Sunita Teckchand has been a Clinical Aromatherapist and an Integrated Holistic Practitioner and Tutor since 1997. She is also a Keynote speaker in the Clinical and Scientific approach to Aromatherapy and has presented several seminars. Furthermore, she studied many other alternative therapies and healing modalities in the field of Kinesiology, Hypnosis (Studied with Dr. Brian Weiss), Clinical Reflexology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, The Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu (Japanese healing modality), Past Life regression therapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Aromatherapy treatments and more.
She is a well-experienced professional when it comes to Aromatherapy. We decided to interview Sunita, who helped us understand more about The Holistic Alternatives FZ LLC. She is the Director, Founder, and Principal Tutor of The Holistic Alternatives FZ LLC. The training facility also has a social media presence on Facebook & Instagram.
Learn more about Sunita Teckchand and her training facility through our interview below.
Explain the background of you and the company in detail.
My journey commenced in 1996 after coming to Dubai from Hong Kong in 1997. I found that Dubai lacked alternative therapies. Due to that niche market, I was one of the first to open the ‘eSSensuals Aromatherapy Centre’ in Jumeira in 1999, which ran for 9 years. However, I became ill and had to sell it. After a sabbatical in 2010, I opened The Holistic Institute in JLT, a 4000 sq ft space for people to come in and study Clinical Aromatherapy affiliated with IFPA (International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists UK) and ITEC Diplomas.
We were training in Therapeutic massage, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Sports Massage, Clinical Aromatherapy, and so much more, all accredited with KHDA UAE.
In the Institute, we also invited many overseas speakers and healers to offer their services and classes in multiple healing modalities, and the Institute flourished and grew. However, in 2014 DHA came up with a regulation that did not support us, and we closed. After a short break, I opened The Holistic Alternatives, a RAK free zone company, where I commenced creating a digital online training platform that is running till today. We teach accredited courses in Clinical Aromatherapy and short courses based on Aromatherapy.
We are accredited by IFPA (UK) and NAHA, a US affiliation. In addition we have now commenced Blended learning classes where students study online and come and have face-to-face sessions with us once a month. All this was also due to COVID and the restrictions placed upon us. Being an online provider, we do not require much staff and have more control over expenses and student management.
I am a board member and Trustee of The International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists UK and an External Examiner.
I also offer private sessions with clients who would like one-on-one practices. This has been ongoing since 1997. I also have my own brand of pure organic essential oils and base oils, the brand name ‘eSSensuals,’ which is available through me directly or through Amazon.ae
I still teach practical courses in Therapeutic massage, Clinical Reflexology, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, and other such hands-on courses for students who would like to add value to their skills. They can be a beginner or a professional; the training is customized for that particular student.
What are your goals?
My goals are to teach people interested in treating themselves, their family members, and clients (if they are practitioners) in alternative therapies. With 25 years of experience, I have a lot of knowledge and wisdom to share with fellow peers. Aromatherapy has been misused, and much misinformation is available on Google.
Many people buy essential oils and do not know how to use them safely. My job is to teach them the right blending guidelines, taking into account safety during pregnancy, cancer care, etc. I am an educator at heart; hence my true goal is to educate people in alternative therapies, mainly Aromatherapy.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/company right now?
My biggest strength is patience and being resilient, with so much that has happened in the past with my businesses and having to decide which direction to move. I have never strayed away from my true purpose, which is to teach people how alternative therapies can help them achieve excellent health and well-being. Our company is still new, and we are growing slowly in the digital online training platform. We feel people want more face-to-face and in-person learning. Hence, we just launched our New Blended learning program where individuals can gain a Diploma in Clinical Aromatherapy.
Many students just want to learn to add value to their skills; hence we customize courses for them. We also teach practical courses in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Swedish Massage, Reflexology, and more.
What was the path you/your company took to get to where you are today?
We had to make certain decisions due to the lockdown and the pandemic. That is the main purpose of the birth of The Holistic Alternatives and the online digital training platform, to continue connecting with students from all over the world who would like accreditation in this field. We had to invest in a good website and platform to achieve this goal. We are getting there as I said, our company is still quite new.
Why did you start (or want to be the head of) this company?
As mentioned earlier, I started The Holistic Alternatives due to the pandemic, and I had to close The Holistic Institute in JLT. After much thought, we decided to teach online, and it took one year to put the programs on the platform. I also wanted to follow my passion in the Alternative medicine field and continue to share my experience with students.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, the biggest challenge was when I opened ‘eSSensuals Aromatherapy Centre’ in 1999. It was a very busy practice, and it was one of the first places to get DHA approval to treat men and women equally, which opened up a pathway for other such centers to flourish.
