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, engage the parasympathetic nervous system, 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.

Education and Training

Françoise completed her Clinical Aromatherapy certification through the School for Aromatic Studies’ Aromatic Scholars program and has completed advanced coursework in Aromatics and Mental Health, Aromatics, Trauma and Resiliency, and Aromatherapy and Grief.

Her herbal studies include coursework through The Herbal Academy and the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism, with a focus on nervous system support, emotional resiliency, mental health, and women’s hormonal balance.

She completed her Reiki practitioner training with the International House of Reiki, a lineage rooted in the original Japanese traditions of Reiki and influenced by Zen Buddhism, esoteric Buddhism, and Shinto.

Today, her Aromatic Medicine Healing sessions draw from this foundation while blending clinical aromatherapy, sound, Reiki-informed energy work, and plant-based ritual into a deeply personal and integrative approach developed over decades of study and practice.

Earlier in her path, she completed formal Kundalini yoga teacher training, deepening her understanding of movement, breath, sound, and embodied awareness, foundations that continue to inform her work today.

She also completed a nine-month mentorship with Cathy Skipper, studying her Alchemy of Menopause method, an approach that integrates aromatherapy, Jungian psychology, and alchemical frameworks for navigating life transitions and inner change.

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, sound, 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.