Aromatherapy 101

Complementary and Alternative MedicineHolistic Health and Well-BeingRelaxation Techniques
Written By Z. Hamilton Avery
“Healing begins with an aromatic bath and daily massage.”
— Hippocrates

Royalty free photo from pexels.com

  • Humans have sought out plants for their healing benefits for millennia. Although the term “aromatherapy” was coined by a French chemist (René-Maurice Gattefossé) in 1928, the practice of aromatherapy has been utilized throughout Egypt, India, and China for thousands of years.

  • Aromatherapy is a compound word that consists of “aroma,” which means fragrance, and “therapy,” which means treatment.

  • Aromatherapy is a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that involves the therapeutic or medicinal use of essential oils.

  • Although aromatherapy has become associated with candles, soaps, lotions, and other products that are often made with fragrant or synthetic oils, actual aromatherapists only employ pure-grade essential oils that are derived from aromatic plants. These oils are extracted from the flowers, buds, leaves, stems, twigs, bark, wood, seeds, fruits, and roots of the plants. Although there are a variety of methods for how these oils are extracted, the most common method involves steam distillation. This process consists of bringing the plant material to a simmer and allowing the steam to travel through a tube into cold water. This process creates two different products: one that is water-based (which is used to make floral waters such as rose water) and one that is oil-based (which is the essential oil).

  • It has been well-established that there is a relationship between odors and emotions. Some of the best essential oils for reducing emotional states such as stress and anxiety include lavender, rose, orange, bergamot, lemon, sandalwood, clary sage, Roman chamomile, and geranium.

  • Out of these oils, lavender is by far the most popular and the most heavily researched. In fact, the French chemist who coined the term “aromatherapy” became interested in studying essential oils after burning his hand in a laboratory explosion. He applied lavender to the burn and was surprised that his hand healed without any scarring or infection. Modern research continues to validate lavender’s ability to heal wounds.

References

Abuhamdah, S., & Chazot, P. L. (2008). Lemon balm and lavender herbal essential oils: Old and new ways to treat emotional disorders? Current Anaesthesia & Critical Care, 19(4), 221-226.

Ali, B., Al-Wabel, N. A., Shams, S., Ahamad, A., Khan, S. A., & Anwar, F. (2015). Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 5(8), 601-611.

Bakkali, F., Averbeck, S., Averbeck, D., & Idaomar, M. (2008). Biological effects of essential oils–A review. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(2), 446-475.

Dias, P., Pedro, L. G., Pereira, O. R., & Sousa, M. J. (2017). Aromatherapy in the control of stress and anxiety. Alternative and Integrative Medicine, 6, 1-5.

Dunning, T. (2013). Aromatherapy: overview, safety and quality issues. OA Alternative Medicine, 1(1), 6.

Farrar, A. J., & Farrar, F. C. (2020). Clinical aromatherapy. Nursing Clinics, 55(4), 489-504.

Hedaoo, S. A., & Chandurkar, P. A. (2019). A review on aromatherapy. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 8(7), 635-651.

Samuelson, R., Lobl, M., Higgins, S., Clarey, D., & Wysong, A. (2020). The effects of lavender essential oil on wound healing: A review of the current evidence. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 26(8), 680-690.

Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LMSW, MSW (U/S), LMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a queer and non-binary therapist, health educator, wellness coach, body and energy worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and abstract artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to having obtained over a dozen certifications in various modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Z holds an associate’s degree in pre-nursing studies, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work. When supporting clients and students, Z takes a humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Their practice is grounded in compassion, harm reduction, inclusivity, social justice, and evidence-based interventions. Ultimately, Z’s mission is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for adolescents (13+) and adults who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, pain, and chronic illness; he does this by offering sessions, classes, groups, workshops, retreats, and trainings.

Understanding that mental health is interconnected with many other facets of life, Z takes a holistic approach to therapy. Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, he strives to honor the uniqueness of each client by custom-tailoring his approach to best meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each individual. For this reason, Z believes that it is imperative to be cross-trained in many different treatment approaches. As a therapist, they utilize a variety of evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and written exposure therapy (WET). As a body and energy worker, Z is certified to practice massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and reiki. They are also certified in both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture. After completing more than 1,000 hours of accredited yoga teacher training (primarily in India), Z is certified to teach various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, and restorative. He also researches and writes about topics including stress, trauma, self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion, holistic health and well-being, CAM, HIV/AIDS, and issues related to the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) community.

https://www.therapywithz.com
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