They say that most illnesses stem from our own psychological weakness, or inability to manage stress. Homeopathy proves this to be true as it targets these deep issues within our psyche in order to heal on all levels: mind, body, and spirit.
Homeopathy is a very unique modality in that it is a form of “energy” medicine (similar to acupuncture and reiki), however you also take little “pills”. It is also unique in that the consultation is a lot like a psychological evaluation, or psychotherapy appointment. The appointment in and of itself has been reported to be quite therapeutic. Click here if you are not quite sure what homeopathy is (it is not herbs and supplements, as many believe).
The initial consultation is only the beginning of a journey that has you exploring and modifying your own strengths and weaknesses on a very deep level (cognitively, emotionally, and physically). For some people, this will cause them to start taking a look at their lives with a level of clarity which they never have before. This can result in some small or very large life changes. I often caution people when wanting to start on this journey. It takes courage to truly “heal”. But the level of relief that can be attained is worth it.
For those looking to pursue homeopathy, it is helpful to know what the initial consultation looks like and why it looks this way. It should be noted that each practitioner has his or her own style. This article pertains mostly to my own consultations and is similar to some of my close colleagues.
Health History
The gathering of health history starts before the consultation. The following questions will be emailed to the client (or can be attained from my website). It is helpful to be as thorough as possible so that I can find any potential blocks which need to be cleared at some point in the case.
- List all CURRENT homeopathic remedies, supplements, or pharmaceutical drugs.
- List all PAST vaccines, medicines, tests, scans, and surgeries.
- List all current and past infections identified or suspected (specific pathogens if available).
- List all other toxic exposures: heavy metals, live close to powerlines, toxins known in drinking water, toxins in household products or toiletries the child was often exposed to, etc.
- List health history of mother (including vaccines, medicines, toxic exposures, infections)
- List health history of father (same as above).
Consultation
Most of my consultations occur over Zoom or Skype (video chat), but can also be done over the phone. The links for these applications are always found in my signature in my email for easy access. The consultation can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on the level of complexity. I tend to have a general order in which I gather the information that I need but the consultation can sometimes take on a life of it’s own as information is uncovered, so this order is not set in stone. However, I will try to explain the various parts of the intake.
In homeopathy we have a phrase, “direction of cure”, which is very important to understand. In general, the body/vital force tends to heal in a particular direction. First, the cognitive function, next the emotional level, and last the physical. As in all things with homeopathy, there are no black and whites and sometimes a case can sort out in mysterious ways, but this is the general “direction of cure” one can expect.
As symptoms resolve in this direction, you can see symptoms moving out in many cases. One example could be: attention and focus issues resolving but being replaced with an increased tendency to cry (this can almost be considered a “detox” of emotions, which can be very important in the resolution of the case…since many of us have spent years suppressing our emotions). This increased emotionality could next change to lung symptoms (usually only if there is a history of lung issues) in the form of wheezing, or susceptibility to bronchitis. Lastly, the lung issues could clear up to be replaced with the tendency toward eczema or hives. As you can see, symptoms are moving from most important organ systems to least important organ systems. It is important to view the emergence of these old symptoms as the “right path” and not a “worsening of the case”. And due to the emergence of physical symptoms, I often suggest that people have a homeopathy kit on hand along with an acute homeopathy book, to be prepared for some of the acute situations that can pop up. I am also available for acute appointments. However, some of this moving out of symptoms will require a new homeopathy protocol and a new focus/direction in the chronic case (ie a follow up visit for re-evaluation). Or it may require patience as the body sorts things out for the time being.
So here are the parts (the “anatomy”) of the consultation:
1. Cognitive function
I will first ask the client to describe how he/she (or their child) is doing on this level. The cognitive level can include areas of focus, clarity, attention, motivation, expressive and receptive language, memory, delayed milestones, missed milestones, and more. This can also include how the child is functioning with academics.
2. Emotional symptoms (including fears/phobias)
Society tends to expect us to suppress our emotions (sadness, grief, anger, even joy in some cases). Suppression of emotions in many cases is the cornerstone of what is keeping a person in illness. We will discuss any past emotions which may or may not have been suppressed. We will discuss HOW the person reacts when they are faced with a stressor and HOW they express their emotions.
In other words, if I were a fly on the wall in a moment of stress in a client’s life, I want to know exactly what I would see happen, and I want to know the thoughts going through the client’s mind in this moment. Does the client throw things? Scream, hit, bite, suddenly get very tired, collapse, or have a panic attack including chest tightness? We will explore these scenarios and we will dig deep and follow the trail of underlying fears which lead to these responses.
I will also want to know about any unique fears or phobias and what precipitated them.
3. Physical symptoms
Next we will discuss all physical symptoms. These include neurological symptoms such as tics and twitches. This can also include symptoms having to do with any organ system of the body: respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, cardiac, reproductive, musculoskeletal, skin, and more. As the case progresses you may find that some physical symptoms may decrease as some increase. This can be a normal progression of the case. An example of this would be wheezing of the lungs shifting to eczema or hives of the skin.
While the constitutional remedy at first is chosen in large part based on mental and emotional features of the case, as the case progresses the subsequent follow ups may focus more and more on physical features.
4. Sensation
At some point in the consultation I will ask you to close your eyes and go into a bit of a meditative state in order to get in touch with your intuition and subconscious. In this state we can often uncover information which the conscious mind is not able to access readily. I will ask you what it feels like in your body during times of acute stress, or during times of pain (emotional or physical). The keywords extracted from this part of the consultation can often lead to a well-chosen constitutional remedy. For the case of a child, the parent can do this “sensation process” for the child.
5. Pregnancy
In the case of a child, I will ask the mom to describe all features of the pregnancy, delivery, and child birth. This includes any emotional themes or traumas experienced, any arguments with or loss of a family member, any stress about becoming a mom, any stress in the marriage or with work, etc. This information can sometimes overlap with the child’s current symptoms and can give a little more insight into the case.
6. What-to-expect discussion and questions
At the end of the consultation I often describe what will happen next and answer any questions the client may have. For example, I will explain that it may take me a few days to analyze the case and develop a protocol. This protocol may include more than just homeopathic remedies. I may suggest supplements, flower essences, oils, or even a modality that I feel would help alongside homeopathy. I will send all of these recommendations in an email, followed by an invoice. This email will be quite lengthy and it is important that you set aside some time to read it thoroughly in order to have the proper pharmacy, dosing, and follow-up instructions.
Receiving and administering the remedies
Once you receive the remedies and begin to dose them, it is important to carefully observe all changes including things you may not have even been aware were symptoms (or things you were not even aiming to change). You may notice changes on cognitive, emotional, and physical levels (and even spiritual levels…a closer “relationship” with God/spirit, unlike anything you may have experienced before). You may see old symptoms return…as newer ones resolve (this is normal and most times the symptoms return in a less severe way than you experienced them in the past and oftentimes resolve on their own). You may see a release of emotions as symptoms resolve (this would be due to emotions you have suppressed at some point in your life). This is usually temporary and followed by an improvement on some level.
Be sure to make note of ALL of these changes, as it allows me (or your homeopath) to better analyze the success of the remedies, and which direction to go next.
Hopefully this gives a clear insight into how unique a homeopathy consultation can be and why it can go much deeper than most modalities do. This really allows us to open up the case and really get to the core features and causes of the state of illness the client is in. The homeopathy is the beginning of a very insightful journey of healing 🙂
If you are interested in learning more about my consultations, click below!
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