Featuring Person: Sunita Teckchand
Designation: Founder
Company Name: The Holistic Alternatives FZ LLC
Sunita Teckchand: Guiding Minds and Hands in the Art of Natural Healing
The world of complementary and alternative therapies continues to grow as more people seek natural, preventive, and deeply personal approaches to health and wellbeing. Beyond symptom relief, this field focuses on understanding the whole person, body, mind, emotions, and lifestyle, while empowering individuals to take an active role in their own healing. Education plays a vital role in this space, shaping practitioners who are not only technically skilled but also intuitive, ethical, and grounded in real human connection. As holistic health gains global recognition, the need for structured, accredited, and experience-led training has never been more important.
At the heart of this evolving landscape stands Sunita Teckchand, Founder, Director, and Principal Tutor of The Holistic Alternatives FZ LLC. With nearly three decades of experience in clinical aromatherapy and complementary healing, Sunita has dedicated her life to teaching, mentoring, and supporting practitioners across the world. Her work blends traditional wisdom with professional rigor, offering students a pathway to meaningful, sustainable careers in holistic health.
Through The Holistic Alternatives, she delivers comprehensive training in Clinical Aromatherapy, Complementary, and Alternative Therapies, with accreditation from the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists and the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. Her programs are designed not only to build technical competence but also to develop confidence, intuition, and ethical practice. Alongside in-depth professional qualifications, she offers short courses in the Art of Blending with Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Swedish Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage, and a wide range of CPD courses that allow practitioners to continually refine and upgrade their skills.
What sets Sunita apart is her deeply human approach to teaching. Every course reflects her belief that healing begins with understanding, presence, and lifelong learning. Her classrooms, both physical and digital, are spaces where science meets sensitivity, and where students are encouraged to grow not just as therapists, but as individuals. For many, learning under her guidance becomes more than professional training. It becomes a turning point toward purpose-driven work, personal balance, and a deeper connection to the art of healing.
From Personal Healing to Professional Purpose
In 1995, while living in Hong Kong, Sunita sought help for a persistent back injury caused by years of intense sports such as hockey and squash. Conventional approaches had failed her. Chiropractors, physiotherapists, and multiple treatments offered little relief. At her sister’s recommendation, she visited a compassionate aromatherapist. That single session changed everything.
It was not only the immediate physical relief that left an impression, but the intuitive precision of the therapist. The practitioner understood her pain without lengthy explanations and supported her healing in a way Sunita had never experienced. That moment ignited a deep curiosity and respect for alternative therapies. From that point onward, there was no turning back.
When Sunita relocated to Dubai in 1997, the holistic and alternative health sector was almost nonexistent. Seeing a gap and guided by her growing passion, she introduced her own essential oil brand, eSSensuals, and opened a small retail space in Jumeirah Centre. The response was immediate and encouraging.
Soon after, an opportunity emerged to expand, and Sunita opened the eSSensuals Aromatherapy Centre. It became one of the first dedicated spaces in Dubai offering therapies such as aromatherapy, reflexology, kinesiology, and other alternative healing modalities. The center thrived, attracting a diverse clientele seeking care beyond conventional medicine.
Yet success came at a cost. Long hours, often stretching to fourteen-hour days, took a toll on her health. Her body delivered a message she could not ignore. Paralysis in her right arm forced her to stop. To Sunita, this was not just a physical crisis, but a spiritual one. It was a call to pause, reflect, and listen inward rather than constantly doing. She chose to step away, selling the business and taking a much-needed sabbatical.
Teaching as a Natural Evolution
After a year of rest and reflection, Sunita returned with clarity. Teaching felt like the next natural step. She began traveling between Hong Kong and London, conducting workshops and advanced training programs. Recognizing the need for well-trained practitioners with strong practical foundations, she pursued formal teacher training herself.
In 2010, she established The Holistic Institute in Jumeirah Lake Towers. The institute offered internationally recognized curricula in therapeutic massage, clinical aromatherapy, Indian head massage, manual lymphatic drainage, and more. Students arrived from across the globe. Examiners and educators flew in to assess practical skills. With KHDA approval, the institute flourished and became a respected center of excellence.
Regulatory changes in 2014, however, made it impossible to continue operations. With grace and resilience, Sunita chose to close the institute rather than compromise its standards. Teaching never left her life. She continued working internationally and, in 2018, launched The Holistic Alternatives. This time, she embraced digital learning, creating a comprehensive online platform designed to run over two to three years. The program trains students to become qualified clinical aromatherapists under IFPA UK standards.
The platform remains active today, with graduates practicing across different parts of the world. It stands as a testament to her ability to adapt without losing depth, integrity, or personal connection to her students.
A Vision Rooted in Passion and Service
At the heart of Sunita’s work lies one guiding force: passion. Not ambition or scale, but love for the work and the transformation it enables in others. In her early days of practice, she often felt shy and uncertain, especially when faced with complex cases. Yet those challenges became her greatest teachers.
Over the years, she encountered clients with critical conditions, individuals whom conventional medicine could no longer support. Sunita is clear in her philosophy. She does not claim to heal. Instead, she believes in supporting the body and mind through carefully designed formulations and intuitive practice that ease suffering and restore balance.
