What is RJ Buckle Associates (rjbuckle.com)?

Updated

R.J. Buckle Associates, LLC (rjbuckle.com) is a Texas-based education provider in North Richland Hills, TX, that offers clinical aromatherapy courses to licensed health professionals and teaches the 'M' Technique®, a gentle touch method designed for critically ill or very fragile people. It is relevant to you if you are a nurse or other licensed practitioner looking for continuing education in clinical aromatherapy, or if you want to learn a light-touch technique that can be used with frail patients.

Who runs the site

The organization is led by Dr. Buckle, whose book Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Healthcare (Elsevier, December 2014) is described on the site as the first fully peer-reviewed, evidence-based clinical aromatherapy text. That book received the 2015 ABC James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award. Earlier titles include Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Practice (2003) and Clinical Aromatherapy in Nursing (1997).

What the site offers

The site is organized around two main course families:

  • Clinical Aromatherapy — courses aimed at licensed health professionals, including a Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Professionals course and an Aromatherapy for Hospitals course (CAH). The site states that the Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Professionals course was the first aromatherapy course endorsed by a national nursing organization (the American Holistic Nurses Association) in 1997.
  • The 'M' Technique® — a gentle, easy-to-learn form of touch suitable for critically ill or very fragile people. Courses are open to both licensed health professionals and the general public.

Supporting pages cover continuing education credit, research, certified instructors, and international activity, plus a certified instructor list for clinical aromatherapy.

Demonstration videos and access

The site sells unlimited access to 'M' Technique® demonstration videos, available as Full-Body and/or Hand and Foot options. According to the site, you need to create a log-in (upper right corner) and sign up to purchase unlimited access to either video set. The site does not publish prices on the pages summarized here, so check after logging in.

Reach and track record

  • 'M' Technique® courses are available in the USA, UK, Japan, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Australia.
  • More than 2,000 nurses have been trained in clinical aromatherapy through R.J. Buckle Associates, and over 3,000 people have learned the 'M' Technique®.

How to get started

  1. Decide which track fits you: clinical aromatherapy (for licensed health professionals) or the 'M' Technique® (open to professionals and the public).
  2. Check the relevant course schedule — the site links to an Aromatherapy Course Schedule and an 'M' Technique® USA Course Schedule.
  3. For video access, create a log-in and sign up to purchase unlimited access to the Full-Body and/or Hand and Foot demonstration videos.
  4. For questions, the site lists [email protected] as a contact address, and offers a mailing list sign-up.

If your goal is continuing education credit as a licensed practitioner, start with the clinical aromatherapy pages and the continuing education credit section. If your goal is learning a safe light-touch method for fragile patients, the 'M' Technique® course and demonstration videos are the direct route.