Ep. 407 Evidence-Based Aromatherapy for Women’s Health, Pregnancy, Children, and Mental Health
What You Will Learn:
The importance of safety in critical time periods (1 min)
Pam’s bio and her background on how she set the foundation for integrating aromatherapy in hospital-based nursing and midwifery programs (1 min 30 sec)
What got Pam interested in women’s health, mental health, and aromatherapy (7 min)
How Pam got into aromatherapy by “chance” (9 min)
Pam’s initial journey into integrating the use of aromatherapy with patients in U.S. hospitals (17 min)
Pam’s experience in England on evidence-based clinical aromatherapy in nursing and midwifery: (19 min)
Pam became an intern and protégé to Dr. Denise Tiran, HonDUniv, FRCM, MSc, RM, studying clinical aromatherapy and how to bridge essential oils into conventional care.
Pam was exposed to the significant research by Ethel Burns that tested the safety of ten essential oils for anxiety, depression, nausea, pain, and contractions in pregnancy. (25 min)
Pam trained at a hospital that replicated Ethel Burns' study, she bought the program so she could teach it to nurses and midwives in the U.S.
Pam’s continual education course for professionals that provides the updated research on the six essential oils found to be safe in pregnancy (also available to naturopathic doctors) (31 min)
An overview of Pam’s books which review the safe use of essential oils in women’s health and mental health and a specialized pediatric section (32 min)
The important difference between learning about individual oils vs. blends (35 min)
The dilution ratio for using essential oils in pregnancy and with pediatrics (35.30 min)
The number one oil studied for anxiety in research (39 min)
Pam’s aromatherapy logo campaign for mental health awareness (39.30 min)
Why it’s important to use external applications of essential oils with those taking medications (40 min)
Pam’s favorite essential oils and self-care ritual (43.30 min)
Pam’s “Luxury Oils Blend” recipe for postpartum depression, anxiety, and mental health:
2-4% dilution of 20 drops lavender, 10 drops jasmine, and 4 drops of rose oil in a 4ml container mixed with an unscented lotion
Pam’s closing words on sharing humanity and connection (47.30 min)
Bio of Pam Conrad, PGd, BSN, RN, CCAP:
Pam Conrad PGd, BSN, RN, CCAP is a sought-after, internationally recognized pioneer in medical and clinical aromatherapy, postgraduate nurse, clinical aromatherapist, educator, lecturer, trainer, formulator, published researcher, author, professor, and specialist in Clinical Aromatherapy for Women’s Health and Mental Health. She has been a nurse for 35 years and a clinical aromatherapist for over 23 years.
As a Purdue nurse, Pam practiced in medical center hospitals as a Level 1 Trauma ER/OR, Cardiology, Psychiatric, and Women’s Health nurse. Her interest in incorporating more holistic approaches started early in her career. She attended Andrew Weil’s Center for Integrative Medicine and then completed her Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Care Professionals certification course in 2000. Pam later trained in advanced clinical aromatherapy and complementary therapy studies with nurses, doctors, and midwives in England and France. For two years, Pam interned at Queen Mary’s Women’s Hospital London, a renowned healthcare setting that helped to establish evidence-based guidelines for Prenatal-Postpartum Aromatherapy. She also became a protégé to Dr. Denise Tiran, HonDUniv, FRCM, MSc, RM an internationally acclaimed midwifery expert on complementary therapies and clinical aromatherapy for women’s health.
Pam has since served as a clinical aromatherapy educator and hospital consultant for multiple women's health, pediatric, and hospice programs. She has taught as an adjunct faculty of Aromatic Complementary Therapies at Indiana Purdue University and spent five years as an onsite CAM nurse aromatherapist consultant for a large hospital pharmacy. There she developed compounded therapeutic blends, sourced evidence based herbal supplements, and developed educational programs and materials for herbal indications, contraindications, and potential pharmaceutical/medical condition/herbal interactions.
Pam was able to synthesize all this experience and training from overseas to establish the foundational standards in America on how to safely integrate essential oils and clinical aromatherapy into conventional medical settings. In 2008 she developed the first ever evidence-based hospital Aromatic ChildbirthTM program in Indianapolis. This science-based nursing curriculum is now taught to nurses, nurse midwives, and doulas. It is still the only evidence-based Women's Health OB (obstetrics) Aromatherapy course in the US, approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association. In 2012, Pam conducted aromatherapy research for high-risk postpartum anxiety and depression. Obtaining impressive and statistically significant positive results, she was published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.
Pam is also the author of two guidebooks on aromatherapy. Her first book, Women's Health Aromatherapy- a clinically evidence-based guide for nurses, midwives, doulas, and therapists is available internationally and in Spanish (Aromaterapia Femenina). Her latest book, Aromatherapy and Women’s Mental Health (2023) expands her scientific-based solutions on how aromatherapy can assist in easing the mental health crisis we are in today. Beyond her own publications, her work has also appeared in various media sources including IJCA, Positive Health US/UK, AHNA Beginnings, Canadian Federation of Aromatherapy, and IFPA In Essence.
Pam has paved the way for medical professionals worldwide on how to safely integrate the best of integrative medicine in hospital settings and in clinical practice using evidence-based practices. Her work is the basis for aromatherapy integration in multiple hospital nursing and midwifery programs. Recently, Pam was honored for her contributions as a pioneer in aromatherapy during the Aromatic Hologram Summit. Pam currently lecturers internationally on clinically evidence-based Women’s Health, OB/Maternity aromatherapy to hundreds of nurses and midwives live and online. She has presented her nursing aromatherapy programs and research in Canada, Chile, the UK, Japan, Ireland, Mexico, and all throughout the US. Pam believes the superpower of all aromatherapists across the world is to help heal people’s mental health. Thanks to Pam’s drive for more awareness through her education and her ground-floor logo campaign, more people are aware of #aromasforhealing our emotions. You can find Pam on IG @aromasforhealing and her Facebook group “Aromatips for Nurses, Midwives, Doulas, and Therapists.”
Links to learn more about Pam Conrad, PGd, BSN, RN, CCAP and Her Offerings:
Website @aromasforhealing.com
Aromatherapy in Pregnancy: Evidence-Based Prenatal Aromatherapy CEU Course
Books by Pam Conrad, PGd, BSN, RN, CCAP:
Women's Health Aromatherapy: A Clinically Evidence-Based Guide for Nurses, Midwives, Doulas and Therapists
Free Gift from Pam: Aromatherapy for Mental Health Logos
Aromatherapy and Mental Health Logos (English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese) available at conradpam@gmail.com
Research Articles by Pam Conrad, PGd, BSN, RN, CCAP:
Conrad P, Adams C. The effects of clinical aromatherapy for anxiety and depression in the high risk postpartum woman - a pilot study. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2012 Aug;18(3):164-8. PMID: 22789792.
Conrad P. Aromatic childbirth: developing a clinical aromatherapy maternity program. Beginnings. 2010 Fall;30(4):12-4. PMID: 21162381.
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