Focus and Approach

Françoise Decatrel is a certified Clinical Aromatherapist and trained Herbalist whose work centers on emotional wellbeing, stress reduction, and nervous system support. She specializes in pairing aromatherapy and herbal approaches with practices that help regulate the body’s stress response, tone the vagus nerve, and complement therapy or other healing modalities for those experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, depression, or chronic stress.

Alongside aromatic medicine and herbal wisdom, sound is central to Françoise’s approach. Through guided vocal toning and ceremonial drumming, supported by traditional flutes and other instruments, she engages vibration as a pathway to regulation and integration. This understanding informs the products, guidance, and one-to-one work woven throughout The Way.

Her work also supports women in cultivating hormonal balance and emotional steadiness. Drawing from both science and traditional wisdom, Françoise helps women understand the interplay between stress, hormones, and nervous system regulation, offering a grounded path toward calm, clarity, and self trust.

Education and Training

Françoise completed her Clinical Aromatherapy certification through the School for Aromatic Studies’ Aromatic Scholars program and holds additional aromatherapy certifications in Trauma Resiliency, Mental Health, Grief Resiliency, and Menopausal Skincare.

Her herbal studies include coursework through The Herbal Academy and The Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism, where she earned a certification in The Female Reproductive System: Perimenopause, Menopause & Aging.

She is also a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and a Reiki practitioner. These disciplines inform her integrative approach, which bridges sensory awareness, energetic balance, and plant-based healing.

The Way Apothecary

The Way Apothecary integrates the latest in essential oil research with traditional plant wisdom, ritual, and sound-based practices to create plant-based formulations and sensory experiences that support nervous system balance and emotional wellbeing.

Earlier Work

Before founding The Way Apothecary, Françoise created Amayori in 2015, a Japanese-inspired bathing and fragrance brand that was featured in leading publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Robb Report, and Vogue.

Philosophy

Across all of her work, Françoise explores the therapeutic power of scent, ritual, and plant medicine as gentle tools for self-awareness and healing, rooted in an integrative understanding of mind, body, and spirit as one continuous system.