Often (sadly) people see a homeopath when conventional treatment has not worked as they’d hoped. Coming to treatment when things feel ‘hopeless‘ makes everyone’s life harder. When I have asked people about this they often say they didn’t know homeopathy existed or they didn’t know anything about homeopathy. These statements are usually followed with something like and “this is my last resort…” sub text – no pressure 😉 I’ve heard this so many times I thought it would be helpful to write a practitioners insight into Homeopathy to help people make informed choices and expedite their healing process.

So what are the advantages of Homeopathy?

Firstly and one of the key reasons I love homeopathy is because it’s a complete system of natural medicine. Homeopaths can, and do, treat from ‘cradle to grave‘ and everything in between (including pregnant women). And just when you think it can’t get any better than that, hold onto your hats. Homeopathy:

• treats the whole person – not just the ‘sick bit/s’.
• provides us with a number of ways into a problem – so we can explore and treat a problem from different vantage points. In that way we can completely individualise treatment.
• can be used on its own or it can be successfully combined with other approaches/systems of health care.
• treats injuries, accidents and acute problems as well. AND
• Is a discipline that is being continuously developed. Homeopaths are a passionate lot. We understand our system has so much to offer AND we continually strive to develop both the art and the science.

Like I said, homeopathy treats the person as a whole. Homeopathy recognises all aspects of our experience (mental, emotional and physical symptoms) are connected and impact on one another. In some cases the inter connectivity directly affects how a homeopath will treat a given illness and in other cases we will treat symptomatically at least to start.

Homeopathy is considered a safe alternative for treating diseases and other ailments. Homeopathic remedies assist the body to fight  disease by improving its own capacity to heal. The remedies work to support what homeopaths understand as the natural healing processes of the body. That is why most consider it a relatively safe form of ‘alternative’ treatment. When people ask me if it’s safe I remind them that some of the most wealthy and influential people in the world use homeopathy including: Queen Elizabeth II, Mother Theresa, Tina Turner, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Pamela Anderson, Jane Fonda, Martina Navratilova, Charles Dickens, W.B. Yeats, Boris Becker, David Beckham, Tony Blair, Prince Charles to name a few. Not one of these people use homeopathy because they can’t afford anything else or because they are ignorant. I guess it’s best to suggest you read the research and make up your own mind.

While there are numerous ways to dispense homeopathic medicine, many Homeopaths dispense in the form of small sugar pills infused with medication. The pills are convenient to carry and easy to take. Homeopathic medicines are also recognised and regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). There are over the counter versions that can be conveniently obtained from chemists and health food stores if you’d like to try it out on ‘minor ailments’ before deciding to see a homeopath.

There is never a problem getting children to take homeopathic remedies. Some homeopaths will dispense remedies in liquids which may be sprayed under the tongue, taken as drops or diluted in water. You can also be given homeopathic remedies in the form of powders and cremes.

In terms of medical coverage, In Australia, members of a health fund can claim the cost of the homeopathic consultation. The cost of homeopathic remedies are relatively inexpensive compared to pharmaceutical products and herbs/vitamins.  And remedies are cost effective because little goes a long way. For example, a good homeopathic first aid kit will enable you to treat most minor accidents and minor ailments for a long time.

In summary if you are considering alternative ways to support your health then consider homeopathy because:

• It’s considered safe when used in accordance with directions.
• Homeopathic medicines are easy to use.
• Homeopathic medicines are relatively affordable.
• Remedies can be used safely with other forms of treatment.
• Homeopathy in non-invasive.
• Kids love homeopathic remedies
• Women who are either expecting or want to a family can take homeopathic medicines
• Homeopathy can support you throughout your life

To your health!