to it, so does a human and it is a privilege to use plants in different and holistic ways. Through scientific research she supports her knowledge and interest in traditional and sustainable plant uses and is passionate about the healing power of medicinal plants.

www.saniendebeer.co.za

Urszula Winkiewicz (USA)

Inhaled clinical aromatherapy for nausea management in the gastrointestinal inpatient pediatric setting: A Quality Improvement Project

Urszula Winkiewicz is an Integrative Care Registered Nurse at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Her nursing career has centered on trauma-informed care of women and children, including over 16 years of experience in the neonatal intensive care unit, as well as advocacy work serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree specializing in Integrative Health and Healing. In 2022, as part of this doctoral degree, she completed a clinical aromatherapy quality improvement project. The project involved 4 essential oils for nausea management on a pediatric gastrointestinal unit. She presented her findings at the American Holistic Nurses Association conference and the International Integrative Nursing Symposium in 2022.

As a holistic nurse, Urszula believes in the human potential for self-healing, and the attainment of personal wholeness by addressing the totality of each person as a unified system of mind, body and spirit.

WENDY MADDOCKS (NEW ZEALAND)

Emerging chemotypes of mānuka oil and their therapeutic potential in clinical practice

Wendy has studied and used aromatherapy since first being introduced to it in 1990 whilst completing an Intensive care nursing course in London.

From there, Wendy went on to incorporate aromatherapy into her patient care and future research and study.

Wendy set up and ran a suite of professional aromatherapy and massage programmes until 2008 in New Zealand.

Wendy holds New Zealand’s first doctoral degree where the effects of aromatherapy were researched in a clinical hospital setting. As well as previously running a clinic, a natural products business and being involved in the education of nurses and other health professionals, Wendy has completed other study in natural health care and project management.

Wendy currently works as an academic at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch New Zealand, working with postgraduate health students. She recently undertook research into Kanuka essential oil, managing a series of projects exploring its antifungal benefits. Wendy is currently working with potential PhD students who are hoping to research the effects of aromatherapy in patient care. An extensive scoping review of the use of aromatherapy in clinical nursing practice was published in 2022.

Separate to this, Wendy runs a consultancy business and develops natural products and aromatics for commercial customers.

www.doctorwendy.net