Before they come to us, many of our clients think that having an aromatherapy massage is all about relaxing and soothing away physical aches and pains. However, they soon discover the technique can have just as profound an effect on their mind as on their body

Last year, Marie Robson from Kendal got in touch with us after her mum Jenny was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sadly, she passed away very shortly afterward which left Marie and her family devastated.

“I was extremely close to my mum as were my other siblings. I saw her at least twice a week and I spoke to her most days. We liked to walk together with the dogs, go to garden shows and garden centres. My mum loved her garden, and had an eclectic kind of taste and she had a few gnomes which always made us all laugh.

“The suddenness of it all was a total shock to me and all my family as my mum was such a fit and active lady,” said Marie.

Marie felt in need of some extra support so she reached out to us and was referred for some aromatherapy with our therapist Sandra Dacre.

“I was a little unsure about aromatherapy at first as I had never tried it before, but I decided to give it a go. I liked Sandra from the moment I met her. She made me feel welcome and one thing she always did, and still does, is ask me how I am feeling as this depends on what oils she uses.

“I just find that the time I spend with Sandra is really relaxing and we always seem to have something to talk about or share and she just makes me feel so much better. I often go into my session feeling a little anxious thinking of my mum, but I always come away feeling mentally relaxed and at peace with myself,” she added.

Marie also tried one-to-one counselling but found aromatherapy to be much more helpful.

“I tried it, but it was not for me, so I continued my sessions with Sandra which I was delighted about. Sandra is a very caring lady and a good listener and that, combined with aromatherapy and some relaxing music, just makes me feel so much better. It is hard to describe unless you actually experience it.

“Sandra has really helped me through the last 12 months seeing her fairly regularly and I do not know what I would have done without her calmness and wise words,” said Marie.

This month will be the anniversary of Marie’s mum’s death and CancerCare is continuing to support her and, though she still feels very raw, she is back enjoying her passion for running and working part-time at Pete Bland Sports in Kendal, which she describes as her “dream job”.

To find out more about the benefits of aromatherapy, click here