Traditional chinese medicine therapist to aromatherapist
A traditional chinese medicine therapist already meets 44% of what the aromatherapist role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.
66.3/ 100
1 How much of what an aromatherapist is expected to do is already part of a traditional chinese medicine 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 15 of its required skills as things a traditional chinese medicine therapist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- acupuncture methods
- apply context specific clinical competences
- apply massage therapy
- develop therapeutic relationships
- empathise with the healthcare user
- ensure safety of healthcare users
What stands in the way is 14 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 23 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 traditional chinese medicine therapist background worth leading with.
- already held complementary and alternative medicine health and welfare
- already held acupuncture methods health and welfare
- already held observe healthcare users information skills
- already held follow-up on healthcare users' treatment communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held carry out preventative internal medicine interventions communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held apply massage therapy assisting and caring
All 23 carried skills, including the 15 the aromatherapist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 40 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 types of aromatherapy treatments required
- still to learn types of essential oils required
- still to learn massage theory required
- still to learn therapeutic massage required
- optional, not held homeopathy remedies optional
- 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 homeopathy optional
- optional, not held reflexology optional
- still to learn apply aromatherapy required
- 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
- optional, not held apply a holistic approach in care optional
- optional, not held prescribe topical therapy optional
- optional, not held follow clinical guidelines optional
- still to learn advise on mental health required
- 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
- 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
- still to learn prepare oils 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 aromatherapy 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 23 skills that carry over
- already held acupuncture methods knowledge
- already held apply context specific clinical competences skill
- already held apply massage therapy 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 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 human anatomy knowledge
- already held human physiology knowledge
- already held pathology 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
26 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply a holistic approach in care optional
- optional, not held clinical psychological treatment optional
- optional, not held homeopathy remedies 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 homeopathy optional
- optional, not held manage supplies 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
15 held skills the aromatherapist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on healthy lifestyles skill
- not needed by the target role auriculotherapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role biomedicine knowledge
- not needed by the target role composition of diets knowledge
- not needed by the target role counsel healthcare users on medicines skill
- not needed by the target role develop long-term treatment course for disorders in the glandular system skill
- not needed by the target role educate on the prevention of illness skill
- not needed by the target role monitor patient's health condition skill
- not needed by the target role monitor patients' progress related to treatment skill
- not needed by the target role pathologies treated by acupuncture knowledge
- not needed by the target role pharmacology knowledge
- not needed by the target role refer healthcare users skill
- not needed by the target role select acupuncture points skill
- not needed by the target role sterilization techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role traditional Chinese medicine knowledge
16 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 types of aromatherapy treatments required
- 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 homeopathy remedies 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 homeopathy optional
- optional, not held psychology optional
- optional, not held reflexology optional
Other moves recorded from traditional chinese medicine therapist
- shiatsu practitioner 63% covered · moderate
- acupuncturist 56% covered · substantial
- sophrologist 50% covered · substantial
- herbal therapist 50% covered · substantial
Full index of moves from traditional chinese medicine therapist
Common questions about this move
Can a traditional chinese medicine therapist become an aromatherapist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A traditional chinese medicine therapist already covers 44% of what an aromatherapist is expected to do: 23 skills carry over, 15 of which the aromatherapist role treats as required.
What skills does a traditional chinese medicine therapist need to become an aromatherapist?
14 required skills are missing, plus 26 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by health and welfare. The single most important is advise on mental health.
How hard is the move from traditional chinese medicine therapist to aromatherapist?
Its learning distance is 66.3 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.