Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Sophrologist to aromatherapist

A sophrologist already meets 49% of what the aromatherapist role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From sophrologist
49 % overlap
Partial match
To aromatherapist
26 You already bring
12 Still to learn
63 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

61/ 100

1 How much of what an aromatherapist is expected to do is already part of a sophrologist’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

Why this move works

An aromatherapist role treats 17 of its required skills as things a sophrologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • acupuncture methods
  • advise on mental health
  • apply aromatherapy
  • apply context specific clinical competences
  • develop therapeutic relationships
  • empathise with the healthcare user

What stands in the way is 12 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 26 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 sophrologist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held types of aromatherapy treatments health and welfare
  • already held homeopathy remedies health and welfare
  • already held apply aromatherapy assisting and caring
  • already held complementary and alternative medicine health and welfare
  • already held acupuncture methods health and welfare
  • already held observe healthcare users information skills

All 26 carried skills, including the 17 the aromatherapist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 37 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 assisting and caring 4 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn apply massage oil required
  • still to learn comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice required
  • still to learn apply massage therapy required
  • still to learn develop personalised massage plan required
  • optional, not held apply a holistic approach in care optional
  • optional, not held prescribe topical therapy optional
  • optional, not held follow clinical guidelines optional
02 health and welfare 3 required, 7 supplementary
  • still to learn types of essential oils required
  • still to learn massage theory required
  • still to learn therapeutic massage required
  • optional, not held shiatsu optional
  • optional, not held tai chi optional
  • optional, not held energy therapy optional
  • optional, not held etiopathy optional
  • optional, not held fasciatherapy optional
  • optional, not held pathology optional
  • optional, not held reflexology optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 4 supplementary
  • still to learn provide health psychological advice required
  • still to learn discuss the medical history of the healthcare user 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
04 information skills 1 required, 5 supplementary
  • still to learn record healthcare users' progress related to treatment required
  • 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
05 handling and moving 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn prepare oils required
  • optional, not held work with chemicals optional
06 business, administration and law 1 required
  • still to learn consultation required

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

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.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 26 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held acupuncture methods knowledge
  • already held advise on mental health skill
  • already held apply aromatherapy skill
  • already held apply context specific clinical competences skill
  • already held develop therapeutic relationships skill
  • already held empathise with the healthcare user skill
  • already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
  • already held follow-up on healthcare users' treatment skill
  • already held identify customer's needs skill
  • already held listen actively skill
  • already held maintain work area cleanliness skill
  • already held observe healthcare users skill
  • already held phytotherapy knowledge
  • already held promote mental health skill
  • already held provide health education skill
  • already held relaxation techniques knowledge
  • already held types of aromatherapy treatments knowledge
  • already held address side effects of menopause skill
  • already held apply acupuncture skill
  • already held carry out preventative internal medicine interventions skill
  • already held complementary and alternative medicine knowledge
  • already held general medicine knowledge
  • already held homeopathy knowledge
  • already held homeopathy remedies knowledge
  • already held human anatomy knowledge
  • already held human physiology knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 social sciences, journalism and information 3 supplementary
  • optional, not held clinical psychological treatment optional
  • optional, not held types of spa optional
  • optional, not held psychology optional
08 management skills 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held apply business acumen optional
  • optional, not held manage supplies optional
25 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held apply a holistic approach in care 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 prescribe topical therapy optional
  • optional, not held shiatsu optional
  • optional, not held tai chi 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 energy therapy optional
  • optional, not held etiopathy optional
  • optional, not held fasciatherapy optional
  • optional, not held follow clinical guidelines 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 reflexology 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
24 held skills the aromatherapist role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role advise on childbirth skill
  • not needed by the target role assess physical conditions of clients skill
  • not needed by the target role attend to sophrology clients skill
  • not needed by the target role behavioural disorders 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 correct potentially harmful movements skill
  • not needed by the target role deliver sophrology exercises skill
  • not needed by the target role demonstrate professional attitude to clients skill
  • not needed by the target role direct movement experiences skill
  • 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 inform clients of healthy lifestyle benefits skill
  • not needed by the target role movement techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role neurophysiology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role prepare exercise session skill
  • 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 balance between rest and activity skill
  • not needed by the target role promote healthy lifestyle skill
  • not needed by the target role provide fitness information skill
  • not needed by the target role safely instruct about fitness skill
  • not needed by the target role sophrology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role supervision of persons knowledge
14 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn types of essential oils required
  • still to learn consultation required
  • still to learn massage theory required
  • still to learn therapeutic massage required
  • optional, not held clinical psychological treatment optional
  • optional, not held shiatsu optional
  • optional, not held tai chi optional
  • optional, not held types of spa optional
  • optional, not held energy therapy optional
  • optional, not held etiopathy optional
  • optional, not held fasciatherapy optional
  • optional, not held pathology optional
  • optional, not held psychology optional
  • optional, not held reflexology optional
Index

Other moves recorded from sophrologist

Full index of moves from sophrologist

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a sophrologist become an aromatherapist?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A sophrologist already covers 49% of what an aromatherapist is expected to do: 26 skills carry over, 17 of which the aromatherapist role treats as required.

What skills does a sophrologist need to become an aromatherapist?

12 required skills are missing, plus 25 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by assisting and caring. The single most important is apply massage oil.

How hard is the move from sophrologist to aromatherapist?

Its learning distance is 61 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.