Last month, thirteen women from SPAN’s Latina Support Group gathered for an Aromatherapy for Self-Care workshop. What began as an opportunity to explore essential oils became something much deeper – a space for reflection, creativity, and reconnecting with themselves.
As participants experienced different aromas, many found themselves transported to memories of childhood, loved ones, meaningful places, and important moments in their lives. This response is more than nostalgia; our sense of smell has direct connections to the brain’s regions responsible for emotion and memory.
According to Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing, these unique neurological pathways help explain why certain scents can instantly evoke vivid memories and emotional responses. For women who have often spent years prioritizing the needs of others, this experience offered a rare opportunity to slow down, tune into their own feelings, and simply be present.
The workshop was intentionally designed with the principles of trauma-informed care in mind. Trauma-informed care recognizes that many people have experienced trauma and emphasizes creating environments that promote safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment, and choice.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the federal agency that leads the nation’s public health efforts to advance behavioral health, trauma-informed care recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, responds with practices that support recovery, and actively works to avoid re-traumatization.
Throughout the workshop, participants practiced honoring their own preferences and boundaries by identifying which scents felt comforting, energizing, or calming, and which scents simply were not for them. In a trauma-informed setting, these moments of choice matter. The ability to say “yes,” “no,” or “this doesn’t feel right for me” reinforces autonomy and reminds individuals that their voices and instincts deserve to be trusted.
The workshop concluded with each participant creating a personalized aromatic blend that reflected their own needs, emotions, and intentions. There was no “right” recipe. Each blend was as unique as the person who created it, celebrating individuality while encouraging creativity and self-expression.
While aromatherapy is not a treatment for trauma, research suggests it can be a valuable complementary wellness practice. Studies have found that aromatherapy may help reduce stress and anxiety while promoting relaxation and emotional well-being, making it a supportive tool alongside counseling, peer support, and other recovery practices. By engaging the senses in a calming, intentional way, aromatherapy can help create moments of grounding, mindfulness, and emotional regulation – all of which can support a survivor’s healing journey.
Participants left the workshop feeling relaxed, joyful, and empowered. More than learning about essential oils, they rediscovered the simple yet profound act of listening to themselves. Through scent, memory, and creativity, they practiced self-care in a way that honored their experiences, celebrated their resilience, and reinforced that healing often begins with something as simple as having the freedom to choose.
At SPAN, creating opportunities like these is an important part of supporting survivors on their healing journeys. Every moment that fosters safety, connection, and self-discovery helps build confidence, resilience, and hope for the future.
Help Make Healing Possible
Trauma-informed programs like this are only possible because of the generosity of our community. Your support helps SPAN continue providing safe, empowering spaces where survivors can heal, build resilience, and reconnect with their own strength.
Help us continue this important work by making a donation, becoming a community partner, learning more about our counseling program, or sharing our mission with others.
Together, we can ensure that every survivor has access to compassionate, trauma-informed care and opportunities for healing.
Sources
- Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. Smell and Memory. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/smell-and-memory
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Trauma-Informed Care. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed-approaches-programs
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Aromatherapy. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/aromatherapy
