Homeopathy Tips Newsletter

Many times after giving the correctly chosen homeopathic remedy we may see a response but not the results we may expect. It can be difficult to ascertain whether the remedy is really working or whether there is an obstacle to cure. We must investigate closely the conditions for healing in the home as well as any medicinal substances the person may be taking. Homeopathic management in this modern drugged society can be difficult indeed.

      It is best before ever evaluating the remedy to evaluate the client and determine the obstacles to cure. There is often drug therapy that the person has been on for their malady. This will make your job significantly more difficult, but not impossible. If the person is on 3 drugs there is a 50% chance that there will be a new symptom that is a result of the drug therapy. If the person is on 5 or more drugs it is a 100%  fact that there will be a new symptom as a result of the body's response to the combined...

Many times in a person's story they will speak about events in their life that seem to defy all odds of occurrence. When this happens we usually say that there was some synchronicity. That two currents of life flowed together to form a larger and succinctly timed event. If the event has a negative connotation we usually say it was an accident. But if the event has a more positive or serendipitous quality, then we say it was an event of synchronicity.

      These events happen more often than we may think. Many times they occur with such common and everyday matters they may go unnoticed. If we were more aware of our everyday thoughts and actions we may very well see how the universe is supporting us perfectly all of the time.  Often after taking homeopathic remedies and experiencing a healing response, we become more aware of our life and thoughts and will make more connections in our daily lives. For someone who has not experienced this before it...

Last week I went over one of the changes that begin to occur as a person heals. This is the state of being in the “Observer”. Another stage of a person's healing that can be a little disconcerting is when the person is changing so fast that everything about their life seems different. This is the main indication of knowing they have entered “No Mans Land”.

“No Man’s Land” is usually very uncomfortable for most people. As they have moved into the observer they become more aware of their interactions with others. Sometimes established relationships will change dramatically as the person becomes more aware of the unhealthy ways they have related in the past. Many times significant relations with family and friends will shift and the person sometimes makes the comment, “How did I get here?” This is one of the most common comments I hear when a person is in this stage of their healing. They are seeing their world differently and the...

There are two aspects of Homeopathy that seem to be diametrically opposed to each other but are absolutely necessary for Homeopathy to work. These are the "art" and the "science" that must be brought together to form a whole picture of dis-ease and the correct selection of the remedy. At first glance, it seems as though it would be impossible to marry the two. But careful investigation as to the true meaning of these different aspects can bring homeopathy to the level Hahnemann himself experienced.

I speak often about "seeing the case". This is where the "art" part of homeopathy comes in. The ability to be free of prejudice and let the client "paint the picture of their dis-ease". It is much like art appreciation; where there is nothing to judge about the work of art but to simply take it in and allow it to create the feeling inside. The difference is that it is most detrimental to follow feelings when case-taking. Feelings are usually your previous experiences and it is not good to...

When we have given a remedy, how do we know that it has worked? How do we know that the well-selected remedy that was given with confidence, is right?

The first follow-up is as important as the original case-taking. When we have given a remedy it is essential to determine if the remedy has worked. This can present problems at times. The client does not always report in glowing terms that the remedy has been helping. Sometimes it takes a bit of investigation to find out what has happened since they have been on the remedy. This is where good notes from the original case are essential. We must be able to investigate whether the vital force has responded or not.

I find that the first follow-up is best scheduled for around 4-6 weeks after the initial visit unless there is a very serious condition that is needing more attention. It is best to conduct the follow-up in a similar fashion to case-taking. Let them speak. Many times they will tell you that the remedy has had no effect but when...

Homeopathy, based on the "Law of Similars", makes the selection of the remedy one of the most difficult tasks for homeopaths. But the question of potency is also one of the big hurdles for homeopaths as well. What are the rules for potency selection? How do we decide what potency to select? There are probably as many opinions as there are homeopaths, but I want to share with you my thoughts. Please include your own below.

Hahnemann explains potency in Aphorism 29 of the Organon.  " ....so in every homeopathic cure this principle of life dynamically altered by natural disease is seized through the administration of a medicinal potency selected exactly according to symptom-similarity by a somewhat stronger, similar artificial disease-manifestation."

What Hahnemann is saying is that the properly selected homeopathic remedy must be given in a potency that is slightly stronger than the dis-ease expression of the vital force. How do we determine what potency is best...

In the course of seeing hundreds of clients, there are those that do better than others. And then there are those that do not seem to respond in any of the expected ways. I define these as "difficult cases."

For every case, the main indicator that the remedy is working is movement. The question I ask myself is, "Is there movement in the case?" Movement to me is symptoms or events in the person's life changing. There will be evidence that the vital force is expressing in a greater way than before. Sometimes this may be indicated by aggravations or return of old symptoms. Other times it is indicated by a greater sense of well-being or new events in the person's life. Anything that can be understood as movement in the case will keep me feeling that the remedy is helping, if only a little bit. Then I must retake the case and look for more clues to a better remedy or trust that their healing is happening but just not on my expected time schedule. These cases are a little more challenging...

Acute illnesses commonly happen during chronic or constitutional care. This can be challenging for homeopaths since the healing response to the original chronic or constitutional remedy can often be disturbed. What do we do then when new symptoms appear?

The approach to acute illness during chronic care is primarily determined by the kind of chronic care that has been given. It is one thing to treat acutes when there has been a healing response to a single high potency remedy. But quite another when the daily dosing of a remedy is now being affected by a new acute illness. Let's go through some of the possibilities and discuss the best approaches.

When a constitutional remedy is working and a new, acute illness happens, the same remedy that has brought the person to the new acute will be indicated and also help through the acute. Often that new acute expression is a part of the greater healing process. I find if the acute is not severe and the suffering is bearable, the best...

One of the greatest challenges for homeopaths is knowing when to let go of an idea about a case. This difficult task arises when we have seen cases similar to the one being received in the present. Often, we will project aspects of a previous case into the case we are working on. This is a process that the mind naturally wants to do. It is a function of the ego to justify and support our thoughts. But this is very dangerous in homeopathy.

Many times we will have had an experience ourselves similar to the client before us. In a casual setting, one would share from a similar perspective our own experience. We can relate to another in this way; it helps us make connections to the person before us. This all comes very naturally in life. But as a homeopath, this tendency creates a very big obstacle if we are to remain unprejudiced observers. Our natural tendency to share our story with another person with a similar story needs to be suspended, especially during the case-receiving...