LARAINE POUNDS

DAY 2

17/2/24

Laraine has enjoyed a life-long personal endeavor, exploring the essence of healing and wellness through the body/mind/spirit continuum, which led her to complete a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing at the University of Virginia in 1964, nearly sixty years ago.

Laraine earned a Master’s degree in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing and Nursing Education from Catholic University in1969, and learned much through certification programs in Hatha Yoga in 1971 and Therapeutic Massage in 1972.

Seeking to cognize subtle energy medicine and it’s applications to high level wellness, and appreciating the benefits of alternative and complementary health modalities for personal wellness and professional applications, Laraine completed Certifications in Therapeutic Imagery in 1984 and Educational Kinesiology (1988), which she integrated into her nursing work, when possible.

Laraine began using essential oils with massage therapy in 1972, at that time ordering essential oils through Kiel’s Pharmacy, NYC. Laraine’s formal introduction to Holistic Aromatherapy studies came towards the end of her nursing career when Ann Berrwick became a local course tutor for Patricia Davis’s London School of Aromatherapy. Along with Ms. Berwick, graduates of this Holistic Aromatherapy program founded the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, (NAHA) in 1990.

Laraine continued postgraduate aromatherapy studies with Shirley Price, Daniele Pénoël, Robert Tisserand and other notables in the field, and developed a six-day Holistic Aromatherapy Certification training in 1995, taught locally in Boulder, CO, which later developed into the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy and the Integrative Aromatherapy© Certificate Program in 1998, joined by Valerie Cooksley, and nationally endorsed by AHNA and NCBTMB for educational contact hours. Laraine has many fond, nostalgic memories personally mentoring her students for twenty-five years.

A high point in Laraine’s memory was participating in the formation of the Aromatherapy Registration Council (ARC) in 1999, and co-founding the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA) in 2006. Laraine actively served on a variety of committees with these organizations through many years, and presented on aromatherapy specialty topics for Holistic Nursing and Aromatherapy conferences, including the development of AIA’s expanded educational guidelines for the Advanced Practitioner Level for U. S. aromatherapy trainings. Through her earlier involvement with the Nurse Massage Therapy Association, now inactive, she authored the Aromatherapy Standards of Practice which was endorsed by AIA in 2008. Laraine was honored with a commemorative award for “Outstanding Achievements” during the 2009 AIA International Conference.

Ms. Pounds developed and ran two clinical aromatherapy programs in Boulder, CO; one was with the Hospice of Boulder County, which continued for 5 years, and a hospital based, Aromatherapy Self Care “Activity Group”, for psychiatric patients at Boulder Community Hospital, later profiled in a Holistic Nursing journal. Laraine contributed aromatherapy related chapters for three wellness resource books and published numerous articles on a variety of aromatherapy specialty topics, including carrier oils, aromatherapy uses for Alzheimer’s care, and end-of-life/palliative care, available through the International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy (IJPHA) and Laraine’s website. She can be reached at larainekp@gmail.com.

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