Complementary therapist to aromatherapist
A complementary therapist already meets 45% of what the aromatherapist role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
65/ 100
1 How much of what an aromatherapist is expected to do is already part of a complementary therapist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the aromatherapist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An aromatherapist role treats 13 of its required skills as things a complementary therapist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- acupuncture methods
- apply aromatherapy
- apply massage therapy
- develop therapeutic relationships
- ensure safety of healthcare users
- follow-up on healthcare users' treatment
What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 28 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An aromatherapist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a complementary therapist background worth leading with.
- already held prepare oils handling and moving
- already held types of essential oils health and welfare
- already held prescribe topical therapy assisting and caring
- already held types of aromatherapy treatments health and welfare
- already held energy therapy health and welfare
- already held reflexology health and welfare
All 28 carried skills, including the 13 the aromatherapist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 35 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn advise on mental health required
- still to learn apply context specific clinical competences required
- still to learn identify customer's needs required
- still to learn provide health psychological advice required
- still to learn discuss the medical history of the healthcare user required
- still to learn listen actively required
- still to learn provide health education required
- optional, not held communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields optional
- optional, not held sell products optional
- optional, not held sell services optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- still to learn apply massage oil required
- still to learn comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice required
- still to learn develop personalised massage plan required
- still to learn empathise with the healthcare user required
- optional, not held follow clinical guidelines optional
- still to learn observe healthcare users required
- still to learn record healthcare users' progress related to treatment required
- optional, not held address side effects of menopause optional
- optional, not held keep up to date with spa products optional
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held oversee spa maintenance optional
- optional, not held undertake clinical audit optional
- optional, not held record healthcare users' billing information optional
- still to learn massage theory required
- optional, not held general medicine optional
- optional, not held pathology optional
- still to learn maintain work area cleanliness required
- optional, not held work with chemicals optional
- still to learn consultation required
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an aromatherapist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advise on mental health practise this
- 02 apply context specific clinical competences practise this
- 03 apply massage oil practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 28 skills that carry over
- already held acupuncture methods knowledge
- already held apply aromatherapy skill
- already held apply massage therapy skill
- already held develop therapeutic relationships skill
- already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
- already held follow-up on healthcare users' treatment skill
- already held phytotherapy knowledge
- already held prepare oils skill
- already held promote mental health skill
- already held relaxation techniques knowledge
- already held therapeutic massage knowledge
- already held types of aromatherapy treatments knowledge
- already held types of essential oils knowledge
- already held apply a holistic approach in care skill
- already held apply acupuncture skill
- already held carry out preventative internal medicine interventions skill
- already held complementary and alternative medicine knowledge
- already held energy therapy knowledge
- already held etiopathy knowledge
- already held fasciatherapy knowledge
- already held homeopathy knowledge
- already held homeopathy remedies knowledge
- already held human anatomy knowledge
- already held human physiology knowledge
- already held prescribe topical therapy skill
- already held reflexology knowledge
- already held shiatsu knowledge
- already held tai chi knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held clinical psychological treatment optional
- optional, not held types of spa optional
- optional, not held psychology optional
- optional, not held apply business acumen optional
- optional, not held manage supplies optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held address side effects of menopause optional
- optional, not held clinical psychological treatment optional
- optional, not held keep up to date with spa products optional
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held oversee spa maintenance optional
- optional, not held types of spa optional
- optional, not held undertake clinical audit optional
- optional, not held apply business acumen optional
- optional, not held communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields optional
- optional, not held follow clinical guidelines optional
- optional, not held general medicine optional
- optional, not held manage supplies optional
- optional, not held pathology optional
- optional, not held psychology optional
- optional, not held record healthcare users' billing information optional
- optional, not held sell products optional
- optional, not held sell services optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- optional, not held work with chemicals optional
45 held skills the aromatherapist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role accept own accountability skill
- not needed by the target role acupressure knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on healthy lifestyles skill
- not needed by the target role applied kinesiology knowledge
- not needed by the target role apply systemic therapy skill
- not needed by the target role attend to sophrology clients skill
- not needed by the target role auriculotherapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role ayurveda medicine knowledge
- not needed by the target role balneotherapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role behavioural therapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role breathing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role characteristics of plants knowledge
- not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
- not needed by the target role conduct a homeopathic consultation skill
- not needed by the target role conduct cupping therapy skill
- not needed by the target role conduct physical examinations skill
- not needed by the target role deliver sophrology exercises skill
- not needed by the target role dietetics knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical stimulation in acupuncture knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure safety of exercise environment skill
- not needed by the target role first aid knowledge
- not needed by the target role give massages skill
- not needed by the target role give shiatsu massages skill
- not needed by the target role identify energetic meridians skill
- not needed by the target role inform clients of healthy lifestyle benefits skill
- not needed by the target role iridology knowledge
- not needed by the target role kinesiology knowledge
- not needed by the target role kinetics knowledge
- not needed by the target role movement techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role multi-professional cooperation in health care knowledge
- not needed by the target role offer advice on diet-related concerns skill
- not needed by the target role osteopathy knowledge
- not needed by the target role pathologies treated by acupuncture knowledge
- not needed by the target role play therapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare sophrology session skill
- not needed by the target role prescribe exercises skill
- not needed by the target role promote healthy lifestyle skill
- not needed by the target role reiki knowledge
- not needed by the target role safely instruct about fitness skill
- not needed by the target role select acupuncture points skill
5 further entries not listed here
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn consultation required
- still to learn massage theory required
- optional, not held clinical psychological treatment optional
- optional, not held types of spa optional
- optional, not held general medicine optional
- optional, not held pathology optional
- optional, not held psychology optional
Common questions about this move
Can a complementary therapist become an aromatherapist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A complementary therapist already covers 45% of what an aromatherapist is expected to do: 28 skills carry over, 13 of which the aromatherapist role treats as required.
What skills does a complementary therapist need to become an aromatherapist?
16 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is advise on mental health.
How hard is the move from complementary therapist to aromatherapist?
Its learning distance is 65 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.