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Healing Scents: An Overview Of Clinical Aromatherapy For Emotional Distress, Andrea Butje, Elizabeth Repede, Mona Shattell

Mona Shattell

Individuals in emotional distress are often treated with psychotherapeutic agents, but other treatment options exist (Hogan & Shattell, 2007). One safe and effective adjunct for the prevention and treatment of emotional distress is aromatherapy (Field et al., 2005; Kuroda et al., 2005; Lemon, 2004), the therapeutic use of inhaled essential oils. Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing modalities in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States (U.S.) (d’Angelo, 2002), but research on aromatherapy is relatively scant and few nursing programs offer courses in aromatherapy. This article describes the physiological effects of scent, reviews the research on aromatherapy, …