Welcome to the course! All practical information as well as schedule can be found here.

The place of aromas in different therapy frameworks Assessment and defining therapeutic goals Learning to create an empathetic, safe, accepting and non-judgmental environment Introduction to a client-centered, multi-sensory approach Sympathy vs. empathy Students will be able to: Describe and establish a client-centered approach List counseling micro-skills Explain the meaning of sympathy vs. empathy in the therapeutic process Use odor to open the communication doors between you and your client

Lesson content: Emotions, regulation and dysregulation Learn to use established working protocols to evoke specific positive emotions Learn an aromatic protocol that involves recognizing and understanding emotions, and choosing appropriate strategies Therapeutic interventions suitable for use with aromatics: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); Interpersonal Therapy IPT Students will be able to: Recognize and understand emotions Select essential oils and therapeutic interventions to regulate emotions effectively Use multi-sensory methods for emotional regulation Identify essential oils to work in four different therapeutic interventions

Lesson content: Learn multisensory strategies for developmental disorders Autistic individuals: several touching approaches; how to deal with aggression and meltdowns ADHD individuals: focusing aromatically; self-tools for home, school, university, and workplace Highly sensitive people: recognizing calmly triggering aromas; olfactory training to cope with diverse stimuli Gender differences, sleeping issues Students will be able to: Select essential oils to cope with daily autistic issues Employ a multisensory approach with ADHD individuals Use odor associations with highly sensitive people (HSP) Define precautions for aromatherapy in developmental disorders

Practical uses of aromas for the memory processes of encoding, consolidation and recall for stress reduction and enhanced quality of life Creating aromatic anchors related to positive emotions, situations, and spaces Multisensory strategies for mild cognitive impairment and dementia Touch techniques and cognition Practical uses of a memory box Students will be able to: Define and use aromas for memory processes, stress reduction and relaxation Create and aromatic autobiographical memory Employ an olfactory enrichment method to improve cognition Use visual, auditory and odor associations to help with memory challenges

Lesson content: Aromatic mood management protocols. Different types of depression such as major depressive disorder, seasonal disorder, post-natal depression, and male depression. Data, evaluation and rapport.   Students will be able to: Identify scents that resonate positively with your client Explore the interaction between essential oils and neurotransmitters Use aromatic protocols to mitigate symptoms and enhance quality of life

What to say when you don’t know what to say or how to say it. Learn to create an empathetic, safe, accepting, and non-judgmental environment. Practice the counseling micro skills that we learned Revisit the importance of assessment and defining therapeutic goals, revising them and following up. Safety protocols. Contraindications for serious mental diseases. Setting up expectations, scope of practice limits Students will be able to: Incorporate a multi-sensory approach to their practice Establish a client-centered protocol, reporting and followup Understand the possibilities, limits and safety precautions of using aromas in mental health