However, in 2008 I got paralyzed in my right arm and could not continue working with clients, which was our main source of income, so I had to sell the business, and that was heartbreaking as it was my baby who grew from nothing to something amazing.
My second challenge was The Holistic Institute when DHA came up with a regulation that all my students who graduate must leave the country for 2 years to get experience before they can legally work here. Well, no student would want a qualification and not be able to get a job after graduating, and that basically killed my business. I had invested a lot of money in that, and it had to go for a loss. However, I always believed that life throws you lessons, and this was one of the lessons I had to learn.
Give us one word that describes you the best.
Passionate
What makes you excited about Mondays?
My work is to be able to create new courses and teach fellow students who are excited to learn. I love creating. Every day is a new day, not only Mondays. I love working on new clients who may have some major underlying health conditions, as this makes me do more research into that condition and how I can treat and support them.
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
The culture that I was raised in is the Hindu Culture. However, I am not a religious person but more spiritual. However, studying the history of Hinduism is quite fascinating, especially during the ancestral times and the Vedic sciences and all. In fact, it is all interrelated to Aromatherapy and the science of alternative therapies. My vision is to see a better world without wars, weapons, and chaos as is happening now. Of course, I would love everyone to get along with everyone else, have more inner peace and calm in themselves, and not go into turmoil and stress.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
Well, the online digital platform definitely made me creative and innovative, as it was a challenge I put myself through. The numerous hours of re-writing the syllabus and video recordings for students to make them interested in the program was also very challenging because, basically, you are speaking to one audience, and that is yourself. Creating a first-class platform requires a lot of practice and understanding of the art of what you are teaching. You also have a timeline to follow as you want to launch, so that keeps me going each day, and of course, my passion where I could reach a wider audience on an online platform.
What are your company’s strategies, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
Our main strategy is to offer Diploma courses, which is achievable for many who want to walk that path. Many competitors in our field sell their courses at a very low price, but we are different because we offer good value for the short courses. They are educational and full of information. Even the Diploma course is good value, as it requires students to complete the full syllabus before they sit for their final exams and graduate. It takes a student up to 9 months to even 3 years to complete the Diploma Program. However, the short courses can be done in a week or less, so it is entirely up to the student to see where they want to go and what they would like to study to add value to their skills.
We market our services on social media, Facebook ads, and several other ways so people can find us.
What are the key values which helped you to overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership.
To be honest, my key value is my patience. I always believe in the divine power that what is meant to come your way will come at the right time. Roadblocks are our learning experiences to better ourselves and be prepared for maybe further roadblocks. Life without challenges is no fun at all. How will you learn otherwise?
I have had several memorable incidents in my leadership. One that came to mind was when I was invited to Al Noor Centre for Special Needs to open our first Jin Shin Jyutsu clinic for the students and the parents, which was all voluntary. I felt honoured that they had asked me for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. I was touched, as I have volunteered many years with Al Noor and SNF child development center to offer Aromatherapy and Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions to children and vulnerable adults. They have, in fact, been my greatest teachers.
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
The company will evolve and continue bringing new courses to students who are interested in the alternative healing field, and I see myself working more face to face and holding seminars overseas and in UAE, and continuing to share my knowledge in this field. Many new centers are opening up here, and I have been invited to many to hold seminars and workshops. One close to me is Brest Friends Group, where women with Breast cancer face daily challenges. We want to offer our services to these types of charitable organizations. To create that change, we also have to adapt to the new world today, the millennials and the new generations who are very interested in using alternative medicine to help themselves and others.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
Presently I am co-authoring a book For MENA Speakers called ‘She is Remarkable.’ This is all about empowering women, and we each share our stories about how we got into our field in the first place and what we are doing about it today. The challenges we faced and the rough seas we had to cross to get to where we are today. The world will always be competitive, but if your energy is good and you have a good reputation, you will draw people to your program and services. This is how I see it.
What are the services/solutions or products offered by your company on par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services.
Firstly, Clinical Aromatherapy is a niche market. We create any blend customized for that individual seeking help. We formulate bespoke products for clients who come in for, let’s say, acne issues, psoriasis, migraine, aches and pains, hair loss, pretty much from A to Z type of conditions. There is nothing that Aromatherapy and other alternative methods cannot help. There is a solution to anyone’s issue. Because of my experience in so many fields, I can choose what serves the client best or what serves the student best and work from there.
Besides that, we do sell organic essential oils sourced from a distillery in France. They are of A-grade quality, and many people in UAE and Saudi choose to use them as they have therapeutic qualities.
We offer services in many Alternative therapies. These can be found on our Service website www.sunitateckchand.com and the education portal is on www.theholisticalternatives.org.