Discovering homeopathy
Many people come to homeopathy only after traditional treatments and conventional medical methods fail. Due to our comfort with the current paradigm of Western medicine, homeopathy can seem like an ancient and mysterious practice from the time of apothecaries.
Though indeed homeopathy was born more than two hundred years ago, and consists of taking tiny sugar pills or infused tinctures, it is as rooted as deeply in science as mainstream medicine. While it is a paradox that a minute dose of something that should aggravate symptoms can indeed cure them, many such paradoxes currently exist in Western medicine.
For example the idea of a vaccine could be seen as a paradox if it wasn't so commonly accepted. Giving a small dose of a disease will render the body immune to that disease.
A patient may become interested in homeopathy after it provides a cure to a chronic condition such as hay fever or insomnia after years of suffering and fruitless treatment. This patient most likely came to homeopathy out of desperation and openness to trying anything that will bring relief.
Many cured patients become so impressed with this alternative style of healing that it inspires them to pursue a degree in homeopathy. The interest they talk in their jobs truly comes from the desire to help others the way they themselves had been helped.
Many ways to pursue homeopathy training
In today's world there are many options for studying homeopathy. There are accredited four year alternative health colleges that confer the official title of homeopath and there are the online or correspondence homeopathy courses available.
There are supplemental courses available for practicing medical doctors and there are countless books available to lay people who just want to read up on homeopathy and learn more about it.
Thought tempting, existence of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines and software programs on homeopathy, is not a license to practice homeopathy on oneself. Because of its complexity, dilettantes can rarely verse themselves enough in homeopathy to produce the desired cure.
The nuances of homeopathy
Because homeopathy is the art of working in tiny units of measurement, the science of diagnosing and prescribing homeopathic remedies requires a great deal of sensitivity and intuition. In this light, it is extremely important, aside from a strong technical education in homeopathy, for homeopaths to develop a strong sense of objectivity and neutrality while listening to the complaints of patients.
According to an article published on the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy "Objectivity is the basis for obtaining accurate observation. We have to listen to the patient with all our powers of observation on the alert. As soon as we introduce our bias or use direct questioning, the information we obtain loses its value."
"During the act of taking a case, the moment we focus on a certain remedy we have lost our objectivity. It is crucial that we keep our neutrality until the end of the case. This does not mean that we do not think of certain remedies while taking the case. As we are making the discovery of characteristic symptoms it is inevitable to consider certain remedies."
"The frame of mind here should be to rule out rather than try to confirm a certain remedy. Of course the temptation is great to jump to conclusions quickly. We have to be on constant watch to maintain our objectivity."
The success of homeopathy is only as good as its input
Being a successful practitioner of homeopathy has a lot to do with knowing how to make your patients feel comfortable and listened to. Trust is important in any relationship, but in the relationship between the medical provider and the patient, it could be the difference between success and failure.
Typically, a patients will open up to a doctor they trust. Practitioners of homeopathy have an opportunity to develop that trust during the initial consultation. This point is illustrated in the following example on the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy web site.
"Lets say we spend thirty minutes investigating a patient.s chief complaint, a case of multiple sclerosis for example. When asking about the modalities which affect the symptoms the patient mentions that all the symptoms are aggravated just before a storm. There is a magical moment that develops between the patient and the physician."
"First of all, we have spent more time thus far questioning the patient about the problem than most neurologists have done. Second of all, the patient notices our reaction of interest by mentioning the fact that the symptoms are aggravated before a storm. Not only is the patient feeling that this doctor is listening but that their story is really important after all (contrary to the neurologist for whom it was an insignificant fact)."
Trinity Clinic now has in-depth content areas covering such topics as Homeopathy,
Naturopathic Medicine, Alternative Medicine, and more.
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