Faculty Members

Gabriel Mojay first studied natural medicine in 1978, when he began to train in Shiatsu Therapy. In 1984 he commenced a 4-year course in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, and became on completion a member of the British Acupuncture Council. Gabriel first trained in Aromatherapy and Medical Herbalism with Carlo De Paoli at the Institute of Traditional Herbal Medicine. He has also completed courses in Scientific Aromatherapy with L'Institut Des Sciences Biomedicales and the Natural Oils Research Association.

In 1990 Gabriel founded the Register of Qualified Aromatherapists (RQA), and was the first Chairperson of the British Aromatherapy Organisations Council (AOC). He has been instrumental in the formation of the world's largest professional association, the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), and has served as IFPA's Vice-Chairman and Conference Chair. He was Founding Co-Editor of its professional journal, In Essence.

Gabriel is co-author of Shiatsu ~ the complete guide (published by Thorsons, 1991), and of Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit (Gaia, 1996). The latter book outlines a systematic way of applying the psychological benefits of essential oils according to the body-mind relationships of traditional Oriental medicine.

Gabriel is a very experienced Aromatherapy teacher and conveys his passion for this healing art and science to all who study with him.

Rhiannon Harris is a highly experienced clinical Aromatherapist and respected professional educator. She completed nursing training at the London Middlesex Hospital in 1985 and later became a Senior Staff Nurse on the Intensive Care Unit at Epsom District Hospital. In 1989 she qualified in Aromatherapy and Therapeutic Massage at the Raworth Centre in England, and undertook advanced studies in essential oils at Purdue University in the USA. She has also completed courses in Reflexology and Cranial Therapy, and holds a qualification in horticultural science with the Royal Horticultural Society.

In 1997 Rhiannon studied and worked with the physicians and scientists of the Collège d’Aromathérapie pour Professions Médicales (CAPM) in France. Here she began to incorporate into her work the therapeutically intensive, French medical use of essential oils, integrating it with the ‘whole person’ approach that characterizes Aromatherapy practice in the English-speaking countries.

Rhiannon’s experience as a clinical Aromatherapist includes running three busy practices in the UK, working closely with doctors in each locality. She has taught both holistic and clinical aspects of Aromatherapy in the UK, Singapore, Japan, Canada and the USA. In 1998 she first presented a highly successful certificate course in Advanced Clinical Aromatherapy, hosted by the ITHMA in London.

Rhiannon is the author of Becoming an Aromatherapist ~ The complete guide to training and working in aromatherapy (How to Books, 1998), and editor of The International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy.

Emma completed her Aromatherapy training at ITHMA in 2000. She went on to work at a busy multi-disciplinary therapy centre in Barnes, where she specialised in treating pregnant women. For several years her complementary therapy work was based partly in the corporate sector, where she provided work-place massage to large companies.

Since qualifying, Emma has developed her complementary therapy practise further through training in a variety of techniques including Pulsing, No-Hands Massage, Indian Head and pregnancy massage, and Reiki. She currently runs a successful aromatherapy and complementary therapy practise in Twickenham. Emma also teaches aromatherapy at the Raworth College in Dorking.

Sorrell Robbins has been a natural health practitioner since 1996. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Herbal Medicine from Middlesex University and a Diploma in Clinical Aromatherapy & Therapeutic Massage through ITHMA. She has undertaken a number of advanced training programmes in Herbal Medicine and Therapeutic Massage, as well as qualification courses in Advanced Hypnotherapy and Hypnohealing, Reiki and Shamanic Healing.

Sorrell teaches Aromatherapy and Body Energetics at Thames Valley University and Kingston College as part of their Foundation Degree Programmes in complementary therapies, and designs and delivers courses for the Low Impact Living Initiative and Learn Direct. She maintains busy professional practices in London and Hertfordshire, in which she utilises all her chosen disciplines.

Bob Harris is a medical microbiologist and author of the acclaimed publication, The Essential Oil Research Database. The Database is a unique collection of information concerning the broad spectrum of essential oil bioactivity. Started in 1993, it has become the leading database of scientific research concerning the properties of essential oils. The Database gives the reader immediate access to the bibliographic references and abstracts of 1000 published research papers sourced from over 200 professional journals worldwide. It is an invaluable aid for anyone seriously interested in the potential uses, as well as the potential hazards, of essential oils and their components.

Jan McColm started her career as a teacher in 1977, later gaining a Masters Degree in Education. In 1983 she completed a Diploma Course in Counselling, going on to specialise in working with adolescents and families. She has also worked as a Staff Development and Training Advisor for a local education authority.

Jan has trained in Aromatherapy through both the Tisserand Institute and ITHMA, and has previously managed her own complementary health centre in Essex. She has also worked as an Aromatherapist and Counsellor at a day care centre for adults who have profound and multiple difficulties. Jan has had wide experience of teaching Counselling Skills, Practice Management and Aromatherapy.

Anna Baldwin completed her training as Medical Doctor in 1978, and originally combined Medicine with Biochemistry and Endocrinology, treating patients, teaching and managing a large chemical pathology laboratory. In 1997 she re-trained in Palliative Medicine, working in hospice and hospital settings until 2003.

Anna qualified in Aromatherapy and Therapeutic Massage with ITHMA in 2006, and has additionally trained in Usui Reiki to Level II. Following four years’ training at the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education in London, she gained a diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy, and is a member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy. Anna is currently exploring aspects of energy medicine including the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). She works with these therapies in her professional practice based at Petersfield, Hampshire and London.

Louise Anderson qualified in Holistic Aromatherapy and Therapeutic Massage from the Tisserand Institute in 1997. She has since undertaken further training in Essential Oil Energetics and Oriental Diagnosis, Advanced Remedial Massage, Massage in Pregnancy, Indian Head Massage, Reflexology, Reiki, Seated Acupressure Massage and Pulsing. She also holds the Royal Horticultural Society General Certificate in Horticulture.

Louise is a qualified lecturer and currently teaches on the Foundation Degree Course in Complementary Medicine at Thames Valley University. She has also taught at Kingston College of Further Education, the Raworth International College and the Upminster Complementary Healing & Teaching Sanctuary. Louise has considerable experience working with a wide range of clients, and is currently helping individuals with learning disabilities, using both Aromatherapy Massage and Reflexology.

David Woodgate has a unique and extensive background in emergency medicine. He served as a Royal Marine Paramedic for 15 years, travelling many of the world’s most inhospitable regions as he has gained a fascinating perspective into the natural remedies of various world cultures. This was followed by a nine-year period during which David co-directed First Action — now a leading life support skills instruction agency. Here he taught survival and wilderness medicine throughout the world to client groups including the BBC and CNN.

David’s exploration into natural indigenous remedies led him into the formal study of complementary medicine. He has trained in Holistic Aromatherapy with the Tisserand Institute and in Medical Herbalism with the Self-Heal School, Norwich, as well as the Foundations School based in Albuquerque, USA. Blending natural and modern emergency care methods, David has developed a unique system of casualty care. He continues to share his expertise and experience in courses and workshops worldwide.