Back to Basics - Qualifications

I come from a family of gardeners and I have to say that I wasn't really interested in gardening until after I had a serious accident in my early twenties. My step mother has a wonderful herb garden in the UK, which I first saw when I was 17, maybe I was inspired by that.

I have been making, using, and selling herbal and aromatherapy crafts now for over 12 years.
While living in the Waikato many years ago I grew herbs commercially and sold them at craft fairs and from my little shop from home, and in more recent years to customers in the Wairarapa.

1991 - 1994: The first course I ever did to do with these subjects was a term night course at one of the colleges in Hamilton. Lindz Roberts who used to run the Herbal Dispensary in Hamilton took this. The course covered the use of herbs for various preparations, and making them, and the use of some essential oils.
It was really after doing this course that I got inspired to make my own products and one of the first things I learnt to make was a calendula ointment. This just happened to be what I was using on a dog with eczema we had at the time so I started making my own!

I attended a term night course at the university in Hamilton. Isla Burgess, who was the director of the Waikato Herbal Studies Centre near Cambridge, ran this course. It covered the use of medicinal herbs for women, and making herbal preparations.

I did a weekend course on herbs, and creams and things with Corrine Beazer from Blue Star Distributors.
I was then lucky enough to attend a weekend course with Susun Weed from America. This course covered all sorts of wonderful things to so with herbs and weeds in the garden, identifying various plants, and making herbal preparations. Susun is an amazing teacher with loads of enthusiasm.

I was then asked to talk at a women's’ group morning tea, and this lead to being a speaker at a permaculture course at one of the colleges!

I was an absolute nervous wreck when I did the talks and the one at the college went so well that I spoke over my time. People were so interested in what they could do with their herbs in the garden. I'm glad I had the opportunity to do this or else it never would have got me going on my journey to holding workshops and teaching people how to make their own products.

I decided to do a massage course at The New Zealand College of Massage. In 7 full on weekends I covered basic, intermediate and advanced massage, basic and intermediate sports massage, and basic and intermediate aromatherapy. I ended up with the NZCM Certificate of Massage.

I have always loved massage and I'm so glad I finally got round to attending a course. The NZCM is a great college with some fantastic teachers and I really enjoyed the course.

1995 - 1998: I went overseas and while living in London I did another massage course. I completed a British School of Yoga correspondence course and obtained a Diploma in Nutrition, and also a Diploma in Massage. I went to France and went saw fields of lavender growing, and also many different varieties of wild herbs that grow up in the mountains near the south of France. I went to The Fragonard Perfumery in Grasse and saw how they make perfumes, and extract the oils out of various flowers, and also learnt about some of the history of perfume making.

I worked in a couple of health food shops while in London and I almost stayed in Scotland to open a workshop studio and herb and natural products shop - but this was obviously not meant to be…

1998: After 3 years away I came back to New Zealand and attended The Women, Herbs and Health Conference, which was held in the Waikato. This was a weekend, which had many well-known speakers from overseas. I then went to The Holistic Animal Health Conference weekend which also had some wonderful speakers, and while on these conferences I was lucky enough to meet, talk to and listen to the grandmother of all herbal medicine Juliette de Bairacli Levy. An amazing woman.

2001: I completed a couple more correspondence courses; this included a Diploma in Medicinal Herbs from the Health and Harmony College in Australia, Statement of Attainment in Aromatherapy for Pets, and Aromatherapy for Business from The Aromatherapy College of Australia.

2002 - 2004: I have carried on and attended several equine therapy courses including Equine Massage, Aromatherapy, and Acupressure. I am also doing a flower essences course at the moment.
I have also held many Herbal and Aromatherapy Craft Workshops around the Wairarapa area, and also at Spotlight in Palmerston North.
Over the years I have also studied many books on herbs and aromatherapy, and I am constantly experimenting with different products, ingredients and preparations. I have a great collection of books that I have collected over the years, from round the world.
I am also writing a book with some of the recipes that I teach on my workshops, which I hope to have finished by the end of the year - fingers crossed!

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

I have over 10 years experience in massage.
I used to massage friends long before I did any courses and have always had a ‘feel’ for massage. I have massaged clients, friends and family here and overseas and I have been interested in natural therapies now for over 15 years.
I have a New Zealand College of Massage Certificate of Massage (1994). This course covered basic, intermediate and advanced massage techniques; basic and intermediate sports massage and basic and intermediate aromatherapy.
I have a British School of Yoga diploma in Massage (1996) and I also attended a massage course with the North London School of Massage while living in the UK.
I have a certificate in Aromatherapy for Business from the Aromatherapy College of Australia (2001). I also have certificates in Nutrition (1995) and medicinal Herbs (2001) and more recently did an energy healing workshop.

The last few years I have been busy doing courses in Equine Therapies and these have included Massage with Equinology in the USA, Aromatherapy with Catherine Bird from Australia, and Acupressure with Nancy Zidonis and Amy Snow from the USA.