A Tribute to Servicemembers, Veterans and Military Families

This Veterans Day, our servicemembers, veterans, and military families are in our thoughts. If you or a loved one are affiliated with the military, we want to say thank you for your service to our country. Your commitment to protecting the health and safety of our nation is sincerely appreciated.

Part of our mission at ACHS is to help active duty servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses get the training they need for a successful civilian career in holistic health. In fact, ACHS was recently named a Military Friendly School by GI Jobs magazine for the second year in a row. We’re very proud of this award and the services we’re able to offer servicemembers, and are dedicated to continuing to expand our services.

If you know someone who is passionate about holistic health and is a servicemember, veteran or spouse, tell them to email our Military Education Coordinator Tracey Miller for more information about benefits available through ACHS. Call (800) 487-8839 or email just send an email to admissions@achs.edu.

On behalf of the ACHS family, thank you for all you do!

New Definition of PTSD Creates Greater Access for Veterans

According to a recent article on the website Military.com, there is a new process for service members to claim post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans who may not have engaged in combat, but are experiencing symptoms of PTSD no longer have to cite a specific incident on their claim. Rather, "the new policy recognizes that living with the fear of death and injury may be enough for troops to develop mental health issues," said Bryant Jordan in "New PTSD Rules Relax Definition".

Veterans are no longer required to cite specific incidences of stress--or support their claims with documentation. Veterans are now only required to show that they served in a combat zone and performed a job "consistent with conditions related to their PTSD symptom." And "many more veterans will now be able to file claims for PTSD, including troops who did not have direct contact with the enemy," Michael Walcoff, acting undersecretary for benefits for the VA, said during a press conference in Washington DC.

Women, Walcoff said, will be among the major beneficiaries "because their military records often did not reflect combat experience." In addition, doctors, nurses, and troops working in medical care who witnessed trauma, and other troops who found themselves working in a stressful role, will also benefit.

For more information about using aromatherapy to help ease symptoms of PTSD, click here for the ACHS article Aromatherapy Can Help PTSD.

"When treating chronic challenges like PTSD, a consistent routine is important. The recommended solution is a combination of wellness protocols such as holistic nutrition and aromatherapy." Click here to learn more about aromatherapy and wellness protocols for PTSD.

> Click here to read New PTSD Rules Relax Definition: http://www.military.com/news/article/new-ptsd-rules-relax-definition.html?col=1186032310810&ESRC=dod.n

ACHS Invited to Participate in the AeX-Institution Scholarship

Great news! The American College has been invited to participate in the new AeX-Institution Scholarship offered through the Education and Career Campus Foundation.

To be eligible for this $1,000 scholarship, applicants must be active duty military, retired military, or an immediate family member. For the 2009-2010 academic year, this scholarship will be limited to members of the Unites States Marine Corps or their family members.

For ACHS applicants, the application deadline has been extended to April 30, 2010, and will be awarded May 2010.

If you have friends or family who are affiliated with the Marine Corps and interested in studying with ACHS, please let them know about this funding opportunity. Tell them to call ACHS Admissions for more information at (503) 244-0726 or email admissions@achs.edu.

Use Your VA Education Benefits for an In-Demand, Satisfying Career

Over the next decade, the healthcare industry is expected to grow more than any other industry. There are more opportunities than ever to help people by providing person-to-person support that promotes sustainable health and wellness. In specific, the healthcare industry is experiencing a growing demand for specialists in aromatherapy, herbal medicine, massage, chiropractic, nutrition, wellness coaching, and acupuncture to work with physical therapists, doctors, and dieticians, among others.

The opportunity to help people find wellness and balance, is relatively unlimited. For many military servicemembers and spouses, it is this pride in helping others that attracted them to the military. A career in holistic health is an opportunity to find new ways to help other.

To read the full-length version of this article, which originally appeared in the 2010 Veterans Education Guide, download it as a PDF here: http://www.schoolguides.com/veterans_education_online.html (This ACHS article starts on page 76 of the Guide.)

United Aromatherapy Effort Needs Your Help

A few months ago, Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, Founder and Director of the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc., started a new campaign to provide military personnel and their families with emotional and physical support, including the use of aromatherapy and massage.

