About the Course

Learning H.E.A.R.T.S. is a wonderful opportunity for aromatherapists and other healthcare professionals to learn how to work with clients who are in pain, as you will learn a multi-sensory approach to treating pain. In addition to pain management, you will also learn in this 2-day course how to use this extremely useful therapeutic relaxation approach to unwind, calm, and refocus someone dragged down by emotional pain, anxiety, or distress. This course is designed for professionals, healthcare students, and anyone interested in learning to apply the HEARTS Process technique for pain management and relaxation.

 

What is the HEARTS Process?

H.E.A.R.T.S. is an acronym that stands for Hands-on, Empathy, Aroma, Relax, Texture, and Sound, and it is therapeutically offered as the H.E.A.R.T.S. Process, drawing on a range of natural skills and different sensorial experiences to be used in all kinds of clinical settings, private practices, and home care as well.

 

H.E.A.R.T.S. was created and developed by Ann Carter and was primarily designed for use where conventional massage techniques were inappropriate or difficult to perform. Within the aroma component of the process, two additional interventions using essential oils on aroma sticks and patches were researched and developed by Jonathan Benavides for use during a H.E.A.R.T.S. session to help patients shift their attention from pain to comfort.

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Specific to Jonathan's course are “Train to the Light” (aroma and sound) and “Remembering and Honouring You” (aroma and texture). These are two methods that are used for pain management in all kinds of settings within cancer and palliative care, developed by Jonathan.

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Attendees will receive a manual and complete training on the technique, as well as a CE certificate from Essentia Nobilis and the International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy. For those who wish to gain an international certificate, further case studies can be completed and evaluated by Ann Carter (Creator of the H.E.A.R.T.S. Process and Peter Makereth within two months of completing the course.

 

Course content:

Theoretical approach

  · Pain concepts, management, and relief

  · Identify scores in pain scales      

  · Empathy vs. sympathy

  · Essential Oils and different sensorial experiences

  · How to choose essential oils

  · Benavides’s interventions, theory, and case studies

  · Designing a personalized aromatic intervention

  · Case studies

 

Methods of use:                                

  · Touch techniques  

  · Aromatherapy components            

  · Working with aroma and sound      

  · Working with aroma and texture

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Methods of use:  

  · Different ages and applications at home and private practice

  · Hospital and hospices applications

  · Safety, precautions, and contraindications

 

13 CPDs

 

Fee:      $450*  

*Non-refundable once the materials have been dispatched and the video links have been sent.

Please register for this course and complete it online, then take the quizzes to earn your CEs and certificate. Once you have registered, we will send you the login credentials for the videos. You will need to sign up for a free Vimeo account. Once you have viewed all the videos, please let us know, and we will send you the quiz for evaluation to complete your CE certificate. To earn an international certification that allows you to practice H.E.A.R.T.S., you will need to complete two or three case studies (500 words each) within 6 months of completing the training.   

         

 

 

Jonathan Benavides biography

Before becoming a clinical aromatherapist Jonathan studied psychology and specialized in autism and communication disorders. Jonathan has always been involved in training, research, and developing different therapeutic approaches for complementary and Integrative care.

 

He first came into contact with aromatherapy when working with sensorial therapies for autistic children in the Netherlands. He has participated in several seminars, conferences, and congresses in aromatherapy, complementary therapies, psychology, and music therapy.

 

Jonathan was also a Reiki Usui Shiki Ryoho Master, a H.E.A.R.T.S. (UK) Teacher (trained and certified by H.E.A.R.T.S. creator Ann Carter), an Aromatic Sentinel Creator, an Airmid Ambassador to the Netherlands, an Anointer, a Coach, a Counselor, a Trainer, and a Lecturer.

 

Since 2009, he has been working within the Palliative Home Care system in the Netherlands with the very sick and the dying. During this time, he has developed, used, trained, and lectured on different therapeutic interventions (conventional and non-conventional). 

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Sadly, we lost Jonathan in May of 2025. This H.E.A.R.T.S. Process Course is part of his legacy and continues to be offered with the permission of Jonathan's estate. The majority of the proceeds from this course are paid to Jonathan's company and held by his estate to support further research and support his passions for those with autism and aromapsychology.