As I look back on this year, what stands out to me are the moments of connection. Throughout this year, I’ve had the honor of meeting with colleagues, students, graduates, and partners across the U.S. and abroad, each interaction reminding me why our work matters. Hearing the stories of our students and graduates, seeing the passion of stewards working to advance natural products and wellness in action, and experiencing the passion of our ACHS community at conferences, events, and graduation have all been incredibly meaningful. This has truly been a year of deepening relationships, reaching into new communities, and widening our shared circle in ways that inspire me every day.

2025 was also another year of tremendous growth in the wellness industry. The Global Wellness Institute reports that the wellness economy grew to $6.8 trillion last year and is projected to approach $9.8 trillion by 2029, now representing more than 6% of global GDP. In many ways, this growth simply echoes what we see every day at ACHS: increasing demand for integrative approaches to healthcare, mental wellness, functional nutrition, and sustainability across our sector. These are the very areas where ACHS has been providing evidence-based education for nearly 50 years.

I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a community this year. Guided by our strategic pillars of Innovation, Excellence, and Sustainability, ACHS continues to lead with purpose, our mission and vision coming alive through the work of our students, graduates, faculty, and staff. From expanding programs, strengthening partnerships, and continuously innovating our learning environment, to advancing initiatives that support healthy, sustainable communities.

We’re proud to highlight a few of our collective accomplishments in 2025 and what they mean as we look ahead to 2026.

Strengthening Herbal Medicine Through Research, Partnerships, and Real-World Application

Use of botanical medicine, including aromatherapy, dietary supplements, and herbal medicine, continues to gain momentum globally. At the same time, the botanical industry also faces significant pressures: biodiversity loss, climate disruption, and supply chain instability. 

This year at ACHS, we:

• Developed a mentorship program with Herbalists Without Borders (HWB) designed to expand experiential learning opportunities for ACHS students while advancing HWB’s mission of community-based herbal health support.
• Created an internship program with the American Herbal Pharmacopeia to advance herbal medicine education and research. This initiative will create opportunities for qualified ACHS students to contribute directly to the ongoing development and updating of AHP’s authoritative herbal monographs. 
• Expanded experiential learning with the launch of Nature’s Remedies: Crafting Aromatherapy, Herbal, and Nutritional Solutions for a Healthier Family and Community, an innovative, hands-on certificate program that brings herbal and nutritional wellness to life through blending, formulation, and scenario-based learning strategies.

As we move into 2026, we will continue to integrate sustainability, evidence-based practice, and hands-on learning to prepare practitioners who understand not only how to utilize botanicals but also how to directly contribute to protecting the ecosystems and communities that make herbal medicine possible.

Elevating Aromatherapy Education and Promoting Mental Wellness

Mental wellness, sleep support, and sensory therapies have become major global wellness drivers. Aromatherapy sits at the center of this shift. ACHS was the first accredited institution to offer advanced graduate studies in clinical aromatherapy and continues to lead in education for the sustainable, integrative practice of clinical aromatherapy.

In 2025, ACHS:

• Collaborated with practitioners and stakeholders at the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy conference, attended by ACHS Dean of Aromatherapy Amanda Lattin and ACHS Assistant Professor Dana Dragone. As a Gold Leaf Sponsor of the 2025 conference, ACHS was proud to support honoring the heritage, science, and future of the essential oil industry. 
• Worked to advance sustainability in the essential oil sector, continuing the legacy of ACHS’s founder, Dorene Petersen. I had the opportunity to present at the IFEAT conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, in September, sharing strategies for Leading Sustainability in the Essential Oils Sector Through Strategic Partnerships. This presentation highlighted the importance of sustainability in the essential oil sector, and the opportunities to advance sustainability through strategic partnerships – from deeper supplier relationships to asking the right questions about how our raw ingredients are produced. 

In 2026, aromatherapy will continue to be a key pillar of our integrative mental wellness pathways.

Advancing Functional Nutrition and the “Food as Medicine” Movement

Nutrition, particularly gut-brain health and personalized nutrition, remains one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global wellness economy.

This year, ACHS:

• Supported student research with a research scholarship that supported the advancement and presentation of student research and participation in the poster sessions at the National Association of Nutrition Professionals national conference. Six ACHS students and alumni presented their research at the HEALCon 2025 Conference (May 1-4, 2025) hosted by the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) and have since had their abstracts published in the October/November 2025 volume of Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal (IMCJ). 
• Expanded partnerships that provide students and graduate practitioners with access to services and materials to advance their clinical practice. These include partnerships with Berry Street, Wellness Vault, MaxGen Labs, MyVinyasa Practice, Eco-School Network, and New Century Labs, among others.

Heading into 2026, demand for trained nutrition professionals is only expected to grow, and ACHS will continue leading with evidence, ethics, and student success at the core.