Sylla partnered the UAE with the United Service Organizations (USO) to provide troops with comforts away from home and has since sent a test box to Camp Phoenix. The soldiers at Camp Phoenix will forward the natural bug sprays sent to Forward Operating Bases for testing.

Now the United Aromatherapy Effort needs your help! According to a September press release, the UAE is "now soliciting small sprays for the next box to go to our "Soldier on the Ground" in Kabul, Afghanistan, Camp Phoenix." They are looking for individual sprays (2-4 oz), and suggested blends include:

• Respiratory (conifers/pines), because the air quality there is very bad (dusty, dry, and smelly), and quite polluted as well.
  
• Relaxing and sleepy time blends because the stress level is quite extreme.
  
• Wake up sprays for alert time, night duty, and morning call.

The UAE says to send anything anytime! If you want to ship directly, contact Sylla; otherwise, send to Florida or Louisiana, whichever is the closest location to you, and the UAE will ship to AFG from these two locations:

SHIP TO: UAE/ c/o Sylla Sheppard Hanger, 16018 Saddlestring Dr, Tampa, FL 33618

or UAE c/o Geraldine Zelinsky, 6051 Roma Dr. #103 Shreveport, LA 71105

To read more about the UAE and military disaster relief, visit http://achsnews.blogspot.com/2009/08/united-aromatherapy-effort-to-expand.html

United Aromatherapy Effort to Expand Focus of Disaster Relief to Military

Founder and Director of the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc. Sylla Sheppard-Hanger is spearheading a new campaign to refocus the energies of the UAE to include our military personnel who are currently at war, serving overseas and here in America.

The United Aromatherapy Effort would like to see all military personnel and their families receive emotional and physical support through aromatherapy, massage, and other modalities. Sheppard-Hanger is looking to "go big" and partner the UAE with the United Service Organizations (USO). The goal is to provide our troops with comforts of home away from home.

This UAE and USO partnership could involve teams or individuals that offer seated massage, aromatherapy, and other services in Veterans Hospitals, Military Centers, or Family Support Centers. The USO makes uso2go kits and the UAE is looking at putting something together with a couple of blends for stress, fatigue, focus, etc.

The UAE needs your ideas and input to establish what items might be most viable for such a kit. To contact the UAE, email Sylla Sheppard-Hanger at sylla@tampabay.rr.com or unitedaromatherapy@gmail.com.

United Aromatherapy Effort to Expand Focus of Disaster Relief to Military

Founder and Director of the United Aromatherapy Effort, Inc. Sylla Sheppard-Hanger is spearheading a new campaign to refocus the energies of the UAE to include our military personnel who are currently at war, serving overseas and here in America.

The United Aromatherapy Effort would like to see all military personnel and their families receive emotional and physical support through aromatherapy, massage, and other modalities. Sheppard-Hanger is looking to "go big" and partner the UAE with the United Service Organizations (USO). The goal is to provide our troops with comforts of home away from home.

This UAE and USO partnership could involve teams or individuals that offer seated massage, aromatherapy, and other services in Veterans Hospitals, Military Centers, or Family Support Centers. The USO makes uso2go kits and the UAE is looking at putting something together with a couple of blends for stress, fatigue, focus, etc.

The UAE needs your ideas and input to establish what items might be most viable for such a kit. To contact the UAE, email Sylla Sheppard-Hanger at sylla@tampabay.rr.com or unitedaromatherapy@gmail.com.

Erik Estrada poses with ACHS at the DoD Worldwide Education Symposium

ACHS Director of Military Relations Kate Harmon and ACHS Dean of Admissions and Military Education Coordinator Tracey Miller pose with Erik Estrada at the DoD Worldwide Education Symposium.

Kate and Tracey are representing the American College of Healthcare Sciences at the Symposium and Mr. Estrada is supporting anti-child pornography online.

Do you make natural products? Send us your samples for the DoD Symposium!

Natural product manufacturers, send us your samples!

The American College is attending a major education event, the DoD Worldwide Education Symposium, from July 27-31. Our mission is two-fold: talk with as many attendees as possible, and spread the word about the many opportunities holistic health training from ACHS can provide to activeduty servicemembers and veterans.

That's where you come in...

Our students and graduates are successful professionals and who can blame us, we like to brag a little. If you manufacture natural products, send us your samples! We want to display YOUR samples at our booth. This is a great opportunity for your product(s) to be seen and tested by the more than 2,500 military personnel and potential customers in attendance.

