Scents have always been significant for me. I was born in Africa, where clean air, vast plains and forests full of wild plants thrilled me with their perfumes. The smell of mimosa in the heat, of wet earth after the first rains, of charcoal, sun-baked earth and the scent of a cactus that only flowered at night , these experiences contributed to a keen sense of smell, but also a conviction of the power of scent to return us to the place we first smelt it. Like music, scents are special in that they can both evoke past memories and create new ones.


I have practised aromatherapy for nearly 12 years, my formal training being with the International Federation of Aromatherapists, which provided me with a traditional approach to aromatherapy.

In 1994 I met Martin Watt, a medical herbalist and essential oil researcher. His research work and scientific knowledge of the essential oils changed my approach radically and introduced me to the chemistry and clinical uses of the oils. In that year I attended a conference in New York where I met people working in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), a new and exciting branch of medicine which acknowledges the interconnection between mood, behaviour and body chemistry. This approach is new to conventional medicine, but is the main tenet behind all holistic therapies.

I believe that the oils work primarily on emotional, psychological and spiritual levels, and I use this in my work with people living with cancer in the oncology and haematology departments of the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, where I have worked for the past three years. I try to provide people with a warm, relaxing and safe space where they can rest from the anxieties that arise from being ill. People have strong and individual associations with scents, so it's important that we work together to create blends that will always take them back to a state of tranquillity.

My long involvement with aromatherapy, massage and other complementary therapies leads me to a new way of working. I am no longer satisfied with traditional practice and am moving into a wider arena, adopting a ‘barefoot doctoring' approach in which I combine all my skills; aromatherapy, dance, craniosacral therapy, colour, herbalism, in an eclectic mix which is infinitely adaptable to any situation

I teach aromatherapy to diploma level (International Examination Board) and am enthusiastic about expanding the basic aromatherapy and massage course to include additional skills.

Lyn also sees private clients at:
Elements of Health
64 Bethel Street
NORWICH
NR2 1NR
Telephone 01603 666546