One case remains particularly vivid. A woman arrived with severe swelling in one leg due to undiagnosed lymphedema. Despite extensive testing across multiple hospitals, no clear cause had been found. Guided by intuition and muscle testing, Sunita traced the issue back to an insect bite sustained during a trip to Oman. Through targeted essential oil therapy, the swelling gradually subsided, and the client regained comfort and mobility. Stories like these are not exceptions in Sunita’s work. They reflect her willingness to trust her training, intuition, and experience, even when others hesitate.
Today, Sunita continues to work with select clients, offer advanced training, and speak at traditional and alternative health conferences around the world. Her research continues, driven by curiosity rather than obligation.
As she prepares to step into retirement, her sense of fulfillment is evident. She has built institutions, trained generations of practitioners, and contributed meaningfully to the global holistic health community. While her pace may slow, her connection to the field remains strong. Research, conferences, and sharing knowledge will always be part of who she is.
Leadership as Curiosity, Humility, and Service
Sunita does not see herself through the traditional lens of leadership. She does not attach titles to her identity, nor does she measure influence by hierarchy or visibility. In her view, leadership emerges quietly through lived experience, sincerity, and an ongoing commitment to learning. Her journey into aromatherapy began as a response to her own pain and healing, not as a strategic career move. That personal transformation shaped how she approaches her work even today. When clients improve through natural therapies rather than relying solely on medication, the sense of fulfillment is profound. It reinforces her belief that real impact comes from presence, patience, and care rather than authority.
Curiosity has been one of Sunita’s strongest guides. Whenever a book, idea, or modality stirred something within her, she followed that pull. Reading Many Lives Many Masters sparked a deep interest in regression therapy and hypnotherapy, leading her to study directly under its author. This pattern repeated throughout her career. When aromatherapy alone was not enough for a client with a complex condition, she sought other ways to support them.
That openness led her, as early as 2000, to study Jin Shin Jyutsu, a Japanese healing art that works with the body’s energetic blueprint and supports physical, emotional, and spiritual balance. She is careful to clarify that she does not view herself as a healer. Healing, in her philosophy, belongs to the client. Her role is to facilitate, guide, and create the conditions for that healing to occur.
Her desire to address root causes rather than symptoms naturally expanded into counseling-based disciplines. She trained in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Breathwork, Time Line Therapy, and other approaches. Each modality was integrated into her practice and later into her teaching. She firmly believes that no single therapy can address every issue, and that true support requires a broad, integrated understanding of the human experience.
In a fast-evolving world, her definition of being dynamic is simple yet demanding. It means staying curious, remaining humble, adapting without ego, and continuously learning in service of others.
Navigating Systems That Were Not Built for Holistic Practice
The challenges Sunita faced were not limited to clinical work or personal endurance. Many of her toughest battles were with systems that struggled to understand holistic medicine. When she first attempted to open an aromatherapy center in Dubai, obtaining a suitable license proved to be a long and exhausting process. Her vision was straightforward. She wanted a space where individuals could access a range of alternative therapies under one roof. Authorities questioned her credentials, focusing on the absence of a PhD or medical degree, despite her formal training in clinical aromatherapy. At the time, this discipline was not clearly recognized and was placed under therapeutic massage within the regulatory framework.
Sunita spent nearly a year pushing for recognition, advocating relentlessly before she was finally granted a specialized rehabilitation professional license. It took stubborn persistence, emotional resilience, and an unshakable belief that what she was building truly mattered. But the cost was high. Her days stretched to fourteen hours, often without breaks, seven days a week.
Losing movement meant losing the ability to practice at all. There was no workaround, no gradual adjustment; just a sudden, devastating stop. She was forced to make a decision she never imagined facing: to walk away from the business she had fought so hard to create. Selling it felt less like a choice and more like a quiet grief, as if she were giving up a part of her identity. Yet that moment also taught her something difficult and lasting that ambition has limits, and listening to the body is not weakness, but survival.
When Integrity Meant Walking Away
Opening The Holistic Institute in Jumeirah Lake Towers marked another ambitious chapter. From 2009 onward, Sunita worked through extensive administrative processes with DMCC to establish a licensed training institute. The effort paid off. With KHDA approval, the institute officially opened in 2010 and quickly gained recognition.
Students enrolled from around the world to study clinical aromatherapy, massage, manual lymphatic drainage, reflexology, anatomy, physiology, and pathology. International curricula from IFPA and ITEC were offered, and the institute became known for its rigorous standards and practical depth. Teaching was never just a profession for Sunita. It was a responsibility and a calling.
In 2014, regulatory changes introduced a requirement that graduates leave the country for two years to gain post-qualification experience before being allowed to practice locally. This decision undermined the institute’s entire model. While the qualifications remained valid internationally, the restriction placed students in an unfair position.
Sunita could have continued operating quietly. Many would have. Instead, she chose transparency and integrity. She shut the institute down rather than compromise the trust of her students. That decision, though painful, aligned with the values that had guided her from the beginning.