To participate...

• You must be a current ACHS student or an ACHS graduate
• Products must be received by July 15. Send samples to the American College of Healthcare Sciences, Attn: Kate Harmon, 5940 SW Hood Ave., Portland OR 97239
• You must include a short blurb (or video!) about how your ACHS education has helped you to establish a natural products career, which we will display with your product.

The benefit...

The military is proactive about integrating holistic health modalities into traditional healthcare practices. Check out this June 15 article in SustainLane, "U.S. Military Uses Alternative Medicine." Now more than ever, there is increasing opportunity to grow your career, connect with other holistic health professionals, and to educate the global community about holistic health.

Questions? Call us at (503) 244-0726 or email communications@achs.edu. We look forward to sharing your natural products with as many people as possible!

U.S. military uses alternative medicine

The U.S. military is known for using super secret codes to identify sensitive projects. The key word here is sensitive. Who would have thought that the US military has a softer side? Project code name: iRest, short for Integrative Restoration, a code name for yoga nidra.

Yoga is one of the newest ‘secret weapons’ in the US Armed Forces. Major Nisha Money, who currently serves as the Chief of Air Force Fitness for the Surgeon General at USAF Headquarters in Washington DC, gave me the scoop. Soldiers suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. within a specialized care program that incorporates the iRest protocol. Major Money stated that she hopes that it will not be long before there is a movement to integrate body-mind-spirit healing modalities that not only serve as treatment interventions for emotional and physical trauma but also play a role in prevention by attenuating the impact of emotional trauma experienced in the battlefield.

As she put it, “Our soldiers are sent into combatant zones physically prepared to fight. It would also be helpful to add components within deployment readiness training programs that build mental strength as well.” Major Money MD, MPH, ABHM, trained in Preventive Medicine with an emphasis in clinical epidemiology and international health has an integrative medicine practice on the side. She’s also boarded by the American Board of Holistic Medicine, certified by UCLA’s Physician’s Medical Acupuncture Program, accomplished in “neurorobics”, and trained in mind-body medicine modalities and yoga nidra (Integrative Restoration - iRest) to help alleviate emotional distress secondary to trauma.

Nisha Money is a different kind of healer, working out of cement government offices, not in hushed, softly lit, treatment rooms more often associated with the movement of subtle energies. On Sunday, June 28th, Major Money will be presenting at the annual conference for International Society for the Studies of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) to be held from June 26 - July 1, 2009 at the Westin hotel in Westminster, Colorado.

Additionally, side by side with Deepak Chopra and Rustum Roy, Nisha will co-host a dinner and town hall meeting examining the divergence and confluence of consciousness in the community.

For more information on the conference, please go to http://www.issseem.org

Article originally posted by Ode to Sustainlane on June 15, 2009

ACHS has a new name to celebrate 20th anniversary in the United States

Australasian College of Health Sciences announced today that, effective May 1, it will change its name to American College of Healthcare Sciences to celebrate its 20th year of operations in the United States.

“2009 is our 20th Anniversary of starting operations in the Oregon. To celebrate this history, the College has voted to change its name to reflect its geographical location more accurately and to represent our exciting new plans in the US in the next five years and beyond,” said Senior Vice President Erika Yigzaw.

Australasia is the geographical region of Australia, New Zealand, and the lower South Pacific. ACHS was founded in New Zealand in 1978, after splitting off as the extra mural (or distance learning) department of the South Pacific College of Natural Therapeutics.

ACHS opened its US office in Lake Oswego in 1989 and became a stand-alone institution in 1993. It became a State Licensed Vocational School in 1998 and transitioned to a degree granting Institute of Higher Learning in 2007. It earned accreditation from the DETC in 2002 and was reaccredited in 2008.

“As Australasian College of Health Sciences, we have changed the face of healthcare education in the US, achieving many industry firsts, including first Aromatherapy distance learning programs, first CAM degrees, first online CAM programs, and many more. We have been very attached to the name Australasian and will be sad to say goodbye” said ACHS President and Founder Dorene Petersen, “but in creating our Strategic Plan for 2009 we realized that the name no longer represents the School or our future plans. This name change reflects our thanks to the thousands of American based students and graduates of ACHS who have joined us for their health and wellness education journey.”

