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Choosing a Homeopath: What to Look When
Consulting a Reliable Homeopathic Practitioner
by Luc De Schepper, MD, PhD, DI
Hom., CHom., Lic.Ac
Reprinted by permission.
Read
Dr. Luc De
Schepper's New Blog for HSCN!
Dr. Luc is the author of excellent
books on Classical Homeopathy.
Two hundred and fifty years ago,
Hahnemann, the Founder of Homeopathy, wrote to a Prince who was his
patient and asked for advice as how to select a reputable physician, a
letter on the subject, “On the Choice of a Family Physician.”
Hahnemann’s words ring through now just as much as then for anyone who
must choose a homeopath or other health practitioner. I have taken the
liberty to use his essay as a foundation and adapt it to modern times,
when you have the all-important question: “What do I look for if I want
to consult a reliable homeopathic practitioner?”
As Hahnemann stated, “Without being
yourself a physician (homeopath), it is impossible to form an immediate
judgment respecting the scientific attainments of a homeopath.
Therefore, as a layperson, in order to select a really good homeopathic
practitioner, you must have recourse to some facts which much guide you
to your object with no less certainty than if you had attended a
homeopathic school yourself.”
Here are
some of the homeopaths you should not visit:
Homeopath A.
Answers your questions with a disdainful air and a few short words. He
talks about the important persons he treated in his office and pays
little attention towards heartbreaking and serious situations of his
patient, as he continues to have the same air of the important man he is
in every situation, at home, in the street or in the office. Not even
the greatest misery of his patients produces any change in his frigid
professional manner. He has the stethoscope dangling around his neck and
his white coat bears his important name and credentials. While taking
your case, he is too immersed in studying his computer, looking
important and barely paying attention to you, the patient. His questions
are short and demand a “yes” or “no” as he is not interested in the
details of “how you became sick.”
His office is the model of fashion and
his furniture is in the best expensive taste. Such homeopath plays a
role: he is an important actor who has rehearsed his character on a
daily basis and surely finds it tiresome to listen to all the details of
your disease. But all he does is hide his limited homeopathic knowledge
behind a thick mask of his profession: any uninvited inquiry obtained by
the patient’s own research is arrested immediately with, “Did you go to
medical school or homeopathic school, or did I?”
Homeopath B.
Seems at first a better catch and I am almost half inclined to advise
you to select him. His daily calendar is full of patients for which he
has set out ten minutes a visit. After all, he is a superior
practitioner who can understand you and prescribe for, in the small
amount of time set apart for your personal case.
Additional questions at the end of
your ten minutes are waved away “as not being necessary” as the remedy
is clear to him. He tells you that he has been twenty years in practice
and that he can recognize the remedy you need upon setting eyes on you.
The receptionist hurries you in the office and the homeopath asks you a
couple of questions, and hardly waiting for a reply, he reaches for pen
and paper, and after seemingly deep reflection for two seconds in his
chair, he suddenly dashes off the elusive secret remedy and politely
hands it over to you. He rubs his hands together, waves you goodbye and
sends you packing in the waiting room that seems to be fuller than ever.
Of course, he already had received a warning from the receptionist that
your ten minutes were up.
His presence and help is in such great
request that he is perfectly unable to devote a longer period to each
patient. Even in your assigned ten minutes time slot, he had to be
interrupted by five “urgent” calls. All day long, he seems to dispense
in profusion prescriptions, advice, recommendations—like tickets for the
theatre. What you need to know is that such a homeopath cannot attend to
any of his patients properly, cannot in a few minutes maturely reflect
upon all the circumstances of your case, and still less find the proper
remedies for it, in spite of having the latest computer software. Even
for the “infallible” computer, the dictum is, “Garbage in, Garbage out.”
Without any doubt, this is the homeopath who you will consider to be a
fleeting phantom: he never returns your calls, does not answer any
emails and berates you for your “irrelevant questions and concerns.”
Well after this short discourse, I presume you will be inclined to look
out for someone else.
Homeopath C.
Perhaps you should have a look this one.
After all, he will let you know that he has attended the best
homeopathic school, studied “under” the greatest homeopaths, although it
simply means “that he studied his books, but has not made the effort to
really attend any or very few of his lectures.” This does not stop him
of dropping the name of the world renowned homeopath, connecting his
website to the master homeopath as to make sure you understand his own
intimate connection to greatness. He assures you that he practices
exactly like his teacher has dictated (according to truly classical
homeopathy), but upon simple investigation he sins against every
principle of true homeopathy. He claims that he has found his own
method, necessary because these are new and trying times and therefore
even Hahnemann would have approved of his inventions. Yet this
“important” looking statement only hides his incompetence and laziness
to truly study this difficult topic continuously. He attended a few
seminars and now thinks is possessed of a knowledge that no longer needs
fine-tuning. He prescribes for every patient a “protocol,” similar to
his well-learned allopathic physicians, forgetting that to cure a
patient the individuality must be taken into account.
According to his conviction--for
Disease A, there is “protocol A” which should be applied for several
months. It is a secret wish of someone who wanted to be an allopathic
physician or at least attain his stature, as he seeks to imitate those
who practice contrary to anything that stands for homeopathy. But of
course he tells you about the enormous “successes” he had. In reality,
he does not know what a “true cure” stands for: the freedom of any
mental. emotional and physical suffering, and the prevention of
recurrence of your disease or transference to another disease. He is
sure that his “genius” will be recognized and that the next Nobel prize
in medicine is his. There is no lack of delusions here.
