About us
The founding members of The Aromatherapy Council of Ireland are:
The above groups are working closely, through facilitated work days with the Department of Health & Children to achieve the following aims.
- To achieve self regulation and professional status for Aromatherapy in Ireland.
- To develop a register of qualified Aromatherapists practising in Ireland.
- To promote this register through G.P.s and private healthcare providers e.g.Hibernian Aviva, VHI, VIVAS and members of the public.
- To promote the benefits of Aromatherapy to the general public.
- To establish and monitor best practise of Aromatherapy in order to safeguard the general public and the therapist.
- To include all Aromatherapists practising in Ireland
- To eventually include all professional bodies and training organisations representing Aromatherapists in Ireland.
- To establish links with similar professional bodies throughout the world.
There are 4 proposed categories on the register:
- 1. Aesthetic Aromatherapy (beauty and pre-blended use only)
- 2. Professional Aromatherapy (blending their own oils holistically)
- 3. Clinical Aromatherapy (Aromathology)
- 4. Aromatic Aromatherapy
Why do we need the Aromatherapy Council of Ireland?
The Aromatherapy Council of Ireland was formed as a direct result of talks, with the Department of Health, regarding the self-regulation of complementary therapies in Ireland.
The Department has categorised all complementary therapies into 2 headings based on their potential risk to the general public.
Category one contains Acupuncturists, Herbalists and Aromatic Medicine (includes Aromatherapy)
Category two contains all other therapies
Aromatherapy bodies wanted to be in category one as we wanted the use (and the power) of our essential oils acknowledged.
To enter meaningful talks with the Department it was required that the Aromatherapy profession speaks with one voice. So the ACI was formed.
The ACI is NOT a Professional Body but a Council of Professional bodies.
Your Professional Body, maintains best practice, sets and monitors educational standards, organises quality CPD programs, negotiates excellent rates in insurance, among lots of other functions.
The ACI is currently made up of 3 Professional bodies CThA, IFPA and IMTA. Our role is:
- To achieve self regulation and professional status for Aromatherapy in Ireland.
- To develop a register of qualified Aromatherapists practising in Ireland.
- To promote this register through G.P.s and private healthcare providers e.g. Hibernian Aviva, VHI, VIVAS and members of the public.
- To promote the benefits of Aromatherapy to the general public.
- To establish and monitor best practise of Aromatherapy in order to safeguard the general public and the therapist.
- To include all Aromatherapists practising in Ireland
- To eventually include all professional bodies and training organisations representing Aromatherapists in Ireland.
- To establish links with similar professional bodies throughout the world.
Because Aromatherapy is also used in the beauty industry and because Aromatherapists are registered with a large range of other complementary therapies organisations e.g. Massage, Kinesiology and Reiki, we NEED to create a register of Professional Aromatherapists who practice it as a therapy. We do not need another Professional Body but we need to be seen as a serious and bona fide wing of Aromatic Medicine. When this register is completed we will begin promoting Aromatherapy as a stand alone therapy with the Department of Health, Private Healthcare bodies and the general public.
There is currently a lot of new research being undertaken worldwide on the power of essential oils.
Follow this link regarding work being done in Ireland. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2009/1215/1224260710594.ht
We NEED to be working to ensure the value of our therapy is not lost.
