Essence of Thyme Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
Animal Aromatherapy Certification Program with Amy DeLong
This 61-hour certification program offers an in-depth education into the animal physiology of canines, felines, avians, leporines, and reptiles related to aromatherapy, emphasizing the olfactory and integumentary systems.
Students will learn the body systems that make each species unique and how stress, pain, and electromagnetic fields affect animal behaviour. The practical use of aromatics with animals, including inhalation, topical application, and applied zoopharmacognosy in terms of self-selection, self-medication, and naturally adjusting their dose.
Specifically, the learner will be instructed on the most common physical ailments and behaviours in canines, felines, avians, rabbits, and reptiles, what causes them, what aromatics can help, and how to reduce pain without traditional medications. The safety of the animal and the carer is covered in detail.
The Animal Business lessons ensure the learner understands species-specific body language and develops observation skills. They will also learn how to conduct an animal session in a home, shelter, or remotely and gain insights into promoting and protecting an animal aromatherapy business.
Amy provides quarterly mentoring sessions and is happy to respond to any student's questions.
Amy DeLong, Certified Animal Aromatherapist, Animal Communicator, Intuitive Healer, and Tellington TTouch® practitioner, teaches the program. Amy has been working with animals through aromatherapy, energy healing, and communication for over 20 years and brings unique insights to supporting animals holistically. She has supported hundreds of pet parents, from partnering with holistic veterinarians to volunteering on Indian reservations and helping animals with limited resources. Amy actively contributes to the welfare of rescue dogs, playing a vital role in alleviating anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Tuition is in Canadian dollars.
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Easing the Emotions of Grief Through the Sense of Smell
This is a four-week cohort course taught three times per year. It is intended for those working in a palliative care environment, supporting loved ones who are terminally ill, and for those experiencing grief in their own lives. Students will learn about the different types and stages of grief and how grief affects us physically and emotionally. They will also learn how the olfactory system can soften the emotions of grief and why/how Aromatherapy is an effective tool of support for grief and self-care. How grief transforms us and how we can companion those grieving.
Margo Fletcher, a Registered Aromatherapist and long-time hospice volunteer, has over 20 years of experience providing aromatherapy support through her private practice and hospice volunteering. Her deep understanding of grief and expertise in the sense of smell led her to create A Scented Space, a bereavement support program. Margo is committed to empowering individuals through grief by helping them harness the comfort and emotional support that scents from the natural world can provide.
Course dates are
April 28 to May 23
Module One begins Monday, April 28 - and the mentoring session on Friday, May 9
Module Two starts Monday, May 12 - the mentoring session Friday, May 23, and the third one Friday, May 30
September 1 to 26
Module One begins Monday, September 1 - Mentoring session Friday, October 12
Module Two starts Monday, September 15 - The mentoring session is Friday, October 26, and the third is Friday, October 3.
Course tuition is in Canadian dollars.
Foundation of Herbalism with Kat Maier
This 50-hour course provides an in-depth exploration of energetic herbalism, focusing on the sensory experience of herbs (taste, scent, sight, sound, and touch) and their applications. It introduces Western energetic, herbal traditions, particularly Eclectic and Physiomedicalism and the concept of tissue states, which help assess imbalances in the body.
The course includes
- Materia Medica: A curated list of 20 commonly used medicinal plants, each valued for its therapeutic properties:
- Forms of medicine, including preparation of tinctures, infused oils and salves, oxymels, syrups and vinegar preparation.
- Hands-on Learning Projects include a Student Herbarium and an Aromatic Culinary Herb Container Garden
- Students will receive 22 hours of video instruction, 22.5 hours of application, and 2.5 hours of live personal (group) mentoring. To earn the certificate, students must also complete a 3-hour assessment.
- The course instructor is Kat Maier, RH, (AHG), who has over 30 years of clinical practice in herbalism and is the founder and director of Sacred Plant Traditions
- The Foundation of Herbalism course is approved for 50 CE credits by the AIA, NAHA, IFPA and CAOA. Students have 18 months to complete the course. Tuition is in Canadian funds.
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Advanced Aromatherapy Science Diploma Program
Ecology and Pharmacology of Essential Oils: From the Plant to the Clinic
Marco Valussi and Benoit Roger wrote and taught The Advanced Aromatherapy Science Program (AASP), Ecology and Pharmacology of Essential Oils: From the Plant to the Clinic, on behalf of Essence of Thyme College of Holistic Studies.
Marco Valussi is a Clinical Phytotherapist with specific expertise in essential oils. He consults for the distilling industry and is an educator and writer in the fields of herbal medicine, aromatherapy, and medicinal plants.
Benoit Roger, PhD, is a distiller, researcher, and expert in phyto/analytical chemistry. He earned his master’s degree and PhD in France. His work focuses on the production/transformation, research, and analysis of essential oils and plant extracts.
The AASP program is a comprehensive evidence-based science for professional aromatherapists, essential oil company consultants, chemists and quality assurance specialists, academic researchers and professors, naturopaths, allopathic physicians, and nurses, researchers and educators in aromatherapy, pharmacology and toxicology professionals, and science writers or journalists to enhance credibility and expand knowledge in aromatherapy. Both instructors provide many hours of video instruction, and each lesson has an assessment.
Topics covered in AASP include ligand-receptor relationships, which explore how small molecules, such as chemical components found in essential oils, bind to receptors in the body and influence biological responses. Ethnobotanical research critically evaluates traditional medicinal plant uses and how to translate findings from animal model research into human applications while recognizing these data limitations. The comparison of theories: structure-activity relationship (SAR) and functional group theory (FGT). It also looks at volatile organic compounds released from plants, as opposed to essential oils, as the result of extraction methods, including distillation.
Additionally, students will be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of essential oil chemistry and extraction methods and will be presented with critical thinking points to assess the composition, authenticity, and quality of essential oils. They will explore the relationship between organic chemistry, phytochemistry, and the production of plant secondary metabolites and analyze the impact of various extraction techniques on essential oil yield, potency, and chemical profile.
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