Job title: Aromatherapist (ITEC) baby massage tutor (BSY)
Employer: Southend Adult Community College (also works freelance)
Location: Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Salary: Variable (around 15 an hour for part-time adult teaching)
Duties
At Southend Adult Community College I run a course that provides seven 90-minute sessions for parents/carers and their babies. For each course I make sure that students are given the opportunity to specify exactly what they would like to achieve. Each parent/carer is provided with their own personal learning outcomes, which are reviewed halfway through the course, covering areas such as learning how to relax with their new baby, soothing colic and helping with teething.
Each session starts with a full body massage for the babies followed by gentle stretching. Play techniques are used to help to develop different senses followed by demonstrations of relaxed holding and walking techniques to aid bonding.
The optimum number for each course is between four and seven babies with their adults. This allows students the required level of personal attention, along with the interaction with other parents.
As an aromatherapist I have a small but regular and loyal client base and I either work from home or make visits. An initial consultation to find out health history, emotional and physical state, and deciding on what pure essence oil blends to use is followed by one of a variety of massage treatments to meet each client's personal needs.
Likes
I enjoy promoting relaxation for people and helping them to build confidence with their newborn baby. Observing the development of the baby and the way their parent interacts with them over the course is very rewarding. Using aromatherapy contributes to well-being and boosts self-esteem and confidence. It is good to see people at the end of a massage feeling like they are walking on air.
Best achievement
This has been to develop a career and vocation which dovetails with having my own two very young children. I trained and built my knowledge not only for work but also to use at home on the family.
I also feel proud to have worked on several projects with Southend Primary Care Trust, massaging children and babies. Aromatherapy was used to help relax and boost self-esteem. Emotional and physical benefits could be clearly seen by the end of the eight-week course.
Career path
Nineteen years in an office for a large telecoms company came to an end when I had my first child in February 2000 and at around the same time I was offered a voluntary redundancy package. This gave me the opportunity to devote my time to my first child while trying to build a career in massage and aromatherapy. I had already gained qualifications in each from BSY Group (formerly the British School of Yoga) and ITEC (International Therapy Examination Council).
The timing was perfect and gradually I built up a very small aromatherapy client base, working from home. Then came my involvement in several projects working for the Primary Care Trust. As well as the parents and babies, other projects included using aromatherapy treatments on vulnerable young people and working with the Drug Misuse Action Team.
I managed to get funding to use aromatherapy on parents at mother and toddler groups, which proved very popular and helped parents to relax. I also provided massage for staff at the local NHS offices taking part in their World Health Day, and children at local youth groups.
Career progression
I would like to teach further subjects such as aromatherapy and Indian head massage some time in the future, but my main strategy is to invest my time in building the private baby massage classes and develop them to include more relaxation techniques and aromatherapy advice for the parents/carers and their families.
Working with children and babies in the NHS, as well as helping local schools teach peer massage as part of the Healthy Schools Campaign would also give me great satisfaction.
Advice
Caring about other people's emotional and physical health is rewarding, but you have to be realistic with your business plan and do your research carefully. It takes patience to build up a client base and professionalism is paramount as every client's details are confidential. Looking upon this as a vocation rather than a job can be very fulfilling.
Interests/hobbies
My two children under six take most of my spare time. However, I also find time to raise funds for the local National Childbirth Trust, and organise mother and toddler fun days.
Further information
* www.aroma therapyuk.net (Aromatherapy & Allied Practitioners Association)
* www.fht.org.uk (Federation of Holistic Therapists)
* www.bsygroup. co.uk (home study courses)
* www.itecworld. co.uk (International Therapy Examination Council)
* www.nct.org.uk (National Childbirth Trust)