Growing Our Mental Wellness Pathways and Supporting a Healthier Workforce

Across industries, 2025 marked a continued shift from crisis-driven mental health support to proactive mental fitness, with organizations embracing resilience-building, whole-person wellbeing, and purposeful recovery.

This year, ACHS:

• Launched the Cultivating Resilience: Practices to Reduce Stress and Release Trauma micro-credential, offering practical tools for stress recovery, emotional regulation, and trauma-informed support.
• Expanded ACHS’s Department of Integrative Mental Wellness with the new Holistic Approaches to Mental Wellness, starting Spring 2026, and now open for enrollment.

In 2026, mental wellness will continue to be a defining area of innovation as ACHS prepares a new generation of integrative practitioners.

Together, these efforts reflect our commitment not only to meeting the needs of the current wellness workforce but to shaping the future of the field responsibly.

Sustainability & Innovation: Building the Future of Wellness Education

This year we:

• Deepened supplier and farm partnerships, listening directly to growers, distillers, and product manufacturers, all navigating labor shortages, climate variability, market volatility, and agricultural concerns for sustainably produced raw ingredients, including pesticide drift, particularly affecting essential oil production. These connections were made possible through the Sustainable Herbs Initiative and our partners within the International Federation of Essential Oil and Aroma Trades (IFEAT).
• Connected with impact organizations who are advancing values-driven approaches to business and sustainability, including collaboration with the Sustainable Herbs Initiative and colleagues in our B Corp and People and Planet First communities, like the Impact Collective and initiatives such as the Purchasing with Purpose program. At ACHS, we’ve committed to investing resources and supporting staff involvement in initiatives that promote transparency, ethical sourcing, and regenerative practices in the wellness industry.
• Lived our legacy as early adopters of technology and innovation by engaging AI tools with intention, testing, setting clear standards, and teaching students how to use these tools responsibly to strengthen their learning and future practice. At the April 2025 DEAC Conference, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Tiffany Rodriguez was honored with the DEAC Innovation Award, celebrating ACHS’s leadership in developing and implementing the ACHS ACE Initiative, AI for Community Engagement: Advancing Communication, Teaching, and Learning. This year-long initiative brought together stakeholders from across the institution, including students, to holistically integrate AI tools and practices, enhancing online education and student success.
• Advanced the ACHS Foundation to Support Community Wellness. The ACHS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to integrative health education and advancing global sustainability. Building on our 45-year commitment to holistic wellness, the Foundation helps more people access education, practical wellness tools, and community-based support, regardless of background or financial barriers. In 2026, we’re working to expand scholarships, community health outreach, sustainability partnerships, advocacy resources, and service-learning opportunities, bringing wellness and sustainable practices into the heart of communities worldwide. 
• Celebrated 10 Years as a top 10 Green Workplace in Oregon. ACHS was named one of Oregon’s Top 10 Best Green Workplaces by Oregon Business Magazine for the 10th consecutive year, highlighting our deep and sustained commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and workplace wellness. This recognition reflects our leadership in integrating eco-conscious practices across our operations while advancing our mission in holistic health and wellness education. We continue to emphasize the growing importance of purpose-driven, sustainable practices across all industries, with the notion that a multi-pronged approach supports both our community and the broader global movement toward a healthier, greener future.

Together, these efforts reflect our commitment not only to meeting the needs of the current wellness workforce—but to shaping the future of the field responsibly.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As we move into a new year, several themes stand out:

• Wellness continues shifting toward prevention, personalization, and integrative practices.
• Mental wellness is becoming a core area of healthcare, not a peripheral service.
• Sustainable, ethical sourcing across botanicals and natural products is non-negotiable and vital to the future availability of the raw ingredients we rely on.
• AI, innovation, and accessibility will continue transforming how we teach, learn, and practice.
• Partnerships, local, global, and cross-sector, will continue to be leading opportunities for the continued growth and success of our industry. 

In Gratitude

2025 was a year defined by connection, collaboration, and community. None of this progress was achieved by one; it was made possible by our students, alumni, staff, faculty, and partners who show up every day with dedication and heart.

Thank you for the creativity, curiosity, and compassion you bring to ACHS.

I always want to take a moment to thank just a few of the many organizations and stewards we’ve had the opportunity to connect more deeply with this year, and who are all working tirelessly to advance wellness for global communities: 

Alliance of International Aromatherapists | American Herbalists Guild | evanhealy | IFEAT | Mountain Rose Herbs | National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy | National Association of Nutrition Professionals | Oshala Farm | Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI) and SHI Members

Here’s to a healthy, inspired, and sustainable 2026—for all of us, and for the communities we serve.

Wishing you wellness,

Tracey Abell, ACHS President