Repeatedly facing resistance, closures, and regulatory barriers could have hardened her outlook. Instead, they deepened her acceptance and resilience. She believes that when one door closes, the only real option is to move forward and remain open to what follows.
Even after contributing to professional dialogues and being invited by health authorities to speak on alternative and complementary therapies, official recognition remained elusive. Rather than continuing to fight, she chose to step back and allow the next generation to take that challenge forward. Her students, many of whom still live and practice in the region, now carry that responsibility. Sunita’s role has shifted from challenger to guide, mentor, and quiet supporter of future change.
Through every phase, her journey reflects a leadership style grounded in authenticity rather than assertion. It is leadership shaped by listening, learning, and knowing when to hold on and when to let go.
When Holistic Living Becomes a Life Lesson
Sunita speaks about holistic impact not as a theory, but as a lived reality shaped by responsibility, sacrifice, and awakening. Her understanding of holistic living was deeply influenced by motherhood, migration, and the pressure of building a business from the ground up in a new country.
When she moved to the UAE in 1997, her children were still very young. Establishing a home, enrolling them in school, and adjusting to a vastly different environment from Hong Kong demanded emotional resilience and practical strength. Two years later, when she opened her center, the responsibility multiplied. In the UAE, business ownership requires significant financial commitment before any income is generated. Annual rent, licensing fees, government charges, staff salaries, and operational costs had to be paid upfront. Once those commitments were made, there was no room to pause.
That pressure translated into long working hours and constant presence at the center. Clients wanted sessions exclusively with her, knowing she was both the owner and the practitioner. Days stretched from morning into late evenings, including weekends. Over time, exhaustion set in, and burnout followed.
The impact extended beyond her professional life. To keep the business afloat, she had to be away from her children far more than she wished. It forced her to stop and reflect on what balance truly means. Her health mattered. Her presence as a mother mattered. That moment reshaped her understanding of holistic living in its truest sense.
The lesson was simple and lasting. When self-care is neglected, everything else eventually collapses. A holistic approach, she believes, creates long-term impact only when it honors the individual as a whole human being, not just a role or responsibility.
Milestones That Opened Doors for Others
Among her proudest achievements, Sunita points to moments that went beyond personal success and created pathways for others.
Securing a specialized rehabilitation license for the eSSensuals Aromatherapy Centre in Dubai stands out as a defining milestone. It took nearly a year of persistence with authorities who initially refused permission for her to work with both men and women. When the license was finally granted, it did more than validate her work. It set a precedent that allowed other alternative therapy centers to follow the same route.
Another deeply meaningful achievement was establishing the Jin Shin Jyutsu Centre at the Al Noor Centre for Special Needs. There, she worked closely with children, their parents, and caregivers, offering this gentle healing modality while also teaching parents how to support their children at home. With parental consent, she personally worked with fifty children, conducting aromatherapy and Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions twice a week. The improvements observed were remarkable, bringing relief, progress, and renewed hope to families.
Similar work followed at the SNF Child Development Centre in Bur Dubai, where the same approach led to visible changes in children’s wellbeing. These experiences reinforced her belief that healing extends far beyond clinics and classrooms. It lives in trust, patience, and consistent care.
On a more personal level, some of her most meaningful achievements are quieter moments. Seeing a client with cancer smile as pain eases. Witnessing acceptance replace fear. Supporting individuals whom doctors had told there was nothing more they could do. When alternative therapies bring comfort or unexpected improvement, those moments stay with her forever.
Sharing her journey through the co-authored book She Is Remarkable became another proud milestone. The book became a bestseller and continues to reach readers across the UAE and beyond. As recognition of her work grew, so did invitations to speak at forums and conferences, platforms she continues to embrace as a way to give back and educate.
A Message Rooted in Integrity, Learning, and Self-Belief
Sunita’s message to readers and aspiring change-makers is grounded in honesty and experience. She encourages people to believe in themselves and commit fully to paths they genuinely love. Passion, she believes, carries people through the hardest phases of any career.
She speaks candidly about the importance of ethical practice. In her field, she has seen individuals work beyond their training and scope, often with good intentions but serious risks. Her advice is clear. Stay within what you are qualified to do. No practitioner can treat every condition, and knowing limitations is a form of professionalism, not weakness.
Lifelong learning remains central to her philosophy. With technology and artificial intelligence becoming part of everyday life, she urges practitioners not to lose their critical thinking or intuition. Tools like AI can assist, but they cannot replace education, hands-on experience, or human understanding. She reflects on her own years of study, when research meant books, charts, handwritten notes, and long hours of focused learning. It was demanding, but it built depth, discipline, and confidence.
Through The Holistic Alternatives, students follow a structured online curriculum that spans up to three years, though many complete it within sixteen to eighteen months. Graduates qualify as recognized clinical aromatherapists with IFPA backing. Many go on to build flexible careers, offering consultations, creating blends, and generating income while doing meaningful work well into later life.
Sunita’s final reminder is simple yet powerful. Trust your abilities. Challenges will come, and they often arrive unannounced. Meet them with grace, honesty, and courage. Growth does not come from ease, but from the willingness to face difficulty without losing integrity or compassion.
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