For those who wish to go beyond the personal enjoyment level of aromatherapy and progress to a professional level, an aromatherapy course might be a good starting place. In some countries of the world, an aromatherapist is a licensed profession and the practitioners must meet certain standards or education and experience in order to carry the title or practice their profession.
In the United States though, there is no overall licensing organization that oversees aromatherapy or its practitioners. If a person is interested in becoming an aromatherapist and has no other medical or professional training, they might want to follow a plan of acquiring formal training either through an online or local college or trade or vocational school. Many schools now offer a basic aromatherapy course due to the increased interest in the subject.
Certainly an aromatherapy course online will provide the basis for further study as time and resources allow. You may also search for local aromatherapists who might be willing to take on a student or apprentice in their business. Other formal courses which might be of help in becoming a qualified aromatherapist include holistic medicine, alternative medicine and other health courses. Sometimes community colleges offer courses on herb gardens and healing with herbs which would have course content that would be applicable.
Other courses related to an aromatherapy course include techniques of massage. Some states, perhaps even most states in the United States have licensing requirements for massage practitioners. Techniques of Swedish massage, shiatsu and effleurage massage will provide more effective aromatherapy treatments. A course specific to foot reflexology can be transformed into a fair income as a second career.
How far you take the aromatherapy course information and subsequent massage training will be entirely up to you. Many people learn enough to identify the basic essential oils and use them in a limited way. Others use the aromatherapy course to go into business of making or selling aromatherapy items to the general public, whether through flea markets, online or a retail store. Still others use the techniques learned through the aromatherapy course, massage courses, holistic medicine and related fields of study plus the work experience to carve out a successful career as an aromatherapist.
The latter field would require that you have an understanding of how aromatherapy works, be empathetic toward others, enjoy the hands-on tasks of treatment and be flexible about work hours and conditions.