Another factor in this decision was market research conducted at a number of trade shows this past year which indicated 98% of visitors thought the School was in Australia.

“We realized this was an issue for students and graduates. We do not want any confusion about the school’s location, approvals, or the training of its instructors as our graduates move into their careers,” said Erika Yigzaw. “Although the name Australasian College had extremely high recognition in the holistic health industry early on, as the CAM industry exploded in popularity and continues to move into the mainstream, name association is increasingly important for our students and graduates.”

Various funding options are available including in-house financing, veterans funding, post-911 GI bill, and private student loans. ACHS’s participation in SOC and other military organizations also precipitated this change.

“We had feedback from our military students and graduates that they were having to explain that they were attending an American college to their clients, friends, and family,” said ACHS Military Liaison Kate Harmon.

Founded in 1978, ACHS is one of the oldest Institutions teaching holistic health, otherwise known as CAM or Complementary Alternative Medicine and offers the only accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees in CAM offered fully online.

Aromatherapy Can Help PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. Typically, this event threatens serious physical danger or involves physical violence. Following this experience, it would not be out of the ordinary for someone to feel scared, confused or angry. However, if these feelings continue long-term and become disruptive to your daily activities, you may be suffering from PTSD.

In a given year, about 7.7 million American adults suffer from PTSD. Although it was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, PTSD can result from common events, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or personal assault.

It is estimated that among veterans, the rate of PTSD is somewhere between 14 percent and 33 percent. Not every person who experiences a traumatic event will experience PTSD, and not every Soldier will either, but being aware of possible symptoms and stressors could help with treatment and prevention.

In the past, PTSD has commonly been treated with pharmaceuticals or some type of mood management therapy. Today, information about alternative treatments is becoming more widespread and research has substantiated the historical use of aromatherapy for depression. Why not for PTSD?

Aromatherapy means: the use of aromas for their healing properties. The documented use of essential oils goes back to Egyptian times, where herbs were burnt in public squares to purify the air. Today we know that lemon essential oil, for example, can be used to lift mild depression. We also know that aromatherapy is a natural, less invasive treatment for chronic afflictions. And compared to most pharmaceuticals, aromatherapy is typically less expensive and more accessible.

Many people with PTSD get better over time, but about 1 out of 3 experience PTSD as a recurring challenge. Use of aromatherapy has many advantages in these cases. If used correctly, they have minimal to no adverse effects when used over time. Aromatherapy is also a healthy alternative for those opposed to long-term use of prescription drugs, and essential oils, when diluted and applied to the skin (or inhaled), can be absorbed into the bloodstream for almost immediate results.

Essential oils are distilled directly from plants. The term “essential” is applied to these oils because they contain the fragrant part of the plant. Essential oils are powerful and concentrated. Many should not be applied to the skin in their undiluted form. Rather, essential oils should be diluted with almond or apricot oil, which lend additional nutrient and antioxidant health benefits.

Aromatherapy expert, Dorene Petersen, President of the Australasian College of Health Sciences, said her college store carries organic certified oils because “it’s important to have the highest quality oils available. Essential oils are extracted from plants, which absorb toxins in their environment. Certified organic essential oils are free of contaminants and pesticides; a purer oil means greater health benefits.”

When treating chronic challenges like PTSD, a consistent routine is important. The recommended solution is a combination of wellness protocols such as holistic nutrition and aromatherapy. A balanced, natural foods diet is the greatest tool we have to maintain healthy physical and psychological functions. When regularly added into the diet, aromatic herb plants that contain essential oils will boost immunity, circulation, and metabolism, among other things. For example, chamomile, which has been found to soothe low levels of stress and depression, can be made into a tea, and geranium, which is commonly used to stabilize emotions, can replace vanilla in baking recipes.

To complement a healthy diet, here are some suggestions for simple, yet effective uses of aromatherapy at home. First, undiluted essential oils can quickly be diffused into the air on a room-by-room basis. Second, you can drop essential oils directly into a relaxing bath or foot soak. (Some oils are more potent than others; until you know how the oil will react with your system, less is more.) Or, try replacing commercial cleaners and air fresheners with essential oils and sprinkling a few drops in and around drains, trashcans, and pillowcases.

