e-mail:
docbones224@earthlink.net
Questions to ask a potential
homeopath you're thinking of hiring to take your constitutional case:
1. Are you a classially trained homeopathy? (This infers that the person
has been trained to take a case and give ONE remedy at a time, ONE time
only, and wait to see how it affects you and your vital force.) If the
person uses combination homeopathic remedies, I would avoid them.
2. How many years have you been in practice? (Ideally, I like to see
someone with five years of practice under their belt. Why?
Because, more than likely, they've seen a lot, plus they have a grasp of
the workings of the Vital Force and the progress of cure).
3. Where did you study to learn homeopathy? (There are all kinds of
schools around the world. The key is in finding one that has good
educational credentials. Was the class taught by one homeopath? Or by
many? The more exposure to the most homeopathic faculty is best for a
well-rounded student). And, they should have at least attended a 2-4 year
program. Ideally, they had clinic with their schooling, but in the USA,
very, very few schools do this, with the exception of DISCH, the Desert
Institute of Classical Homeopathy, Phoenix, Arizona, where I am on their
faculty.
4. Get at least 3 referrals from patients that this person has worked
with homeopathically. Talk to these people and find out if
they're pleased with the service, the timliness of the help, and how their
health is doing now vs. before they went to this homeopath for help.
5. Call the National Center for Homeopathy 703-548-7790, Alexandria, VA,
to find out if there has been any negatives against the homeopath you are
thinking of hiring. We do not have a self-regulating, USA board where
homeopaths who are not up to snuff, can be censured, or patients can air
their greivance against a certain homeopath.
And by the same token, if it is an MD homeopath you're considering hiring,
go to the state Medical Board and see if s/he has been
censured, or there has been complaints lodged against her/him by
patients. Do your homework.
6. The best way to find a good homeopath--and they don't grow on
trees--they are far and few between and the likelihood of having to drive
100 or more miles to get to one, is very common. Unless, of course, you
live in a big, metropolitan city, then you may be able to find one more
easily.
7. Once you find a homeopath, call him/her for a "phone-consult." What
this means is you're going to interview them for the position as your
homeopath. Ask the above questions about their credentials, their
education. And if they are a "lay homeopath" it is important to find out
the extent of their medical education, or any certifications or licensing
that they hold. I would not go to a lay
homeopath who either did not have direct access to an MD with whom they
worked or could consult about medical things, or did not have the
appropriate medical background to know when to send you to the hospital
and not treat you, instead. Being an RN, FNP, paramedic or EMT all
qualify as legitimate medical underpinnings of a lay homeopath.
In the phone consult, see how you respond and resonate with the
homeopath. If you feel good about it, this is an indication there's a
nice bridge of trust being established between you and them. If you feel
badly, or unsure or there's a "red flag" that hits you about them, do not
make an appointment with them. Go find another one and start the process
all over again.
8. Also, if you've had bad experiences with men, in all likelihood, you
won't want to have a male homeopath; but you'll seek out a female one,
instead. Or, vice-versa. Be sensitive to this issue about yourself and
your needs. Trust is tougher to establish with the gender that harmed
you. Better to try the opposite gender because trust is build more easily
and therefore, openness is easier to give to the homeopath.
If the person had done a distance learning course, this doesn't
automatically shut them out as a possible homeopathy. The Misha
Norland and British Institute of Homeopathy (both classical homeopathy)
courses (both out of England) are not easy to get
through, and the students work hard. Plus, they have faculty that they
can contact to help them at any time, and this is a must.
Again, the individual distant learner's medical education MUST be
considered. See #7.
9. A good homeopath is NOT going to promise you cure. They will give you
hope, but not promise your condition can be cured. They will work TOWARD
that goal, but many things can compromise that such as your age, your
health (or lack of it), a weak Vital Force (which they'll assess once they
take your case), or wear and tear on an organ or system that is destroyed
(homeopathy cannot replace, for instance, heart muscle that has died
during a heart attack), nor can it recreate more brain cells, etc. Every
alternative medicine has its limits, and homeopathy also has it, too.
10. A good homeopath educates her client, and doesn't leave them in the
dark about what is going on, or how they are going to treat you, or the
course of cure in your case. Ask them if they will answer your questions
fully. They should be willing to do this for you.
11. Once you've got a homeopath, the case may take between 1-3 hours to
take. So, expect to spend some time with your homeopath. Come with a
list of questions you might have. If the homeopath doesn't have the time
to answer them, then set up a phone consult, time/date, where s/he can
call you and give you the answers. No patient should ever be left in the
"dark" about their treatment. You have paid this person and they OWE you
that much. Another place to find out a lot about homeopathy is:
www.homeopathic.org, the National
Center for Homeopathy.