These stories might be amusing but
they are actually derived from many situations I have seen and read.
These pseudo-homeopaths are a disgrace to the profession and surely will
turn away many patients from much needed help.
What must you
look for?
Search for the plain man of common sense, who takes great pain not only
to take note of all your complaints, but also takes time to explain them
as he sees it. He might recommend a book to read as to foster
communication, and therefore the chance on finding the right remedy,
greater. He gives you clear and condensed information respecting
everything that belongs to the art of homeopathy. He never shows anger,
irritability or impatience when you ask him questions. He listens
attentively to the complaints of those who seek his help and does not
pronounce an opinion without mature reflection.
In order to find
someone who has learned the most advanced methods in homeopathy, pay
attention to the following:
-
The good homeopath prescribes ONE
remedy only.
-
He puts your remedy in a bottle of
water, quantity to be determined by the homeopath. Those who advise
to take your remedy in dry doses have not studied and mastered the
most advanced homeopathic methods, and therefore not only slow down
your cure, but often prevent it.
-
The good homeopath tells you to
take a test dose that evening and to report within the next two days
as to the result. Do not repeat before you hear from him.
-
He will at this point determine
how often you can repeat this therapy, as to make sure your illness
is resolved in the fastest and most gentle way.
-
Avoid those who claim, “You must
first go through a strong aggravation of your symptoms before you
can get better,” as well as those who claim, “You must stop first
your allopathic medication” before I can treat you. This is not only
untrue, but right-out dangerous as the patient will suffer
withdrawal symptoms. A good homeopath recommends changing the amount
and dose of the allopathic meds ONLY after improvement on the
homeopathic remedy is perceived.
-
Avoid those who give you the
single remedy dry (take 3 pellets on the tongue) and let you repeat
this every month for a year without changing the strength (potency)
of your remedy. This “watch and Wait” period is NOT Hahnemann’s most
advanced method, although practiced by most homeopaths.
-
The homeopath wants to see you in
his office at least every month once but also insists on getting a
report (telephone, fax, email) every week. This way he can do
changes when he needs to do so.
-
Avoid those who claim when you
bring them informed knowledge of advanced methods, and say, “I
already know all that,” but his actions contradict his words.
-
Avoid those who never return your
phone calls or emails or leave on an extended vacation without
having anyone backing them up for emergencies.
-
Unfortunately in general, names of
schools attended, degrees obtained and masters under whom they
studied, means little. Even the assurance that “he has been in the
business of doing homeopathy for twenty years,” does not assure
success. Some homeopaths remain beginners for the rest of their
lives. As in any profession, everything depends on the consciousness
and industriousness of the practitioner and their true desire to
help people. Listen to those patients who he has treated: What was
the outcome? How much was he available? How did he treat you? How
was he as a human being? Could he connect to the suffering of the
patient?
-
Avoid that homeopath who changes
your remedy at every visit or who prescribes several remedies in
rapid succession within weeks. Most likely he has no idea what your
remedy really is.
-
Avoid the homeopath who claims
that there is no need to treat serious acute events and that your
chronic remedy will take care of any acute situation. It goes
against all principles of good homeopathy. But don’t make the
mistake neither to treat every physical trifle with a remedy from
your remedy kit. While under chronic treatment of a good homeopath,
communicate with him as to what acute events need an intervention.
Don’t start your own treatment.
-
Avoid the homeopath who tells you
that you only need ONE constitutional remedy for the rest of your
life, no matter what happens. This goes against all the principles
of homeopathy.
-
Avoid the homeopath who during
your consultation is continuously interrupted to take calls. You
paid for that visit, you deserve the attention.
-
Avoid the homeopath who in spite
of no progress after one to two years, refuses to retake your case
and rather continues with the same remedy in the stubborn belief
that he cannot be mistaken.
-
A good homeopath tells you from
the beginning what to expect. He tells you when the next in office
visit should take place, and gives you means of communication in
between successive visits, in order to assure the best possible
follow up. Help him through careful observing any change in your
symptoms, pen it down and communicate this once a week.
-
Avoid that homeopath who spends
half of your consultation time with berating his “incompetent”
colleagues in a malicious review.
-
Avoid the homeopath who gives you
two remedies, one to be taken in the morning and one to be taken in
the evening. He assures you that even Hahnemann alternated remedies
(He did so for a short time to find that it was NOT helpful and
abandoned the idea within the year).
-
Avoid any practitioner, homeopath
included that is judgmental.
-
The excellent homeopath is humble,
industrious, and sympathetic to your plight; he is patient and alive
during the consultation and not preoccupied with things not
pertaining to your suffering. In other words he loves homeopathy and
people. He treats the poor just like the rich, and spends some of
his time to give to the unfortunate, in his own country or abroad.
And when
you, dear patient, have found such a person, no one will rejoice more
than Dr Luc!
Reference:
“The Lesser Writings of Hahnemann.” Jain Publishing, New Delhi, 1990,
p236-241
Advised literature (for special book ordering, also see
www.DrLuc.com):
The People’s Repertory
Human Condition Critical | |
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