Before using aromatherapy as a PTSD protocol, consult with a Registered Aromatherapist, which can be located through the Aromatherapy Registration Council Web site: www. aromatherapycouncil.org.

The Australasian College of Health Sciences is the only DETC-accredited, fully online college offering continuing education, certificate, diploma, and degree programs in complementary alternative medicine with aromatherapy and holistic health majors. For more information about aromatherapy and the college, visit www.achs.edu.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the complete article.

© 2009 Article originally appeared in the February edition of Military Spouse Magazine

Aromatherapy Can Help PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. Typically, this event threatens serious physical danger or involves physical violence. Following this experience, it would not be out of the ordinary for someone to feel scared, confused or angry. However, if these feelings continue long-term and become disruptive to your daily activities, you may be suffering from PTSD.

In a given year, about 7.7 million American adults suffer from PTSD. Although it was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, PTSD can result from common events, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or personal assault.

It is estimated that among veterans, the rate of PTSD is somewhere between 14 percent and 33 percent. Not every person who experiences a traumatic event will experience PTSD, and not every Soldier will either, but being aware of possible symptoms and stressors could help with treatment and prevention.

In the past, PTSD has commonly been treated with pharmaceuticals or some type of mood management therapy. Today, information about alternative treatments is becoming more widespread and research has substantiated the historical use of aromatherapy for depression. Why not for PTSD?

Aromatherapy means: the use of aromas for their healing properties. The documented use of essential oils goes back to Egyptian times, where herbs were burnt in public squares to purify the air. Today we know that lemon essential oil, for example, can be used to lift mild depression. We also know that aromatherapy is a natural, less invasive treatment for chronic afflictions. And compared to most pharmaceuticals, aromatherapy is typically less expensive and more accessible.

Many people with PTSD get better over time, but about 1 out of 3 experience PTSD as a recurring challenge. Use of aromatherapy has many advantages in these cases. If used correctly, they have minimal to no adverse effects when used over time. Aromatherapy is also a healthy alternative for those opposed to long-term use of prescription drugs, and essential oils, when diluted and applied to the skin (or inhaled), can be absorbed into the bloodstream for almost immediate results.

Essential oils are distilled directly from plants. The term “essential” is applied to these oils because they contain the fragrant part of the plant. Essential oils are powerful and concentrated. Many should not be applied to the skin in their undiluted form. Rather, essential oils should be diluted with almond or apricot oil, which lend additional nutrient and antioxidant health benefits.

Aromatherapy expert, Dorene Petersen, President of the Australasian College of Health Sciences, said her college store carries organic certified oils because “it’s important to have the highest quality oils available. Essential oils are extracted from plants, which absorb toxins in their environment. Certified organic essential oils are free of contaminants and pesticides; a purer oil means greater health benefits.”

When treating chronic challenges like PTSD, a consistent routine is important. The recommended solution is a combination of wellness protocols such as holistic nutrition and aromatherapy. A balanced, natural foods diet is the greatest tool we have to maintain healthy physical and psychological functions. When regularly added into the diet, aromatic herb plants that contain essential oils will boost immunity, circulation, and metabolism, among other things. For example, chamomile, which has been found to soothe low levels of stress and depression, can be made into a tea, and geranium, which is commonly used to stabilize emotions, can replace vanilla in baking recipes.

To complement a healthy diet, here are some suggestions for simple, yet effective uses of aromatherapy at home. First, undiluted essential oils can quickly be diffused into the air on a room-by-room basis. Second, you can drop essential oils directly into a relaxing bath or foot soak. (Some oils are more potent than others; until you know how the oil will react with your system, less is more.) Or, try replacing commercial cleaners and air fresheners with essential oils and sprinkling a few drops in and around drains, trashcans, and pillowcases.

Before using aromatherapy as a PTSD protocol, consult with a Registered Aromatherapist, which can be located through the Aromatherapy Registration Council Web site: www. aromatherapycouncil.org.

The Australasian College of Health Sciences is the only DETC-accredited, fully online college offering continuing education, certificate, diploma, and degree programs in complementary alternative medicine with aromatherapy and holistic health majors. For more information about aromatherapy and the college, visit www.achs.edu.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the complete article.

© 2009 Article originally appeared in the February edition of Military Spouse Magazine