What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a natural system of healing which uses remedies taken principally from plant, mineral and animal sources. The remedies usually come in the form of small, easily digestible and pleasant tasting pills. Homeopathy works by triggering the body’s own healing mechanisms. This stimulation also helps to strengthen immunity to avoid recurrence of the complaint and restore a general feeling of wellbeing.
Homeopathic remedies operate on the principle that ‘like cures like.’ For example, the effects of drinking too much coffee are well known to produce a feeling of sleeplessness. Coffee, used homeopathically as the remedy Coffea, is often prescribed for insomnia brought on by over-excitement or nerves. Similarly, the homeopathic remedy Alium Cepa, which is prepared from the onion, is often used to treat the watery and stinging eyes of hay fever.
Individuality and what to expect from the homeopathic consultation
Homeopathy recognises that no two people are the same; each person will suffer and respond to an illness in their own particular way. As a holistic form of medicine, homeopathy treats and respects every aspect of the person, considering symptoms on mental, emotional and physical levels.
Headaches provide a good example of this; one person’s headaches are stress related, another’s will be the direct consequence of a gastric upset, yet another's will be related to hormonal changes. Such differences are taken into account in homeopathy and will result in totally tailor-made prescriptions. Individualising in this way, means that the underlying causes are prescribed for, thus helping prevent recurrence of the symptoms.
As a homeopath, I will need to get a 360 degree view of your health. Therefore, during the consultation, I will gather information about your current symptoms, but of equal relevance are also your medical history, lifestyle, diet and who you are as a person. I will receive the information you give me in a spirit of non-judgemental warmth, with the sole objective of prescribing the homeopathic remedies best suited to you.
The need to establish a complete picture of your health means that the initial consultation takes about 90 minutes for adults and 60 minutes for children. Following appointments are shorter, taking 45 minutes and come around 4-5 weeks after the first consultation. Here we will assess your progress since the first prescription and decide on next steps. The number of appointments required depends on many factors such as the severity and duration of your symptoms.
Homeopathy works for:
Acne
Anxiety and panic attacks
Allergies
Arthritis
Asthma
Behavioural issues
Coughs and recurrent colds
Depression
Digestive disorders
Eczema
Fibromyalgia
Hay fever
Headaches and migraines
IBS
Insomnia
Menopausal issues
Menstrual irregularities and discomfort
Pregnancy and childbirth
Thyroid issues
Tonsillitis
UTI
The list above is by no means exhaustive; if you feel unwell in any way, homeopathy can help.
