Thirty years ago, while living in London, England, I (Jade Shutes) was blessed to have my first experience with aromatherapy. Suffering with debilitating back pain, a friend referred me to her friend Sophie, who offered aromatherapy. The British approach to aromatherapy was and is through the application of the essential oils via massage. My first aromatherapy session was life-transforming! At some point during the massage I fell fast asleep, and upon waking the very first thought I had was "THIS is what I want to do for the rest of my life!". I wanted to give others this transformative experience.Within the year I was enrolled at the Raworth College of Natural Health in Dorking, England. I was trained in anatomy and physiology, basic chemistry (hardly a focus in those days!), applied kinesiology, reflexology, iridology, and of course, essential oils and massage. Shortly after graduating, I returned to Boston, MA, my home town, to set up a practice for aromatherapy.

This was 1991. What I found was that no one knew what aromatherapy was so it was a bit challenging to build a practice without first educating people on what aromatherapy was and what it could potentially do for them.And now thirty years later, that is what I have lived to do: educate, practice, research, and write. I believe in the power of education and have seen how it empowers our students and graduates with the knowledge, they need to thrive in the 21 st century wellness movement.